Split Placement Best Practices: The ‘But For Rule’

The “But For Rule” will never go away in this industry. It’s what separates the “snakes” from those who know what the right thing is and how to do it.

Without going back to Sunday school, we all know the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.” There are many ways to state this philosophy of reciprocity.

With this thought, let’s approach the “But For Rule” in terms of best practices in Top Echelon’s recruiting network. Candidates and client leads come to you in many different ways.

Let’s face it: the Internet can be a messy, dangerous place.

Best Practices: ‘But For Rule’ Scenarios

A candidate named “Fred” applies to your job on your website and he is a fit for the role. (Names are withheld to protect the fact that they don’t actually exist.) However, a day, a few hours, or even minutes before that, a Network trading partner had sent you Fred’s resume for the same job.

“We need to talk about ‘Fantastic Fred’ for your XYZ-role,” they say. But here is “Fantastic Fred” in your hand. He applied through your site, and the other recruiter doesn’t know the time frame of this nomination. So . . . what do you do?

Which of these two submissions made you interested in the candidate? Which did you see first? You received “Fantastic Fred” from your Network trading partner first. Therefore, you should HONOR their submission.

In another (hypothetical) case, your Network trading partner sends you “Fantastic Fred” for your XYZ-role, and you remember this person. You turn around and find that you had just spoken to him last month for another role OR you recognize the name and find “Fantastic Fred” in your recruiting database.

What do you do? Did you think of Fred for the role in question or take action towards him before your trading partner’s submission?

Now let’s really “blow your doors off.” You’re trying to reach “Fantastic Fred” for the XYZ-role, and he is not responding to you. A Network trading partner calls and says, “I have been talking to ‘Fantastic Fred’ about your XYZ-Role. He is very excited, and I think he is a great fit for this position.”

“Really?” you ask yourself.

Consult the Network Policies

In this situation, according to scenario 2 in Top Echelon Network Policy 15a, you would have to honor your split recruiting partner’s submission of “Fantastic Fred.” That’s because they’ve established contact with him and you have been unable to do so.

In order to set guidelines for occurrences such as these, Top Echelon has carefully designed Policies 8, 9a, 9b, 9c, 15a, and 15b to cover the way Top Echelon Network recruiters are to handle these situations when they arise.

Just keep the following three things in mind:

1. Honesty is the best policy.
2. “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.”
3. “But for” what action caused your interest in the candidate?

If you have any questions about the “But For Rule” or about any other policies or best practices in Top Echelon’s split network, then I encourage you to contact me.

You can do so by telephone at 330.595.1742 or via email at drea@topechelon.com.