I have seen many people complaining recently about the difficulty of getting a new job in the current climate, or asking how to get on in their careers.  My advice, for what it's worth, is that one of the "little things" IOSH members can do is make use of the membership register. 

When interviewing people for jobs, if people were being shortlisted I used to double check their qualifications on the members register before interviewing them, and telephoning IOSH if their name wasn't on the published register.   A few people were caught out this way, claiming the wrong grade on their CV so no interview.

Now, so many people are not listed that I no longer bother phoning IOSH.  If they can't be bothered to be listed on their professional organisation's membership register I can't be bothered to interview them.  There are planty of other good candidates competing against them.

Please use it.  I cannot think of a single spam e-mail or sales rep bothering me as a consequence of being on the register - so what is there to lose?

If there is such a topic elsewhere I can't find it. I searched before posting and only found reference to such a debate in 2015.  I'd appreciate it if you could point me in the right direction Peter, thanks.  The reason I posted in the career forum is because it can be a career stopper if you aren't listed on the register.

Over the years I've been involved in recruiting more than 100 safety professionals at GradIOSH/CMIOSH/CFIOSH level, interviewing many times this number as a consequence. I now reject one in 3 candidates for not being on the register.

Edited by user 20 November 2020 14:22:48(UTC)  | Reason: typo

I've found the post, thanks Peter. 

Reading people's comments there I get a real feeling that there is a misunderstanding about what the register is for.  However when I used to interview people who weren't on the register, and ask why they weren't listed there, typically it was a conscious decision at one time or another. 

They purposely chose to go ex-directory.   Fair enough, that's their right.  But if someone is applying for a job claiming to be a CMIOSH or GradIOSH, and there's no evidence without me phoning IOSH, and there are plenty of other good candidates (typically 30 applicants per vacancy) then they should be prepared to go straight into the circular gravity fed filing system.  Then write on one of the IOSH forums about how unfair it is that they've gone to so much trouble applying for a job and fail to get an interview.

Given the fact that IOSH has now pretty much hidden it on their 'newly' designed website I assume they think it's meaningless as well.  Shame on both counts. https://www.iosh.co.uk/MyIOSH/Member-directory.aspx 

Members have cards that can be taken to interview along with other evidence that resides upon systems you cannot look-up - passport/birth certificate (proof of eligibility to work), driving licence, education etc..

Since the directory was set up the regulations on data handling significantly changed - we are now supposed to be exclusivley "opt-in". Your comment that people "purposely go ex-directory" maybe doing them a disservice as they may have missed the tick box to be included.

We have also seen shifts in behaviours driven by "Social Media" even on these forums the newly registered push friend requests - I would not know about the member directory as I chose not to be included.

Hi Wailes900134.  You say "Perhaps if giving your details to IOSH didn't automatically tick the box of becoming an ISL "sales target", or there wasn't a history of people's details finding there way onto mailing lists of the companies of senior volunteers, we'd all trust them a little more?" 

I'd genuinely be interested to know if there is any supporting evidence to back that up, and what does IOSH say in its defence?

If I were so minded to look for people's contact details I would go straight to LinkedIn, and get them en-masse.  The IOSH directory is a slow job, and the information available is minimal.  In all the years of being in the directory I have never received unwanted email arising from my listing.  Shed-loads from other places, agreed, but they all just go into my spam folder.

I've quickly scanned the IOSH forums and they are littered with email addresses - so there's a problem already.  In terms of data security, a 15 second google search for your details shows that you are not shy when it comes to online presence, and within 2 minutes I have been able to find your DOB, home address, photo of the front of your house and e-mail address from information you have provided online (please note I have not stored any of this information, it was an intellectual exercise only and I stopped at that point). 

If I was a sales rep the last place I would look is the IOSH directory due to the amount of work involved.  On that basis I really don't think the IOSH Directory is a significant data threat by comparison to LinkedIn, Companies House and Google, however I accept that some people wish to be ex-directory.  It's a moot point really, as IOSH has buried the membership directory so deep that it's impossible to find if you don't know where it is, and the certificate checker doesn't work anyway.