Throughout our 30 years within the Recruitment industry, we have seen significant increases in both the quantity and intricacy of external audits faced by employment businesses and ensuring high levels of audit success is now paramount for many companies when choosing a staffing partner.
With the increasing diversity in the UK’s labour market, international Right To Work checks have not only become more prevalent but have also been complicated by the UK’s departure from the EU and a reported rise in modern slavery cases.
With enforcement on non-conformities tightening, businesses are becoming increasingly aware of their accountability within their own operations and the practices of their supply chain partners. The challenges companies face today through factors such as Brexit, visa sponsorships, legislative changes and labour shortages has led businesses to understand the value of utilising a temporary workforce, but also raised awareness of their culpability and how best to manage the risks of working with a staffing provider.
QS Recruitment ensure that all operational processes comply with the Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Business Regulations 2003 and that we uphold fair recruitment practices. Being conscious of modern slavery issues, we actively contribute to its eradication by providing comprehensive training to all our staff and implementing stringent internal procedures.
As members of both the Recruitment & Employment Confederation and SEDEX, along with holding ISO and GLAA certificates, we are dedicated to maintaining our status of being one of the most compliant and ethical labour providers in the UK.
We welcome the opportunity to showcase our commitment to delivering excellent standards, regarding audit requirements as a minimum benchmark for compliance and quality management.
2024 saw us being audited on no less than 19 separate occasions, by a range of auditors including, clients, neutral vendors, master vendors, government departments and industry standards bodies.
And we pride ourselves on passing all of them with flying colours!!
Whilst common threads run through many of the audits we undertake, each client has unique needs that align with their particular objectives.
We meet all our clients in person to gain a comprehensive overview of their operation and generate a distinct set of standards that are meticulously adhered to when providing them with our services. By working closely with our clients, we ensure a full understanding of their ongoing requirements and how we can most effectively execute them in line with their internal compliance framework.
Throughout the years QS has developed a robust training & development programme. The in house programme is a fusion of training, mentoring and coaching, developing both knowledge base and commercial awareness across all levels of staffing. The training modules cover all the legislative aspects of providing temporary workers, alongside building industry knowledge on the sectors we work within.
The programme ensures all team members receive training on the Standard Operating Procedures for audits. They are also paired with a mentor who provides guidance on the diverse standards required by different clients on a daily basis. Adhering to these standards consistently results in a smooth audit process.
QS Recruitment has made significant investments in creating a bespoke customer relationship management platform that enables it to record the specific requirements of each client. These requirements are fully accessible to all employees companywide, 24 hours a day.
This bespoke database also gives us the flexibility to amend those requirements swiftly and easily, ensuring we react promptly to any changes which may occur.
Sporadic internal audits are conducted across our different offices, allowing us to review, measure and modify our standards prior to an external audit being announced.
Preparation is key!
Undoubtedly, our extensive preparation plays an integral role in our audit success. We strive for a seamless operation which showcases our commitment to delivering high standards across all aspects of the business
Whether audits are carried out remotely or in person, we employ identical practices to make the audit process smooth and time efficient.
Our teams work closely with our Compliance Manager to collate and check all the information and documentation that is required by the auditor. We then consider the most effective way to present this information. All files are precisely labelled, especially in the case of online audits and all relevant QS personnel are available on the date of any face-to-face assessments to answer questions or provide additional information.
We work within the boundaries of strict timelines and hold regular inter department meetings to review progress of the audit preparation.
The preparatory steps QS Recruitment undertake mean that, when presented with an external audit, we can respond quickly and efficiently. Delivering the requested information concisely and accurately, saving our clients valuable time and offering peace of mind.
With the increasing prevalence of auditing among various companies and their clients, our team has intensified their dedication to maintaining a high-quality service. This collective effort ensures that the standards we are known for are upheld, distinguishing ourselves as a reliable staffing partner.
As companies become ever more aware of their legal and social responsibilities; not only for their own business but throughout their supply chain, they are turning towards labour providers who carry the same values, inspire trustworthiness and can guarantee a high quality compliant and ethical service as standard.
You will find the details to speak to a member of our team about how we can support your operation here
If you would like to learn more about your responsibilities as a labour user, the Association of Labour Providers has a number of resources available to assist businesses with their due diligence responsibilities