Recruitment network, The Power Hive. Networking for recruiters.

If you run a recruitment agency, you already know how to network for clients and candidates. Networking for yourself, as the leader, is different. A recruitment networking membership gives you peers who face the same decisions you do: hiring and keeping billers, getting tech and AI to work with people, and building value in the business. This page explains what a membership is, who it suits, how to choose a recruitment network honestly, and what The Power Hive offers.

Watch: is a recruitment network worth joining?

Video summary: Keith Southern, in recruitment since 1993 (Progressive, then SThree), explains why he founded The Power Hive, who the recruitment network is for, the three questions agency leaders keep bringing to the table (tech and AI, people performance, financial freedom), how the quarterly recruitment events work and what each membership costs. Read the full transcript of Keith's recruitment network explainer.

What is a recruitment networking membership?

It is a paid seat in a community of recruitment leaders, not a ticket to a one off event. Free networking gives you contacts. A recruitment network membership gives you the same group of peers, quarter after quarter, who get to know your business well enough to give useful advice.

At The Power Hive that means three things: an online community you can use between events, quarterly recruitment networking events of around three hours in five star venues, and access to 180+ industry experts and vetted partners who bring their expertise, products and member discounts. The aim is simple. Once a quarter you spend a few hours on the business rather than in it.

Keith started The Power Hive for a plain reason. As he puts it, "I think it's lonely at the top." If you own the agency, there are few people inside it you can talk to about the hardest decisions.

Who is a recruitment network for agency owners really for?

Recruitment agency owners, managing directors and senior leaders. Members range from leaders building their first team to owners thinking about investment or an exit. Around 170 recruitment leaders are part of the network (October 2026).

It suits you if:

• you want to learn from leaders at a similar stage, and from those a stage ahead;
• you are working out how to get tech and AI working with your people;
• you want to lift people performance above the average;
• you are thinking about financial freedom and realising the value of the business.

It is probably not for you if you are looking for candidates or clients. This is recruitment leadership membership: the room is full of your peers, not your buyers.

What do you get from a recruitment networking membership?

• Peer learning. The real value, in Keith's view, is recruitment networking with peers who have been where you are going.
• Quarterly events. Around three hours, in five star venues, mostly in Manchester, with events also held in Leeds and London. The first international event is in Bangkok on Tuesday 8 December 2026. See upcoming recruitment networking events and the UK recruitment events calendar.
• Programmes. PANACEA, The Power Hive's seven essential programmes for recruitment agencies, across business, people, technology and marketing.
• Vetted partners. 180+ industry experts and partners who bring knowledge, services and member discounts. Read more on the Power Hive partner page.

How do you choose a recruitment network?

Judge the room, not the brochure. Any recruitment network will tell you it is valuable. These questions help you test it:

1. Who is in the room? Are the members agency owners and leaders like you, or mostly suppliers?
2. Is it consistent? Do the same people come back each quarter, so trust builds over time?
3. Is there support between events? An online community matters when a problem cannot wait three months.
4. Are the partners vetted? Expert access is only useful if someone has checked the experts.
5. Can you try it first? A good network lets you see an event before you pay.
6. Does the price match the stage of your business? Pick the tier you will actually use.

Keith's own advice may surprise you. Asked whether a leadership community is worth joining, he said: "More than ever is the short answer and I would even argue that you shouldn't just join one, you should perhaps even look at joining two or three." Different networks give you different rooms. For a wider view, read what a recruitment leadership community is and why recruitment leaders pay for networks.

The Power Hive recruitment network membership tiers

Membership is normally an allowable business expense. Check with your accountant. Full details are on the Power Hive recruitment network page.

How to join a recruitment network: come as Keith's guest

The simplest way to decide is to see it. Email keith@thepowerhive.com and ask to come along to an event as Keith's guest. You will meet the members, hear the talks and judge the room for yourself before choosing a recruitment networking membership.

Want more on the format first? Watch Recruitment Networking Explained and Recruitment Network for Agency Owners, or browse the recruitment networking questions answered hub.

Recruitment networking membership FAQ

What is a recruitment networking membership?

A recruitment networking membership is a paid place in a community of recruitment agency owners and leaders. At The Power Hive it means an online community, quarterly recruitment networking events and access to vetted partners, so you meet the same peers regularly rather than strangers once.

Who is The Power Hive recruitment network for?

Recruitment agency owners, managing directors and senior leaders who want to work on the business rather than in it. Around 170 recruitment leaders are part of the network (October 2026).

What does a recruitment networking membership cost?

Power Hive memberships are Lite at £75 a month, Premium at £150 a month and Platinum Club at £750 a month. Ask Keith which tier fits your business before you join.

How often are the recruitment networking events?

Quarterly. Each event runs for around three hours in a five star venue, mostly in Manchester, and events have also run in Leeds and London. The first international event is in Bangkok on Tuesday 8 December 2026.

Should I join more than one recruitment network?

Keith Southern thinks so. In his words: "I would even argue that you shouldn't just join one, you should perhaps even look at joining two or three."

How do I join a recruitment network like The Power Hive?

Email keith@thepowerhive.com and ask to come along as Keith's guest. You can see the room and the format before you choose a membership.

Which room would help your business most this quarter? If you're not sure, ask Keith.