How regularly do you talk to recruitment agencies? The Berkeley Scott Group is developing a plan to build ongoing relationships with the people it recruits as well as the companies it serves. It has undertaken a root and branch review of its client, candidate and recruiter relations. The long-term aim is to make far reaching changes in working practices throughout the industry. "The intention is to signal a change from an old world of mistrust, high charges and inefficiency, to a new world where both sides work together to achieve mutual benefit," says ceo Roddie Watt. The traditional view of recruitment is largely reactive: as vacancies came up, recruitment companies were asked to fill them. This was a kneejerk reaction and the relationship was a transactional one: job, fill it, move on. Berkeley Scott's long-term aim is to create an environment where development is planned, recruitment is proactive and the foundation is relational and forward looking. "Both clients and recruiters should be developing long-term working relationships and taking a view of the overall picture to work together towards a future that is planned," says Watt. This means investigating why vacancies arise in the first place and helping to prevent future loss ­ while still supporting clients when positions fall vacant. The traditional view of charging for recruitment costs is also under the microscope. In the old model, transactions usually involved large fees which usually bore little relationship to the time or effort put into a job. BSG has changed its fee structure to reflect the time and resources involved in each instance. Enduring relationships generate far greater revenues while the client is not forced to pay for all failed assignments, says BSG. {{TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT }}