When it comes to defining what a completed placement is and what it isn’t, usually that definition entails “when I get my money.”  Or in other words, when the recruiter receives the placement check (or their portion of the split placement check).

Such is also the case with Top Echelon Network.

From our perspective, a split placement isn’t a split placement until the job order recruiter receives their check AND they send both the candidate recruiter and Top Echelon Network their portions.  Once we receive the check for our 6% brokerage fee, we consider the placement to be completed (and it runs in The Pinnacle Newsletter Blog).

So—which placement check was the first one we entered in 2013?  That check was for a split placement between Dan Simmons, CPC of Continental Search & Outplacement, Inc. and Rebecca Kohn of Affinity Executive Search!

Simmons actually has two placements in this week’s issue of The Pinnacle.  So congratulations to him and everybody else who started the New Year with a split placement . . . and a smile!

THIS WEEK’S COMPLETED SPLIT PLACEMENTS!

Job order recruiter: Dan Simmons, CPC of Continental Search & Outplacement, Inc.

Candidate recruiter: Rebecca Kohn of Affinity Executive Search

Job title: SALES MANAGER

Fee percentage—25%

Action causing split placement: Regular communication with another Top Echelon Network Preferred Member recruiter

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Job order recruiter: Dan Simmons, CPC of Continental Search & Outplacement, Inc.

Candidate recruiter: Joanna Spaun of MJ Recruiters, LLC

Job title: QUALITY PROCESS MANAGER

Fee percentage—25%

Action causing split placement: Regular communication with another Top Echelon Network Preferred Member recruiter

— — —

Job order recruiter: David Wood, CPC of The David Wood Company

Candidate recruiter: Thomas Edwards of Front Line Solutions, LLC

Job title: BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

Fee percentage—25%

Action causing split placement: Regular communication with another Top Echelon Network Preferred Member recruiter

— — —

Job order recruiter: Thomas Windsor of Corporate Resources, Inc.

Candidate recruiter: Larry Goldberg of Lawrence Personnel

Job title: MOTOR REWINDER

Fee percentage—21%

Action causing split placement: The job order or candidate was found by searching Top Echelon Network’s split databases.

— — —

Job order recruiter: Doris Painter of Painter & Associates

Candidate recruiter: Amy Dunn of Technology Recruiting Solutions

Job title: FINANCIAL ANALYST

Fee percentage—20%

Action causing split placement: Regular communication with another Top Echelon Network Preferred Member recruiter

— — —

Job order recruiter: Jim Petitpren of The PRA Group, Inc.

Candidate recruiter: Jimmy Folger of ONESource Technical, Inc.

Job title: DESIGN ENGINEER

Fee percentage—30%

Action causing split placement: Regular communication with another Top Echelon Network Preferred Member recruiter

— — —

Job order recruiter: Don Lewis of The Doepker Group

Candidate recruiter: Bob Wick of Career Center of Cincinnati, Inc.

Job title: MANUFACTURING ENGINEER

Fee percentage—20%

Action causing split placement: Regular communication with another Top Echelon Network Preferred Member recruiter

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MDeutsch@TopEchelon.com
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You know who the “Recruiter of the Month” is.

You know who the “Recruiter of the Quarter” is.

Now’s time for the “Highest Split Placement Fee of the Quarter” . . . and as it turns out, that placement was the result of the Top Echelon Network’s MEGA Database!

The MEGA Database is a tool that allows recruiters to search through the default resumes of other Preferred Member recruiters who also use Big Biller.  This search will not only show you “Who Works What,” but it will also show you “Who Has What”—in other words, what (or who) other recruiters have in their database.

The MEGA Database holds tremendous power and potential for Preferred Member recruiters and Big Biller users.  If used properly, it can increase recruiters’ ability to source candidates for their open job orders, thus allowing them to fill those orders more quickly.

That power and potential was realized for the Preferred Member recruiters below, who made “The Largest Split Placement Fee of the Quarter” with the MEGA Database!

For more information about the placements and cash-in totals associated with these recruiters, please login to the Members’ Area and view the placement details associated with their profile.

— — —

HIGHEST SPLIT PLACEMENT FEE OF THE QUARTER
Jay Canowitz of Ives & Associates, Inc. and Frank Chavira of HG Arias & Associates

This placement was for a HR Business Director.  Canowitz was the job order recruiter, and Chavira was the candidate recruiter.  The action causing this split placement was listed as, “Regular phone communication with another Top Echelon Network Preferred Member recruiter in my specialty area.”

— — —

SECOND PLACE
Job order recruiter: Georgette Sandifer of Gallman Consulting
Candidate recruiter: Chuck Szajkovics of Bulldog Recruiters, Inc.
Position title: Plant Manager

THIRD PLACE
Job order recruiter: Michael Petras of Michael Petras Recruiting
Candidate recruiter: Ken Nunley of 7 Solutions USA
Position title: VP of Operations

FOURTH PLACE
Job order recruiter: Cindy Andrew Cordell of Corporate Resources, LLC
Candidate recruiter: Paul Johnson of Paul Johnson & Associates
Position title: Manager of Financial Planning and Analysis

FIFTH PLACE
Job order recruiter: Terri Conroy, CPC of Executive Search Associates
Candidate recruiter: Russ Lloyd of Cube Management
Position title: Chief Financial Officer

— — —

Our criteria for these recognition awards:

Top Echelon Network is a split placement network.  As such, we place an emphasis on split placements, and that emphasis constitutes the basis of our criteria for these recognition awards.  We determine the quarterly award winners based upon two factors, which are listed below in order of importance:

1.) The number of split placements made
2.) The amount of cash-in dollars earned as a result of those split placements

In other words, the number of split placements that recruiters make is our first consideration.  In the event of a tie, the cash-in total earned from those split placements is the deciding factor and serves to break the tie.  Obviously, the recruiter with more cash-in dollars in the event of a tie is the recruiter who wins the recognition award.

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MDeutsch@TopEchelon.com
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Last week in The Pinnacle Newsletter Blog, I presented a trivia question in our post containing recent Completed Placements.

That question was as follows: name the product television commercial contained the catchphrase, “No runs, no drips, no errors.”

And then, as a bonus: name the spokesperson for said product, who also appeared in the television commercial.

Cindy Szajkovics of Bulldog Recruiters, Inc. submitted the correct answer to both questions!

“No runs, no drips, no errors” was the catchphrase for Krylon Spray Paint commercials in the 1980s.  The spokesperson?  Johnny Bench, former catcher for the Cincinnati Reds!

Below is a YouTube embed of one of the Kryon Paint commercials in question.  This one not only features Bench, but it also includes another former Major Leaguer, one who became an actor after his baseball career: Bob Uecker.

“He missed the tag!  He missed the tag!”

— — —

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MDeutsch@TopEchelon.com
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Why did Top Echelon Network Preferred Members like to work with one another to make split placements together?

This week’s installment of “Comments and Compliments” answers that question rather easily.

Both of the recruiters who submitted comments featured this week described their Trading Partner in glowing terms, especially in regards to working with the other person during the split placement process.

Among the phrases used to compliment the other recruiter are the following:

• “amazing to work with”
• “pleasure working with him”
• “fantastic” to work with”
• “a lot of fun to work with”

Who wouldn’t want to work with another recruiter if the experience was that good and a placement fee resulted from it?  So, c’mon . . . make split placements a bigger part of your business model in 2013.  Just like contract staffing, all the cool recruiters are doing it.

Don’t you want to be cool?  (And make more money, too?  Can’t forget THAT.)

If you’d like to thank another recruiter for their efforts in a split placement situation, send your information to marketing@topechelon.com.  Your comments might be included in an upcoming issue of The Pinnacle Newsletter Blog!

— — —

“Jim provided me with an ‘A’ candidate!  The candidate had the skills and pedigree that the client looks for, but he was amazing to work with.  Jim only sends me candidates that fit what the client is looking for.  It was definitely a pleasure working with him!  I am looking forward to doing more business with him in the future!”

Submitted by Deb North of Deb North Consulting, LLC regarding her split placement with James Compton of Compton & Associates

Position Title—FINANCIAL DIRECTOR
Fee Percentage—25%

(Editor’s note: this is the first split placement that North and Compton have made together in Top Echelon Network.)

— — —

“Rich has been fantastic to work with.  He screens his candidates and really gets to know them.  He’s a great sourcer, very dependable, works hard, and is a lot of fun to work with!”

Submitted by Chris Shoulet of Top Dog Recruiting regarding his split placement with Rich Harrold of Front Line Solutions, LLC

Position Title—SECURITY INTELLIGENCE ARCHITECT
Fee Percentage—20%

(Editor’s note: this is the second split placement that Shoulet and Harrold have made together in Top Echelon Network.)

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MDeutsch@TopEchelon.com
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Not only did we have a first-time winner of “The Recruiter of the Month” award for December, but we also have a first-time winner of the “The Recruiter of the Quarter” award.

And that winner is the same person!

The person is question is Debi Apple of Apple & Assoc., who enjoyed a big fourth quarter in 2012.  She made six split placements, which was just enough to top perennial award winner Trey Cameron of the Cameron Craig Group.

As a bonus, we’ve included an expanded format with our award announcements.  As you can see below, we’ve listed the top five recruiters in Top Echelon Network during the fourth quarter of 2012.  We wanted to recognize more recruiters for their accomplishments within the Network, and we thought this would be a great way to do it!

For more information about the placements and cash-in totals associated with these recruiters, please login to the Members’ Area and view the profiles and placement details of the recruiters involved.

— — —

RECRUITER OF THE QUARTER
Debi Apple of Apple & Assoc., Inc.

Apple, who was also the “Recruiter of the Month” for the month of December, made six split placements during the fourth quarter of last year.  That was the most of any recruiter in Top Echelon Network and one more than Trey Cameron of the Cameron Craig Group, who earned Recruiter of the Year honors for 2012.

— — —

SECOND PLACE
Recruiter: Trey Cameron
Firm: Cameron Craig Group
# of split placements: five (5)

THIRD PLACE
Recruiter: David Wood, CPC
Firm: The David Wood Company
# of split placements: four (4)

FOURTH PLACE
Recruiter: Georgette Sandifer
Firm: Gallman Consulting
# of split placements: three (3)

FIFTH PLACE
Recruiter: Chuck Szajkovics
Firm: Bulldog Recruiters, Inc.
# of split placements: three (3)

— — —

Our criteria for these recognition awards:

Top Echelon Network is a split placement network.  As such, we place an emphasis on split placements, and that emphasis constitutes the basis of our criteria for these recognition awards.  We determine the quarterly award winners based upon two factors, which are listed below in order of importance:

1.) The number of split placements made
2.) The amount of cash-in dollars earned as a result of those split placements

In other words, the number of split placements that recruiters make is our first consideration.  In the event of a tie, the cash-in total earned from those split placements is the deciding factor and serves to break the tie.  Obviously, the recruiter with more cash-in dollars in the event of a tie is the recruiter who wins the recognition award.

— — —

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MDeutsch@TopEchelon.com
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For years, The Cornerstone, the newsletter of Top Echelon contract staffing companies, was sent to the Preferred Members of Top Echelon Network.  The Cornerstone was eventually discontinued in favor of another newsletter, Contracting Corner, which is now published once a quarter.

However, we still run contracting statistics in select issues of The Pinnacle Newsletter Blog.  These statistics include Non-Split Contract Placements, Split Contract Placements, and Non-Recruited Placements, among others.

Below are the most recent statistics regarding contract placements made by Preferred Member recruiters, courtesy of Top Echelon Contracting.

If you haven’t made any New Year’s Resolutions yet, here’s one: add contract staffing to your firm’s business mode!  You can make more placements and generate more revenue.  Go ahead . . . do it!  (This is one of the few times that we’ve used peer pressure to convince people to do something that’s GOOD for them.)

Many of the Top Producers in Top Echelon Network have added contract staffing to their recruiting firm’s business model and have also taken advantage of the services provided by Top Echelon Contracting, the recruiter’s contract placement services.

So do it!  Add contract staffing to your firm’s business model! All the cool recruiters are doing it!

For more information about the benefits of contract staffing and the services that Top Echelon Contracting provides, call (888) 627-3678, Ext. 2.

(Editor’s Note: This is the next in a series of guest blog posts about contract staffing, courtesy of Top Echelon Contracting, the recruiter’s back-office solution.  Similar posts will appear in future issues of The Pinnacle Newsletter Blog.)

We’ve noticed over the past several months a new buzz phrase gaining steam: “the gig economy.” So just what is the gig economy, and how does it affect you as a recruiter?

We first encountered the phrase back in August when Huffington Post printed an excerpt of Richard Greenwald’s book Labor Rising, The Past and Future of Working People in America.

According to Greenwald, “gig economy” refers to a trend that has emerged over the past few years where workers “jump from job to job, career to career, project to project working as consultants.” In the excerpt, he refers to the gig economy as “the most fundamental economic shift of the past 50 years” and compares it to the 1950’s when a large portion of the American workforce shifted from blue collar to white collar work.

Now the phrase “gig economy” has popped up again in a report from Marketplace, a public radio program that focuses on business and the economy. According to Marketplace, a third of the American workforce is working a non-traditional or contract positions.  As a result, “the idea of working nine-to-five for 40 years is going the way of the pension and the gold watch.”
Freelancers Union CEO Sara Horowitz told Marketplace that the gig economy represents a major shift in the labor market.  In the past, freelance and contract work were only used in professions such as media and graphic design, but now Horowitz says the gig economy has touched every profession.

The struggling economy has been a major driver of this trend, economist Ken Goldstein told Marketplace.

“It not only relieves them of having to pay for the whole benefit package, but also, if things indeed worsen, they can let these people go because there’s no commitment to keeping these people,” Goldstein said.

In other words, client companies need cost savings and workforce flexibility, especially as they face healthcare reform and uncertainty in Washington. What this means for recruiters is that more and more clients may be wanting to fill open positions with contractors rather than direct hires. If you are not offering contract staffing, they may go to your competitors to fill those positions.

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DFledderjohann@TopEchelonContracting.com
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