Turn Connections into Results at TE Connect

Recruiting never stands still. New technology changes how recruiters identify and engage candidates, client expectations continue to evolve, and strategies that worked well several years ago may not produce the same results today.

For Katie Marks of Patrice & Associates, those realities make continued learning and connecting with other recruiting professionals important parts of succeeding in the business.

They are also among the reasons Katie will be attending TE Connect Fall 2026 in Chicago on October 29 and 30.

“I wanted to connect with other recruiting professionals, learn new strategies, and stay current on the latest trends and tools shaping our industry,” Katie said.

That combination of education, networking, and exposure to new ideas is at the heart of the TE Connect experience. Recruiters have an opportunity to step away from their desks, compare experiences with other agency recruiters, learn what is working for their peers, and return to their businesses with ideas they can put into practice.

Learn From Recruiters Who Understand the Business

Agency recruiting presents challenges that people outside the profession do not always understand.

Recruiters must generate job orders, source candidates, manage client relationships, coordinate interviews, negotiate offers, and develop new business, often while several searches are moving in different directions simultaneously. Add emerging technology and changing market conditions to the equation, and there is always something new to learn.

TE Connect gives recruiters an opportunity to learn alongside people who face many of those same challenges every day.

Katie sees that environment as an opportunity to expand her knowledge while identifying strategies she can apply after returning from Chicago.

“I’m looking forward to learning best practices, discovering new sourcing and recruiting technologies, and bringing back fresh ideas to better serve both clients and candidates,” she said.

The phrase “bringing back fresh ideas” is an important part of the equation.

Attending a recruiting conference can be enjoyable, but the real value comes from what happens after the event. A new sourcing technique could help uncover candidates who might otherwise have been missed. A different approach to client communication could strengthen relationships, while a conversation about technology could reveal a more efficient way to complete a task that consumes valuable time every week.

The objective is not simply to accumulate information. It is to identify useful ideas and determine how they can improve your recruiting business.

Discover New Strategies and Technology

Technology has always played an important role in recruiting, but the pace of change has accelerated as artificial intelligence and other tools become increasingly integrated into recruiters’ workflows.

That creates both opportunities and challenges.

A new tool is not necessarily valuable simply because it is new. Recruiters must determine which technology can help them work more efficiently, communicate more effectively, and ultimately make more placements.

One advantage of attending TE Connect is the ability to learn about technology within the context of the recruiting work it is designed to support. Rather than evaluating tools in isolation, recruiters can discuss how technology fits into actual sourcing, recruiting, and business development workflows.

Katie specifically identified new sourcing and recruiting technologies as an area she hopes to explore during the conference.

Those discussions become even more useful when they extend beyond formal presentations. Sitting next to another recruiter during a session, talking over lunch, or discussing a strategy between presentations can provide additional perspective about how other professionals are approaching the same challenges.

In fact, those informal exchanges are one of the reasons in-person recruiting events can offer value that webinars and other virtual educational opportunities cannot fully replicate.

Make Connections That Continue After Chicago

Education may be an important reason to attend TE Connect, but Katie also identified another objective: connecting with other recruiting professionals.

Those relationships are especially important within TE Network, where collaboration between recruiters can lead directly to business opportunities and split placements.

Other Network recruiters attending TE Connect have experienced that connection between relationships and results firsthand. Hall of Fame recruiter Ann Boland, for example, has completed 76 Network split placements and has emphasized the importance of meeting fellow recruiters face to face. One relationship that began when she invited another recruiter to join her breakfast table at TE Connect Fall 2022 eventually produced six searches and more than $260,000 in split fees.

The lesson is that networking at TE Connect does not have to end when everyone leaves Chicago.

The recruiter you meet during breakfast, sit beside during a presentation, or talk with during a networking break could eventually become someone you call when you need help filling an important search. They might have candidates in a niche you are trying to penetrate, expertise you can learn from, or a client need that matches the candidates you recruit.

However, those opportunities usually begin with a conversation.

TE Connect puts Network members in the same place for two days, creating more opportunities for those conversations to occur and for professional relationships to develop beyond usernames, emails, and phone calls.

Education, Networking, and Collaboration

When asked why she would recommend a TE Network event to another recruiter, Katie identified three benefits that summarize much of what TE Connect is designed to provide.

“TE Network events offer a great combination of education, networking, and collaboration,” she said. “Whether you’re new to recruiting or have years of experience, you’ll leave with actionable ideas, valuable connections, and renewed energy for your business.”

That last point is worth considering.

Recruiting can be demanding, especially when searches stall, candidates withdraw, clients change requirements, or business development efforts take longer than expected to produce results. Spending time with other recruiters who understand those experiences can provide perspective that is difficult to find while working through the daily demands of the business.

For newer recruiters, TE Connect provides access to experienced professionals who can share lessons accumulated over years in the industry. Veteran recruiters, meanwhile, can discover different approaches, emerging technology, and new Network members with whom they may eventually collaborate.

Regardless of experience level, there is always another strategy to consider, another person to meet, and another opportunity to improve.

Join Katie Marks at TE Connect Fall 2026

TE Connect Fall 2026 will take place Thursday and Friday, October 29 and 30, at the Sheraton Suites Chicago O’Hare in Chicago, Illinois.

Registration is $375 per person and includes product insight and software training, recruiter-to-recruiter networking, and practical strategies that attendees can apply to their recruiting businesses.

For Katie Marks, attending means an opportunity to learn new strategies, explore sourcing and recruiting technology, connect with other recruiting professionals, and return home with ideas that can help her better serve clients and candidates.

Her reasons for attending also illustrate why TE Connect can provide value regardless of where someone is in their recruiting career.

You can learn from people who understand the challenges you encounter every day. You can discover strategies and technology that may help you work differently. You can establish relationships with recruiters you might eventually work with on placements. Perhaps just as importantly, you can spend two days surrounded by other professionals who are working toward many of the same goals.

As Katie put it, the combination can send you home with “actionable ideas, valuable connections, and renewed energy for your business.”

And any one of those could make the trip to Chicago worthwhile.