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The Top Professional Associations For Recruiters in 2026

Last updated: December 31, 2025

Even though the barriers to entry for the recruiting industry are low, getting started as a recruiter can be challenging. There is no university degree in recruiting and if you want to simply dive in headfirst, navigating all of the challenges of a new industry can be difficult.

That’s why professional associations can be a huge help. A good organization can provide certified training courses, legal and legislative guidance, model documents and best practice templates, annual conferences, and discounts with preferred suppliers. In short, they can give you all of the resources you need to succeed.

The list below contains the top professional associations for recruiters. The country and focus of each organization should help you find the right fit.

Table of Contents

TEEMA Group

Country: Canada and the United States
Focus: Professional recruiters and client managers
Founded: 2007 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Members: 250+ members with thousands of consultants on contract

Benefits:

  • TEEMA University
  • TEEMA Connect
  • Centralized Back Office
  • Sector-focused account managers across IT, A&F, engineering, healthcare, executive search, operations, sales & marketing, and supply chain
  • Discounted access to job boards such as Career Builder, LinkedIn Recruiter, Monster, and Zip Recruiter
  • Help with social media presence, website, SEO campaigns, and marketing materials
  • Insurance for staffing and employee benefits in Canada and the US

Fees: Up to 80% of every deal goes back to members
Site: https://teemagroup.com/

Recruitment and Employment Confederation

Country: United Kingdom
Focus: Professional recruiters
Founded: 2000
Members: 3,300+ recruitment businesses and 10,500+ individual recruiters

  • Annual Talent Recruitment & Employment Conference
  • 300+ yearly events including webinars and workshops
  • Legal seminars

Benefits:

  • Monthly reports
  • Sector-focused support
  • Insurance scheme
  • Recruitment law specialists and legal library
  • Member-only mentoring and consultancy

Fees: Based on agency turnover
Site: https://www.rec.uk.com/

American Staffing Association

Country: United States
Focus: Staffing, recruiting, and workforce solutions
Founded: 1966
Members: 1,800

  • Annual Staffing World and Staffing Law conferences
  • Regional council and chapter events
  • Webinars

Benefits:

  • Legal and legislative resources
  • Professional development and research
  • Industry publications
  • ASA Central private networking community

Fees: Based on gross sales
Site: https://americanstaffing.net/

Association of Professional Recruiters of Canada

Country: Canada
Focus: Professional recruiters
Founded: 1984
Members: 1,200

  • Regular chapter events
  • Annual workshops and conferences

Benefits:

  • Member newsletters
  • Workplace Library access
  • Discounted programs and services

Fees: $175 + tax per year
Site: https://www.workplace.ca/resources/aprc_assoc.html

Association of Professional Staffing Companies

Country: United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, Southeast Asia
Focus: Professional recruiters
Founded: 1999
Members: 1,000+ in the UK

  • Sector meetings across multiple industries
  • 200+ virtual and in-person events per year

Benefits:

  • Dedicated legal helpline
  • Market intelligence reports
  • Model documents and training courses

Fees: Based on business size

The British Institute of Recruiters

Country: United Kingdom
Focus: Agency and in-house recruiters
Founded: 2010

  • Discounted job boards
  • Legal helpline
  • Recruitment training
  • Member-only events

Fees: £90–£120 individual, £595+ corporate
Site: https://ior.org/

National Association of Personnel Services

Country: United States and Canada
Focus: Recruiters and recruitment firms
Founded: 1961
Members: 800+

  • Annual conference
  • Power NAPS webinars

Benefits:

  • Industry newsletters
  • Vendor discounts
  • Education and certifications
  • Affinity programs

Fees: $270–$950 per year
Site: http://www.naps360.org/

Association of Talent Acquisition Professionals

Country: United States
Focus: Talent acquisition professionals
Founded: 2016
Members: 500+

  • Monthly webinars
  • Global Talent Acquisition Day

Benefits:

  • Member-exclusive content
  • Networking and mentorship
  • Discounted events

Fees: $99/year
Site: https://atapglobal.org/

American Association of International Healthcare Recruitment

Country: United States
Focus: International healthcare recruitment
Founded: 2006
Members: 20

Benefits: Representation, credibility, and professional development

Fees: $3,000–$7,500 per year
Site: http://aaihr.org/

Top Echelon’s Recruiting Network

Country: United States
Focus: Recruiting firms
Founded: 1992
Members: 500+

  • National and regional conferences
  • Virtual core groups

Benefits:

  • Split placements
  • Candidate sourcing tools
  • Recruiter training

Fees: $350 setup + $135–$150/month + 6% brokerage fee
Site: https://www.topechelon.com/recruiting-network/

National Association of Executive Recruiters

Country: United States
Focus: Executive recruiters
Founded: 1985

  • Ethical networking
  • Education and best practices

Site: https://www.naer.org/

Recruitment Process Outsourcing Association

Country: United States
Focus: RPO community
Founded: 2005
Members: 6,000

  • Annual conference
  • Forums and webinars

Benefits:

  • RPO Academy
  • Vendor marketplace
  • Industry exposure

Fees: $3,000–$15,000 per year
Site: https://www.rpoassociation.org/

National Association of Physician Recruiters

Country: United States
Focus: Healthcare recruiters
Founded: 1984
Members: 300+

  • Annual convention
  • Webinars

Benefits:

  • Healthcare recruitment training
  • Industry newsletters
  • Vendor discounts

Fees: $600–$999
Site: https://www.napr.org/

Country: United States
Focus: Legal search consultants
Founded: 1984
Members: 200+

  • Annual convention
  • Educational programs

Benefits:

  • Industry directory
  • Ethics committee
  • Member resources

Fees: $395–$1,000 per year
Site: https://www.nalsc.org/

Association of Canadian Search, Employment & Staffing Services

Country: Canada
Focus: Recruiting firms
Founded: 1998
Members: 1,500+

  • National conference
  • Industry awards
  • Webinars

Benefits:

  • Government relations
  • Industry training
  • Partner discounts

Fees: $1,100–$35,000 per year
Site: https://acsess.org/

NPA Worldwide

Country: Global
Focus: Independent recruiters
Founded: 1956
Members: 1,300+

  • Global conference
  • Webinars

Benefits:

  • Peer collaboration
  • Training and business tools

Fees: $500 enrollment + $195/month
Site: https://npaworldwide.com/

TempNet Staffing Association

Country: United States
Founded: 1977

  • Annual and fall conferences
  • Webinars

Benefits:

  • Business support network
  • Legal and legislative consulting
  • Split-fee program

Fees: Unknown
Site: https://www.tempnetstaffingassociation.org/

National Association for Health Care Recruitment

Country: United States
Focus: Healthcare recruitment professionals
Founded: 1975
Members: 1,000+

  • Annual conference
  • Webinars and roundtables

Benefits:

  • Educational resources
  • Industry news
  • Networking opportunities

Fees: $150 per year
Site: https://www.nahcr.com/

Association of Executive Search and Leadership Consultants (AESC)

Country: Global
Focus: Executive search and leadership consultants
Founded: 1959
Members: 16,000+

  • Global and regional conferences
  • Workshops and webinars

Benefits:

  • Research and peer knowledge
  • Legislative guidance
  • Education and training

Fees: $375 per year
Site: https://www.aesc.org/

Author

Zack Gallinger

LinkedIn

Zack Gallinger is the founder of Talent Hero Media, a digital marketing agency that specializes in finding new clients and candidates for recruiting agencies. He attended the University of Toronto - Rotman School of Management, where he received his MBA. In his free time, he enjoys rock climbing and spending time with his (very large) family.