Recruiter of the Week: Jeff Katz!

Okay, there’s been a not-so-subtle theme that has been running through the articles in this week’s issue of The Pinnacle. That theme: our 29th birthday! (I would say you only turn 29 once. But we all know that’s not the case.)

We recently resurrected our “Recruiter of the Week” feature, and we’re continuing with it this week. In fact, there might be no better selection for our birthday issue than Jeff Katz of JSK Recruiting in Park Ridge, Illinois (NOT pictured above). That’s because Jeff is an old school, dyed-in-the-wool, split-minded recruiter. Check out these stats:

• JSK Recruiting joined Top Echelon Network on September 2, 2016.
• Since that time, Jeff has made 12 split placements in the Network.
• In those 12 placements, Jeff had the job order nine times and the candidate three times.
• Jeff has made those 12 split placements with six different trading partners.

Jeff Katz: skeptical?

But believe it or not, before Jeff joined the Network, he had heard unsavory things about split placement networks.

“I came from a firm where I knew about the split networks,” he said. “My boss knew about them, but he always bad-mouthed them. He always said that split networks don’t screen, so he didn’t want anybody in the firm doing splits.”

Of course, one of Top Echelon Network’s Four Pillars is Quality. (The other three are Communication, Trust, and Active Participation.) Top Echelon also employs a four-step screening process for recruiters who apply for Network membership.

So needless to say, when Jeff joined, he was more than a little skeptical. However, that skepticism evaporated in the face of successful split placement deals.

“I thought if I made a couple of placements, it would more than pay for itself,” said Jeff. “But it’s worked out great. I’m floored by how many placements I’ve made.”

Trading partners: the key to success

One of the keys to Jeff’s quick success in the Network: finding the right trading partners. “I found good TE partners who work in my specialty area,” he said. “Before, we were competitors, but now we’re working together. It’s nice to have people in the market who do exactly what I do.”

Jeff recruits in the Manufacturing industry, specifically the Supply Chain niche. The six trading partners with whom he’s made Network splits include Tom Bower, Nancy Phillips, Trey Cameron, Matt Scheihing, Steve Kohn, and Robert Alexander.

In a shameless plug for the upcoming National Convention, Jeff met both Phillips and Sheihing at the 2016 Fall Conference. “Nancy approached me when I was talking about Supply Chain, and I met Matt as I was leaving the conference,” he said. “I’ve had a good working relationship with both of them. I’ve also met a couple of other good recruiters during the monthly Virtual Core Group meetings.”

Jeff is what we like to call a “ticker-tape TE member.” That means if every new member embraced the Network and split placements like Jeff, we’d hold a ticker-tape parade through the streets of Canton, Ohio. So what advice does he have for new Network members?

Advice for new members

“First, get your jobs up on the Network ASAP,” said Jeff. “Show other recruiters what you have. Trey and Steve and other members want to work with recruiters who have good jobs. If you have quality candidates, you can make quick placements.

“Second, get on the phone and talk with recruiters in your specialty area. Sometimes I get a little annoyed when other members just email me when they send a candidate. You need to get on the phone and talk with other recruiters. That’s how you make things happen.”

Jeff Katz has definitely made things happen since joining our split recruiting network a little over five months ago. He’s made 12 placements happen. And he’s looking to make more happen.

“I’m always looking for more good TE partners,” said Jeff. “I started my company in July, so I’m still fairly new at this as an owner. I’ve made 10 placements so far this year, and seven of those have been splits. I’m excited. This is a good time to be a recruiter.”

Congratulations to Jeff Katz of JSK Recruiting, the Recruiter of the Week in Top Echelon Network!