IRIS Standard

Ethical recruitment means hiring workers lawfully and in a fair and transparent manner that respects and protects their rights.

The IRIS Standard is a set of global principles that define ethical recruitment. It is based on international labour and human rights instruments and was developed through extensive multi-stakeholder consultation. The IRIS Standard articulates what ethical recruitment means in practice and how labour recruiters can demonstrate compliance. 

The IRIS Standard and corresponding guidelines serve as a reference point for labour recruiters, employers and state actors on how to integrate ethical recruitment principles into recruitment-related management systems, policies, regulations, processes and procedures. To achieve this, the IRIS Standard defines operational indicators against which labour recruiters can be measured to assess compliance.  

The IRIS Standard consists of two overarching principles and five specific principles. Each principle is supported by one or more criteria with corresponding sets of indicators to be met by labour recruiters to be IRIS compliant. You can find the seven core IRIS Principles below: 

A. Respect for Laws, Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work  
B. Respect for Ethical and Professional Conduct 

1. Prohibition of Recruitment Fees to Jobseekers 
2. Respect for Freedom of Movement 
3. Respect for Transparency of Terms and Conditions of Employment 
4. Respect for Confidentiality and Data Protection 
5. Respect for Access to Remedy 

The latest full version of the IRIS Standard is available here.