The scale of the recruitment and retention challenge facing the consultancy and engineering sector and the activities and behaviour of recruitment consultancies will be put under the spotlight following the announcement of a major industry taskforce to address the issue by the Association for Consultancy and Engineering (ACE).

The taskforce, which includes representation from HR and operational professionals from some of the leading consultancy firms in the UK, aims to establish the real extent of current skills shortages facing the industry and will draw up strategies to address them.

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It is expected that the taskforce will conduct a major investigation into recruitment and retention trends within the consultancy and engineering sector. That investigation will also include an examination of the activities and behaviour of recruitment consultancies in the industry.

To demonstrate its seriousness on the issue ACE has suspended its current affiliate relationships with two leading industry recruitment solutions providers, while the taskforce conducts its investigations.

ACE Chief Executive Nelson Ogunshakin said: “Recruitment and retention challenges and the activities of the recruitment industry have been raised at the highest level in ACE and our board has decided to take action. Firms consistently say that skills shortages, compounded by the unethical behaviour of some recruitment consultancies, are at the top of their list of challenges. We aim to establish the real extent of the problems and develop effective and sustainable strategies to address them.”

(CL)