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Research Proposal: The Role of Agency Staff and Recruitment Agencies in

Coping Staff Shortage/Manpower in the United Kingdom

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Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................................3
Research Questions....................................................................................................................................5
Theoretical and Conceptual Positioning.....................................................................................................6
Research Epistemology and Ontology........................................................................................................7
Research Philosophy...................................................................................................................................8
Positivism vs Interpretivism.......................................................................................................................9
Interpretivism...........................................................................................................................................10
Research Approach...................................................................................................................................12
Methodological Approach........................................................................................................................13
Research Strategy/Design.........................................................................................................................14
Participants...............................................................................................................................................14
Sampling...................................................................................................................................................15
Data Collection..........................................................................................................................................15
Data Analysis.............................................................................................................................................17
Conclusion.................................................................................................................................................19
References................................................................................................................................................21
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The Role of Agency Staff and Recruitment Agencies in Coping Staff Shortage/Manpower

in the United Kingdom

Introduction

Recruitment became a significant sector in the United Kingdom during the agrarian and

industrial revolutions when industries and scientific inventions prompted the need to have human

resources. Therefore, recruitment was being carried out by individual companies and

organizations as the needs were not as high as in recent years. Until 1945, the company

themselves carried out recruitment as they sought to satisfy their own needs (Sporton, 2013).

However, after World War II, these needs increased as there were high turnover rates due to

fallen and wounded soldiers. Therefore, this led to the introduction of the recruitment agencies

that took the initiative to help the companies get these employees both locally and

internationally. Recruitment agencies since then have performed this peculiar role. Most

recruitment companies have been able to do their recruitment processes quickly and without

distractions, which has been evident as the recruitment sector has been successful. According to

Sporton (2013), it would have been difficult for the companies to be able to achieve the same

level of human resource effectiveness without the intervention of the recruitment agencies.

According to Florea (2014), “Recruitment agencies are external firms that find suitable

candidates for employers. They are tasked by employers to find candidates according to their

requirements for vacant positions to save time and money and access the extended candidate net

that a direct advert and company network cannot reach.”

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However, since 2008, the recruitment sectors took another turn when total number of

recruitment agencies reached to 32,888 and this has been the norm as the labour sector also

grows.

Chart: New recruitment agencies startups by year

Source Companies House UK

Before Brexit, recruitment agencies had the mandate to recruit staff from the European Union

(EU), a move that has collapsed after the Brexit deal (Read & Fenge, 2019). However, the

country still faces a shortage of manpower in sever sectors and this has prompted different

sectors to underline the significant issues that cause the shortage. For instance, the health sector

has been one of the most affected, with the country still battling labour shortage. “A shortage is a
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situation in which demand for a product or service exceeds the available supply. When this

occurs, the market is said to be in a state of disequilibrium.” (Combes, Elliott & Skåtun, 2018).

After Covid-19 in 2020/21, the NHS has called out for assistance from the government to ensure

that this problem has been avoided and that employees are available in all sectors. Whether

Brexit has been one of the major causes remains a question that needs to be addressed.

While the labour sector remains an important part of the human resource management in

the country, there is a dire need to have recruitment agencies perform their duties and be allowed

to take care of this mandate (Sporton, 2013). Recruitment agencies remain an integral part of

helping fight against shortage of labour and helping the statistics department identify the level of

shortage compared to that of unemployment. Recruitment agency empowerment will ensure that

the country does not have a shortage and that they can solicit labour both locally and

internationally, which is what stabilizes the market. “By moving the recruitment process to a

recruitment agency, a lot of time is saved by the managers for more efficient planning.” (Jamil &

Neem, 2013).

This study will examine the role of agency staff and recruitment agencies in coping with

staff shortage/workforce in the United Kingdom. The paper will carry out qualitative research on

the topic to determine the different roles that recruitment plays in helping reduce labour shortage

while also assisting the companies save on both time and resources. Through the right theories

and philosophies, the paper will seek to offer formidable conclusions that will help the

government and other stakeholders in the labour department have the right directions in guiding

the recruitment agencies to perform their tasks accordingly and to ensure that they help avoid

delays in employee employment and replacements.

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Research Questions

The following are the research questions that will help the study take shape/

1. What are the causes of the current shortage of manpower in the United Kingdom?

2. What effects do staff agencies AGENCY STAFF and recruitment RECRUITMENT

AGENCIES have in the job market?

3. What are the challenges that RECRUTMENT AGENCIES go through and how they

are alleviating manpower shortage in UK?

Theoretical and Conceptual Positioning

A number informed the idea of recruitment agencies role in coping shortage of theories

that explain the need for ideal recruitment strategies. For this assignment, recruitment theory will

be critical as it presents different conditions for employees on different levels of organization and

company management. This research will apply qualitative research methods and how this is

related to qualitative research. The diagram below shows the research process and design that

will be expounded through the study of recruitment strategies used by recruitment agencies in the

United Kingdom.
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The conceptual framework that would be utilized in the project is the Recruitment theory,

which will be examining the process of recruitment planning begins with precise specifications

of HR needs (numbers, skills, mix, levels) and the time frame within which such requirements

must be met. To examine the role of recruitment agencies, the research will ask on how agencies’

staff and recruitment strategies will utilize the theory to curb the shortage.

Research Epistemology and Ontology

According to Al-Ababneh (2020), epistemology and ontology are part of the research as they

help create a position and a reasoning. Decision making that informs the choice of topic is based

on empiricism epistemology. In this case, empiricism require, legitimate and logical reasons will
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be used in the research to make claims that are related to knowledge (Al-Ababneh, 2020). In this

case, it does depend on observation alone and experiences as the sources of knowledge and this

is the epistemological reasoning that will inform the ontology of the research. Decision making

in this case will involve gathering information and evaluating all the pros and cons of the issue.

This research design starts by considering ontological position which deals with the fundamental

nature of roles and values of recruitment agencies. Therefore, interpretivism in this case is the

key ontological position due to its inductive background that it has, and the fact that grounded

theory is being used as the methodology to get data and information to support the research.

Research Philosophy

The research philosophy that will be utilized for this paper will determine the outcome

and whether the issues in question in the research are addressed. The question in this matter that

is being raised is the role of staff and recruitment agencies in coping with employee shortage in

the UK. Therefore, the paper plays a huge role in helping determine the positive effects that

recruitment agencies ad on human resources and the general recruitment sector in the country.

There are a number of philosophies that are applicable, but not all fit to help define the problem,

its nature, and scope. As a result, positivism and interpretivism are the main theories that inform

the methodological approach of the research. These philosophies are applicable together, and

they help the research define the research question and give a broad scope of the problem that is

being investigated and therefore, it is one of the best methodologies to be used for the research.
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Positivism vs Interpretivism

According positivism fits in a number of research questions, and in this case, it is one of

the most widely used research philosophies. For this research, to examine the role of recruitment

agencies in coping manpower shortage, positivism would be helpful in helping to expound and

utilizing the qualitative data available and also answer to the research questions. Positivism in

research seeks to understand a problem in an objective way. Therefore, as an accurate analysis,

the researcher distances themselves from personal values and works independently. According to

Žukauskas, Vveinhardt & Andriukaitienė (2018), there is ontological, epistemological, and

methodological aspects of positivism that make it favourable in answering many research

questions. Therefore, in most scholarly paradigms, the research is used in studies devoid of

researcher bias and independent of personal values (Žukauskas, Vveinhardt & Andriukaitienė,

2018).

Qualitative research is one of the most complete research methodologies that seek to

explore the objectivity of the study and can be complemented by other research methods. While

both positivism and interpretivism are ideal research methodologies, they are complementary and

help to answer the “what” and “how” of the research. Positivisms, in this case, seek to identify

qualitative data with propositions that can be tested or placed in other cases (Lin, 2005). In this

case, the use of semi-structured interviews is one of the main data collection methods. In this

case, positivism will be applicable in the qualitative analysis of the results.

Consequently, this research adopts an inductive approach using grounded theory and this

is what makes positivism not to be applicable for this research. In this case, interpretivism has

the best approach that is applicable with inductive research and therefore it remains to be the
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most relevant and applicable approach. Although these two approaches seemingly could work

together in some research. For this research, interpretivism is much favourable and ideal for the

research and therefore, will be used.

Interpretivism

This is an approach based on the naturalistic data collection method, such as interviews

and observations. This methodology is quite ideal as it also poplar with secondary data research.

In most cases, the end of the research process helps in the determination of the meaning of the

research. Since the use of interviews makes qualitative a form of social inquiry, it helps the study

focus on the interpretations of people’s experiences of things they see. For instance, in this case,

the interviews in this study will seek to interpret the social reality of recruitment agencies

helping combat manpower shortages in the United Kingdoms. The fact that interviews seek to

get social information on the topic makes interpretivism a form of social reality.

Unlike positivism, which is objective in nature, this research philosophy assumes that

social reality is not singular or objective (Lin, 2005). However, the study ontologically argues

that human experiences and social contexts shape social reality. The high number of the UK

workforce has gone through the hands of recruitment agencies. This makes it easy for

interpretivism to gain social reality on the issue which will explain these people experiences with

staff and recruitment agencies in the UK.

There are several advantages of using interpretivism as one of the main philosophical

foundations of the research. Firstly, the responses that are obtained from the individuals are valid

and always close to the truth. This is because these responses often utilize subjective human

experiences, therefore giving different views from objective responses. The responses are often
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based on the excellent reflection of how people feel and providing an accurate picture of the

research questions and what and what the research is measuring.

Secondly, subjective qualitative data helps build rapport with the participants and,

therefore, supports the researcher achieve data validity that is needed for the research. A

researcher with a good rapport with the interview respondents, according to Lin (2005), is likely

to obtain valid data and information that will do the research to be ideal and most complete.

Thirdly, this research philosophy also helps in exploring hidden reasons behind a complex,

multifaceted social process. Therefore, it helps the researcher avoid instances where qualitative

data will be biased, inaccurate, or difficult to obtain.

Both positivism and interpretivism are productive, unlike when combined with other

methodologies. According to Lin (2005), a combination of positivism and interpretivism, both

through experiment or during methods, offers the best solutions to the problems that are being

experienced. Therefore, this is a study that is relevant to the current situation in the UK as it

offers a solution to employee shortage that has been high since the Brexit move and post Covid-

19 era. Therefore, this combination works best for this study as it explains and outlines the best

ways to answer the research questions and identify the problems experienced.

Therefore, this research seeks to explore the juxtaposition of qualitative research against

other methodologies. These two are traditional qualitative methodologies, and they remain to be

relevant to the modern world. They will answer the questions and ensure that there is an answer

to these questions effectively. The two philosophies seek to explore the “what” and “how” of the

research. It allows the researcher to add qualitative data to the problem and whether it would

have two different issues from it. However, given that grounded theory is inductive research,
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interpretivism will be the most applicable philosophy given that it is much compatible with

inductive reasoning and grounded theory well.

Research Approach

Several research approaches would be used to complete this research. In this case, the

Inductive research approach. Using the inductive approach to this research, I will begin with

specific observations and measures and then move to detect themes and patterns in the data. This

will allow me to form an early tentative hypothesis that can be explored. The grounded theory

would also be applied to collect and analyze data systematically in this research. It will also

uncover relationships between groups used in the study and, therefore applicable in tandem with

the inductive approach.

When used in grounded theory, inductive research has a number of advantages and

benefits to the researcher and the research itself. Firstly, it allows flexibility and also attends

closely to context, and supports the generation of new theories. With flexibility, the researcher is

able to analyze the data inductively, also giving room for changes that might be applicable.

Secondly, inductive reasoning and approach help in predicting what might happen in the future.

Therefore, the researcher can tell of imminent possibilities that might affect the researcher.

However, the approach has one drawback where sometimes there is a possibility of false

conclusions in instances where inductive reasoning is incomplete. However, since it is applicable

together with grounded theory, this methodology remains one of the best and most complete in

answering the four research questions for this study.

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Methodological Approach

The methodological approach used in this qualitative research is grounded theory

methodology, which plays a significant role in this research. According to Cambell (2015), five

methodologies help the researcher do the research qualitatively. These methodologies are

narrative inquiry, phenomenological, grounded theory, ethnographic, and case study research

(Campbell, 2015). All these methodologies depend on the research questions and research design

that will be used for the research. Given the considerations made for this research, grounded

theory is the most ideal research methodology that will be applied to help complete the study and

also help in answering various research questions.

Grounded theory is a qualitative research methodology that enables one to study one

particular phenomenon and help discover new hemes and theories based on real-time data

collection. Unlike traditional deductive approaches, grounded theory tries to derive new theories

from data. This methodology is compatible with the interpretivist method primarily for this

research and, therefore, proves to be necessary.

The grounded theory proves to be an ideal methodology with a number of advantages,

making it a complete methodology. Firstly, grounded theory can be used to identify the more

situated nature of knowledge and ensure a contingent nature of the practice. The grounded theory

provides a methodology to develop an understanding of social phenomena that is not pre-formed

or pre-theoretically developed with existing theories and paradigms (Engward, 2013). Due to its

exploratory nature, grounded theory is valuable for research as it investigates various social

processes.
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Secondly, on the other hand, the grounded theory provides a better understanding of

different conflict areas. In this case, the grounded theory will seek to understand the relationship

between recruitment agencies and manpower shortage in the United Kingdom. This role makes

grounded theory important for the researcher as it helps them determine what happens. Another

advantage of is that grounded theory is an inductive research methodology. Therefore, grounded

theory meets the criteria that are needed to form the most complete research methodology and

thus remains to be the most reliable methodology that is used in for this research.

Research Strategy/Design

This research utilizes an interpretivist and grounded theory as the central philosophies

and approach. In this case, the main strategy that would be applied is the use of semi-structured

interviews to obtain data that will help inform the research question. Therefore, this research

seeks to explore various methodologies that are applicable in research. According to Charmaz

(2006), grounded theory interviews questions. The interviews have an opening, central, and

closing questions where there are no more than ten questions in total, unlike in structured

interviews.

Participants

There will be 25-30 participants who will be subjected to this interview. The participants

range from human resource officers from recognized companies, workers who have gone

through the recruitment agency process, and officers from recognized recruitment agencies.

These participants will be invited to be part of the research and will be first informed on the

expectations of the research. This will help them be a good representation of the general
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population. These three levels of participants are there offer three different directions of the

study and ensure that the study has enough information to answer the research questions.

Sampling

In grounded theory, there are different types of sampling used to make the research

complete. According to Morse (2010), the most applicable methods are convenience sampling,

where participants are selected based on accessibility, purposeful sampling, and theoretical

sampling. Therefore, for this research, convenience sampling is used to ensure that the chosen

participants are accessible and free to respond to the interview questions. Consequently, it

remains the most complete method that will help answer the research questions where the

participants will help in answering the research questions. Convenience sampling is ideal for this

study as participants in this research will offer the study a sense of direction that I needed to

answer specific research questions. Therefore, the interviews will take an approximately three

weeks, and consequently, the participants need to be available within this timeline. This allows

them to have time to respond to the interviews. To gain access, there will be a consent request to

the participants for them to give the go-ahead for the interview to be conducted.

Data Collection

Data collection is conducted using different types of data collection methods. For this

method, interviews will be used as they offer the best version of the data needed to make the

study complete. The interviews will be semi-structured and contain three parts with questions not

exceeding 10. The questions will seek to know the role of a recruitment agency and what this

group of people feel about the process of having employees recruited through these agencies.
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Similarly, documents and literature examining the role of recruitment agencies in coping

with manpower shortage will also be analyzed in the but to make the research presentable and

ideal. Both methods are best as grounded theory seeks to understand themes and theories that

explain why something and issues are as they are. Therefore, these two data collection methods

will be utilized to ensure that the data collected is insightful to the research questions and that it

provides an understanding of how these theories affect the issue in question.

Grounded theory, in this case, is used to generate concepts that show relationships

between these theories. On the other hand, it seeks a better understanding to build on the

approach. The interviews will seek to interrogate the emergent concepts in the light of relevant

insight that are outside the study for this interview, and there will be three different types of

interview questions to the respondents. The first interview questions set will be directed to

human resource officers from companies and organizations that utilize recruitment agencies.

Secondly, the other group is workers who have gone through the recruitment agency process.

The last group is that of officers working for recruitment agencies. Although these interview

questions differ distinctly, they all converge to the theme of recruitment agency roles in

combating manpower shortage in the UK. All these questions are important as they all help

answer the research questions.

According to Charmaz (2006), the use of short interview guides is ideal for research, and

this is one of the most important factors for this research. One of the primary reasons why the

interview questions are short structured is that most of the respondents are only available

virtually, and there is a need for minimal contacts due to Covid-19 protocols. However, the

straightforward questions ensure that the time with respondents is minimal tie sure that they save
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time and that all the respondents get the time to respond to the interviews since it is carried on

one-on-one basis.

Data Analysis

Grounded theory is a prominent methodology that has been applied in several studies.

This is because grounded theory aims to discover and construct theory from data. The study

obtains systematic data from the interviews and other literature that can be compared

analytically. On the other hand, the Grounded theory is inherently flexible and has proven to be

complex in some ways. However, data analysis ensures that comparative analysis ensures that

themes and theories are obtained from the research.

While analyzing grounded theory data, thematic analysis plays a significant part in the

research. In this case, thematic analysis is an integral part of the analysis. Therefore, the

researcher will develop the analysis by finding repeating themes and reviewing the data

thoroughly. The data is also reviewed before it enters the second stage of coding. Coding of the

most emergent themes is done using keywords and phrases. After this, the groping of the codes is

done and then arranged into concepts. Categorizing these concepts will be done in relation to the

relationship between different themes. The following chart shows the steps of grounded theory

data analysis.
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From the above figure, the methodology does not have a complex data analysis

methodology and procedures but requires a straightforward way of coding and ensuring that the

evidence is translated to a relevant theory or theme. As a result, the first step of this analysis is

collecting data which in this research will be done through interviews where a short answer

interview will be used. After that, the data will be arranged through themes, followed by coding.

Similar themes are therefore coded depending on the themes that they are representing. After

this, the data is organized around concepts, allowing naming and organizing it depending on the

identified themes.
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The other step that follows is forming categories of related concepts. These steps allow

the data to read as it is supposed to be and ensure that it is clear and theories and themes are

noted based on their concepts. The fifth step in data analysis is elaborating patterns and linkages

between categories of the data obtained. After that, the researcher develops a theoretical and

explanatory model that helps them explain different vital concepts. These steps are conducted to

compare codes, categories, and images constantly.

Conclusion

The research paper wants to examine the role of agency staff and recruitment agencies in

coping with staff shortage/manpower in the United Kingdom. The paper seeks to explore the

relationship between recruitment agencies and the availability of manpower and how its shortage

can be coped with. Therefore, the study is exclusively vigilant to try and examine different roles

that recruitment agencies have played since 1945 and how they cover the years that have helped

the government curb employee shortage. However, to achieve this, the research will have to

utilize the right research philosophy, methodology, and research design in tandem with the needs

of the research.

Therefore, a comparison of positivist and interpretivist approaches was conducted to

determine which of the two was the most complete philosophy. However, the fact that grounded

theory is the methodological approach chosen makes it inductive research that fits interpretivist.

Although both methodologies could be conducted in some studies, the interpretive methodology

is the best fit for this research. The grounded theory uses interviews as one of its modes of data

collection; however, it remains apparent that the best method to apply and use is interviews.
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Grounded data analysis will be conducted through six steps, and then the interpretation of the

results will follow.

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