JOIN THE FUN … JOIN A PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION! 

Professional associations in the recruiting and staffing industry offer their members the opportunity and support to develop networks, gain knowledge and credentials through training. You can stay current with industry events, laws, standards and trends. Active participation in a professional association can have a great impact on your professional growth and understanding.

Networks are critically important to a recruiter’s long-term success. Professional associations provide recruiters with the tools to use to expand their professional expertise and knowledge. You can position yourself to be an industry expert in your field. Learn from leading speakers and trainers on the latest networking tools to attract potential candidates and new clients.

On-going training offered through professional associations is an important benefit available to members. Your skills and level of industry knowledge can be greatly improved through seminars, webinars and annual conferences. To broaden their knowledge, members can make use of “Lunch & Learn” events and on-line discussion groups to view, post and join discussions on current topics. Through training you can achieve credentials which can differentiate you in the marketplace and can demonstrate your commitment to the standards of the staffing profession.

Participation in a professional association often leads to lifelong friendships. For rookie recruiters, professional associations offer opportunity to learn from industry veterans the necessary skill sets to differentiate themselves from the competition and the techniques needed to be successful. Associations also provide the vehicle for industry veterans to give back to their industry by helping with training and mentoring programs, providing expertise and guidance and by setting a high bar for ethical standards.

An example of a local/state association is CSP (California Staffing Professionals). CSP not only provides members training but keeps them updated on legal and legislative issues. CSP offers state-wide guidance, and is organized in seven local chapters distributed throughout the state. CSP offers an Owners Only Retreat once a year. There will be peer networking and breakout sessions on current challenges facing staffing owners. This year the retreat will be held Oct 5-7th at the Atlantis Casino and Resort in Reno, NV.

The largest national associations include NAPS (National Association of Personnel Services) and ASA (American Staffing Association), which offer benefits including webinars, credentialing, legal updates and annual conferences. NAPS offers professional and business development to the search and staffing community. There will be two different certification programs and exams at this years’ NAPS conference which will be held in Denver, CO, Sept 20-22nd. National speakers will include Barb Bruno, Greg Doersching, Jeff Kaye and many more over the three-day training conference. ASA, under the leadership of Richard Wahlquist, has become a leading voice in the staffing industry. At the Staffing World Conference in Chicago, Il, October 24-26th, there will be nearly 2000 industry leaders in attendance. There will be breakout sessions, industry recognitions, legal and legislative updates.

There are industry-specific associations such as those for IT, legal, insurance and healthcare, to name a few. An example of an industry-specific association is NALSC (National Association of Legal Search Consultants). NALSC evolved in the late 1960’s as a response to the demands for specialized consulting services in the hiring of attorneys. They have two conferences each year. Their Fall Symposium will be held in Oct 20th in New York at the offices of Shearman & Sterling LLP.

There are also several national/international networking groups. NPAworldwide is a large split placement network for independent recruiters. NPAworldwide offers small firms the ability to compete in the national and international marketplace. They host face-to-face networking events with members from North America, Latin America, EMEA, Asia, and Australia/New Zealand. Their 2018 Global Conference will be held April 18-20th in Tampa, FL.

In summarizing, there are many opportunities to get involved! Utilize these powerful groups to strengthen your ability to compete. They would love to hear from you, help you grow, and be successful. JOIN THE FUN … JOIN A PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION!