When typing this piece up I realise that the title comes across emotional and concerning. Like I’m bothered. But the truth is, it really doesn’t bother me. Everybody hates my job. The only one who loves my job is me. I’m Head of Compliance at a Pharmacy Recruitment Agency.
I’m the annoying one who stops you from sending an illegal worker out to work. The one who stops you from sending a criminal into the workplace. I’m the one who really gets under your skin and stands in-between the recruiter and that extra bit of commission.
I’m sure any compliance officer working at any recruitment agency supplying temporary staff feels the same way. Here’s some points why I work the most hated job in recruitment.
Compliance just gets in the way.
Temporary Workers do not want to send a million and one documents to me. They just want to work straight away. However, the repercussions of not doing the pre-employment checks would be detrimental on an agency.
The Recruiters just don’t understand!!
With different Trusts, Councils and Companies there’s different policies and contracts which outline what we need to do legally to get them out to work. Some are very basic, and others are extreme (and when I say extreme, I really mean it). Often the more extreme compliance processes is more common that not. Questions, debates and comparisons are ALWAYS made. “Well this agency doesn’t do that” OR “Can we get this newly registered worker out to work by tomorrow morning?” OR “Why is it taking so long?”. Why does everyone hate my job?
Pedantic Police
That’s what everyone calls me at the office. I must be picky, fussy and just damn right confident to stand in the way of recruiters. I need documents in a certain format, colour blah blah blah. Pedantic right?? If it isn’t done like that then it needs to be done again. I’m horrible aren’t I!? I don’t think it’s difficult to do. But I suppose I’m not on the receiving end of my obvious wrath.
Let me explain why my role is just a pain in the bum to everyone else.
I have to stand in the way. Without my role and it’s regulations, you could really send any ‘Tom, Dick or Harry’ out to work, which short term would be GREAT. However, it takes one situation to arise, and your agency is in big trouble.
I understand that the recruiters just want their newly registered Temporary Worker out to work the next day. But most of the time, it’s simply not possible. Why is that you ask?
I can only move as quickly as the Temporary Worker moves with me (They often disappear every now and then
REFERENCES!!! I HATE sending off for references. It doesn’t matter how many times you pester a company for a reference, its just the lowest job on their list to get done!!
In my sector Occupational Health Screening and DBS checks are a must have. Generally, cannot be done overnight due to lack of documentation so on so forth and the unpredictability of a DBS.
There’s many other factors to this, but I shall not waffle.
Truth of the matter is….I LOVE MY JOB. I love how pedantic it is. I love that the responsibility is on me to ensure that I’m legally sending someone into a hospital to save lives.
So the pedantic police is here to stay ladies and gentleman and will forever annoy an office full of recruiters. If any recruiters are reading this, hopefully next time you pester the living daylights out of your compliance manager just understand that they get your worker out to work as quickly as is humanly possible.
You can head over to our Locum Hub for some links and useful information of some of the work that happens behind the scenes.
