The Recruitment and Consulting Services Association (RCSA) is the peak industry body for the Australian and New Zealand recruitment industries. A core component of its charter is to promote the profile and professionalism of the industry.

The RCSA Service Delivery Standard (RCSA SDS:2007) sets a benchmark for the highest quality service and operational efficiency in the industry. Members who wish to become certified in the standard must demonstrate they have established an effective management system for the delivery of services to clients and candidates which is reliable and consistent with the service promise.

Launched in March 2005, there are a growing number of RCSA Members who have achieved certification and many more who are preparing their businesses for assessment. Please have a look at the current certified Members.

Q: Who can become certified?
A: All corporate Members of the RCSA. The RCSA SDS is equally applicable to small or large agencies, from generalists to specialists and from blue collar to professional recruiters.

Q: Is this different from quality certification?
A: Yes, but the RCSA SDS is similar to and complements the ISO 9001:2000 Quality Management System Standard . The RCSA SDS has been drafted to meet the specific requirements of the recruitment industry but adopts similar principles to quality management.

Q: Does the Standard suit healthcare recruiters (AAMRA/AANRA Members)?
A: Yes. The RCSA SDS has been successfully applied to both medical and nursing recruiters, and caters for the special requirements of your services such as training, migration, placement and skills management.

Q: How do I know if my business is ready for this?
A: Please take a quick survey. It will give you an idea of the type of management controls and documentation the standard requires.

Q: What is the process to become certified?
A: Start by sending an application form in to Fathom. We will forward you a checklist which you can use to assess your readiness for certification. It is likely you will need to do some work to prepare for the assessment, but if you need help just contact us for some ideas on how to proceed. When you are ready we can agree a date for the audit, which will involve both a review of documents and a visit to your offices. We then draft a report and present this to the RCSA Standards Council for their approval. Click here for a map of this process, or go to the Application Pack for more information.

Q: What happens once I am certified?
A: You will be entitled to present the certification logo on all your documents, brochures, websites etc. When completing tenders you can indicate that you have been certified by a third party in a type of quality management system (ask us for a paper you can include in your tender). The certification period is 3 years, but during this time regular surveillance audits will be conducted to monitor on-going compliance. Please see the surveillance audit process.

Q: How do I apply?
A: Complete the form contained at the back of this Application Pack . Please also give us a call on 61 3 9667 2495 and we will be happy to explain the process and what support we can offer in more detail.

Q: Where can I get more information?
A: The RCSA public website has more information on the Standard. Click here to go directly to the home page on the site. Also there is a range of articles, media releases, newsletters and other information available here.