Recruitment Confidence Index (RCI)

Innovation Statement

Based on an annual survey of HR executives, the Recruitment Confidence Index measures anticipated changes in attracting and recruiting personnel and provides a think tank for HR executives in Greece.

Call to Action

Alba Graduate Business School at The American College of Greece (AGBS) has a long tradition in supporting and developing the practice of management in Greece by pushing forward the frontiers of knowledge related to the management of business organizations, while making that knowledge relevant to practitioners. The school has implemented a number of EU-supported and funded research projects for the development of initiatives in the fields of organizational culture, human resource management, diversity management, equality in the workplace, new learning technologies, and other relevant areas.

In 2003, in cooperation with the Great Place to Work Institute, AGBS also introduced the international Best Workplaces competition in Greece, which is still an ongoing and very successful project. In this framework, AGBS also explored the possibility of being a part of the international network of business schools and universities already organizing the Recruitment Confidence Index (RCI) survey in a number of European countries back in the mid-2000s. In cooperation with Cranfield School of Management and based on expertise developed in other EU countries (U.K., Spain), AGBS adapted the survey to the characteristics of the Greek context and introduced it in Greece in 2007 with the intention of providing reliable data to public entities, research centers, private and public companies, and individual analysts.

Innovation Description

The RCI measures expected changes in recruitment activity and business conditions during the previous and the next six months, and is considered the “barometer” of the labor market in Greece. The study runs on an annual basis, with a twofold purpose: monitoring the trends in personnel attraction and selection activities, and detecting labor market “expectations” for the forthcoming period in Greece. It also looks at recruitment methods, skills shortages, staff turnover, and pay rates. This index serves as an indication of the overarching current and future conditions in the employment market in Greece.

AGBS has further enhanced this activity by adding to the specific questionnaire a “special theme” each year in order to expose the HR community to current trends and measure their opinions on these trends. The results of the annual RCI survey are available free of charge to all interested parties, are made public through various communication means, and are presented to an annual event organized by AGBS, where exchange of opinions of HR executives and researchers takes place on the specific themes.

The list of the events’ themes organized during the last few years include the following:   

• 2016: “Brain Drain: Talent Management, Talent Retention”
• 2015: “Corporate Social Responsibility: From Generosity to Authenticity”
• 2014: “Beyond Salaries: Creative Rewarding Stories”
• 2013: “Employer Branding: Luxury or Need?”
• 2012: “Quality choices for the Organization, the Employee and the Society”

Innovation Impact

It is estimated that the RCI has collected more than 2,000 unique answers during the 11 years of its existence in Greece, involving HR executives from all business sectors, private and public. It also receives important publicity in specialized and general press (political and financial national newspapers, labor market and HR community magazines, websites, and more). The results are constantly used by national institutions (ministries and general secretariats, research centers, consultants) and international bodies (delegations of international institutions to Greece) for the production of national reports related to the condition of the Greek labor market. Furthermore, the HR executives deeply appreciate participating in the annual RCI event, where they have the chance to network, exchange opinions on current market trends, and gain exposure to the most recent research on HR and related issues.

Reference Link

• Recruitment Confidence Index

Innovation Partner

Cranfield School of Management, Cranfield University