The Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) has launched a guide to help maximise business potential.

Aiming to pinpoint precisely what makes a good manager in the recruitment sector, the REC guide comes at a crucial time for the sector, when umbrella companies are facing economic uncertainty and the acceleration of new technologies.

 The Seven Secrets of Successful Recruitment Managers aims to help umbrella companies see how to cultivate and keep the right balance, facilitating long-term success.

Roger Tweedy, the REC's director of research, said: "It will be the frontline managers and business leaders in this industry will who be making the decisions that ultimately create tomorrow's recruitment industry by framing the values passed on to clients and developing the staff, systems and process that deliver the value."

Meanwhile, umbrella companies look likely to increase in popularity as businesses attempt to cut expenditure while continuing to employ a good standard of staff.