The IT Contracts and Recruitment Association is making a play to persuade the big end of town only to use its members on their preferred supplier panels.

The clients of IT recruitment companies are increasingly requiring that the members of their supplier panels are ITCRA members, according to ITCRA executive director Norman Lacy.

“Already this year we have been providing advice and assistance to the Commonwealth Bank, Coles Myer, Queensland Health and Australia Post. Last year we acted similarly with Telstra and BHP Billiton," said Lacy.  "For the third time we will be assisting with the review of a client’s supplier panel having handled two events with the Queensland Government last year.

“On March 1 we assisted Australia Post with an information meeting for registration of interest as the first stage of the Corporate Sourcing Review of their IT Agency Panel. And last week we had our second meeting with Coles Myer who are in the process of finalising their new supplier panel which has been influenced by our advice on membership and certification.”

Lacy said that the main reason for this is that clients want the security of knowing that their assignments are being handled by ITCRA Certified Recruitment Professionals and that the trend in clients’ requirements is having a significant impact on the growth of ITCRA’s membership and the number of staff required to service the members.

ITCRA membership now stands at 140 companies, an increase of 13% in four months and its staff is about to grow to six from three at the end of 2004. 

 “Membership is currently growing by four new member companies a month. ITCRA Certification is booming with more member companies making it part of their induction for new staff and the larger companies using it to go through their whole organisation as a skills audit,” Lacy said.

“Our member’s clients have been increasingly seeking our assistance with their relationships with the recruitment industry. As a result, more of the Secretariat’s time has to be devoted to client projects.”