Agencies must act now to stop the unethical practices that will hinder the recruitment industry's ability to take advantage of the inevitable upswing in demand, says Everjoy Consulting director, Adrian Everett.

"For those recruiters who are still succeeding in spite of the downturn, the biggest hindrance on our continued success is the increasing levels of unethical behaviour seen in the marketplace."

Everett concedes it's possible that recruitment consultants don't realise the broader impact that some of their activities have on the rest of the industry, but managers should be especially vigilant in identifying and rectifying bad practices