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Glossary of terms Past, Present, Future Recruiter Accred (RAS)Quick Answers
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The Recruiter Accreditation Scheme (RAS) initiative was conceived three years ago, in 2012, when the AQR Board expressed its concerns about the lack of a professionalisation process for recruiters.
Consultations
It was acknowledged that the recruiters are a vital part of the research process but lack of training and, therefore, accountability was a cause for concern. Since then the MRS has taken on the baton and a steering party was established, comprising recruiters, field managers and researchers. It constructed a draft paper of guidelines with which to build a framework for the accreditation scheme followed, in January, by a full-day consultation at the Barbican. Here, 60 industry professionals working in operations and research met to discuss these draft proposals and to build on them.
Surveys
Surveys have been carried out with members of the AQR and the ICG, and recently the main MRS Board approved a budget to enable recruiters to be acknowledged as professionals with their own accreditation scheme and CPD programme.
Workshops
Debrah Harding, MRS managing director, is to invite recruiters to attend workshops in the North and South to ask for their help in taking this process forward. The first of these is on September 10th in Manchester, and it will be web streamed live to enable those who are unable to attend to log in and assess what exactly this initiative will mean for them. Please encourage as many recruiters as possible to either attend or access on line.
I look forward to taking this process forward, with all parties collaborating to make the industry stronger and more professional.
Julie Fuller
CEO, Acumen Fieldwork
This article was first published in InBrief magazine, October 2015
Copyright © Association for Qualitative Research, 2015
About the author

Julie Fuller
Julie set up her first company, Julie Fuller Recruitment, in 1987 and has since founded two others (Aspect Viewing Facilities, 2002 and Acumen Fieldwork, 2005). A keen rugby fan, Julie is the ex-president of Stockport Rugby Club, a title she held from 2009 until 2012.
AQR Member Profile
Julie Fuller
Articles by this author
October 2015
Recruiter Accreditation Scheme Update
August 2014
And now for recruiter accreditation