I have addressed this topic before in The Pinnacle Newsletter Blog, but I feel compelled to address it once again. One reason why is because of the importance of the topic and how central it is to your success as a Preferred Member of Top Echelon Network.

We always say the Network is about building lasting relationships with split recruiting partners.

That’s why, when new recruiters join the Network, we recommend completing your Agency Profile and your Recruiter Profile, including your photo. We don’t recommend this lightly. There is a method to our madness!

When you start reaching out to your new trading partners, those recruiters will view your Profile, including your photo, so that when they reach out to you, they have a sense of who you are and what you do. If there is nothing in your Profile, how will they know whether or not they wish to partner with you?

Why not give your trading partners (and potential trading partners) the advantage of a properly completed Profile, including a photo? Recruiters join the Network to make more placements. This is a simple way to assure that you attract trading partners and build long-lasting relationships. Plus, who doesn’t want to put a face with the name when they give you a call?

Your TE Profile and your Agency Profile are as important to you as a resume is to a job seeker. In essence, you’re presenting yourself to other Preferred Members in Top Echelon’s recruiting network. As such, you want them to understand what you specialize in and how you might be able to help them.

There are a number of crucial components that your Recruiter Profile should contain. I have listed four of those components below:

#1—A photo of yourself

You might think this isn’t a necessity, but rather an optional item. But in reality, it’s more of a necessity.

Plainly put, people like to know what people look like, especially if they’re working with those people or if they might work with those people. Don’t post a “glamour shot.” Instead, use a good (and relatively recent) representation of you.

#2—Updated contact information

This is especially necessary when it comes to your phone number. But it’s not just the phone number. It’s your extension, too, if you have one.

If you don’t include your extension, then somebody could call your office looking for you and get stuck inside your voicemail system, never able to connect with you. This can lead to frustration, which ultimately leads to a negative experience.

Then that recruiter may not want to work with you in the future. (Also remember that you should put your mobile phone number on your Recruiter Profile.)

And yes, be sure to include a physical address in the contact information. After all, you want to make sure that if another Network member sends you a placement check, then that check makes it to the right place!

#3—A breakdown of specialties

In the area of specialization, break down the skill areas of focus in which you work.

For instance, if you work IT, don’t just say, “I work IT.” That’s like saying, “I like toast.” Well, what kind of toast do you like?

In the IT example, break the specialty down into the programming languages or systems that you work in an outline form. If you work “Java Developers,” put that in your Profile. You get the idea.

#4—How you like to work

Something else you might want to include in your Profile is the way in which you like to work in a split placement situation or a trading partner relationship. This isn’t essential, but it is something to think about.

That’s because how you work can be just as important as what you work. Two recruiters can work in exactly the same niche, but that doesn’t mean they’re automatically going to make split placements.

The Recruiter Profile section should be more of a breakdown of you and your recruiting experience and who you are as a human being. Give people a bit of information about who you are as a person so they can feel more comfortable calling you and talking with you.

You never know what you may have in common with somebody else and where that will take you.

So complete and/or update your Agency Profile and Recruiter Profile in Top Echelon Network as soon as possible!

Last month, I wrote an article for The Pinnacle Newsletter Blog that detailed a true story in which an unfortunate incident occurred for a Network recruiter.`

This incident did not occur because of malice on the part of another member. Instead, it was an oversight. More specifically, it was the same oversight committed by two other members.

If you haven’t done so, I encourage you to read that article and become familiar with the story.

In the meantime, I thought it would be helpful to discuss in more detail why it is important to call the job order recruiter. I receive calls from Network members on a regular basis asking me to address this issue.

They ask me to do this because their split recruiting partners fail to contact them before starting to work on their job order. And, as you might have already guessed and as I have already illustrated, this can lead to unforeseen problems.

With all of this in mind, below are five BIG reasons to talk to the job order recruiter before you start working their Network job:

#1—Establish a connection with the other recruiter.

This is an important first step. It allows you to “break the ice,” so to speak, and also set the rules of engagement involving the search. In addition, it will allow you to gain a professional understanding of when, how often, and the manner in which you will communicate.

#2—Learn more about what the other recruiter works.

As you get to know more about the other recruiter, they will be able to provide critical details about their recruiting desk. You’ll learn more about the areas in which they work and on what they’re currently working. Conversely, you’ll be able to share the same information with them. As a result, you may discover new ways that you can help each other!

#3—Gain a deeper understanding of the job order.

The job order is what brought you together in the first place, so of course, the job order should be part of the conversation. Remember, there is always “more than meets the eye” when it comes to the job description. You should ask probing and pertinent questions so that you can provide more qualified candidates.

#4—Discuss the nature of the client.

The client is also an integral part of the process. While you should not ask who the client is, it should be something the job order recruiter is comfortable discussing to a certain degree. After all, as the exporter, you’re going to recruit candidates. You need to know where you should NOT recruit.

#5—Set expectations for candidate contact and submittals.

There are many things to cover in this area. They include how the candidate should be approached, what information is to be shared with the candidate, what information should NOT be shared with the candidate, and how candidates should be presented.

This phone call does NOT have to be very long, but it must be made. This is simply an investment on the part of the candidate recruiter at the start of the process. It’s a small investment of time and energy that can pay big dividends down the road, quite possibly in the form of a placement check.

Not to mention the fact that it can help avoid unnecessary—and costly—oversights.

If you have any questions about this blog post or your about Top Echelon Network membership, please contact me. You can do so at 330.595.1742 or at drea@topechelon.com.

I’m pleased to announce the Virtual Core Group (VCG) meeting schedule for the month of March!

For those of you who don’t know, TE Network recruiters share the following information during Virtual Core Group teleconference call meetings:

• Hot job orders and candidates
• Information about the activity they’re seeing in the marketplace and/or in their niche
• Ideas for increased production on their desks and within their agencies

These are the activities that lead most directly to making more split placements in TE Network.

So that is why I’m inviting—or in other words, strongly encouraging—you to attend one of this month’s Virtual Core Group meetings. Below is the complete VCG schedule for March, including the industries involved and the time that each meeting will be held. (Note: all times are Eastern.)

Tuesday, March 11:

• 2:30 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. — Law & Legal Services
• 3:30 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. — Sales & Marketing

Wednesday, March 12:

• 1:30 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. — Manufacturing/Engineering
• 2:30 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. — Information Technology
• 3:30 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. — Biotechnology/Pharmacology

Thursday, March 13:

• 2:30 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. — Architectural/Engineering/Construction
• 3:30 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. — Accounting & Finance

You can join the meeting to which you belong by accessing the information listed below.

Google Meeting link: https://meet.google.com/qba-qdic-kou

Below is the agenda for each Virtual Core Group meeting:

1. Welcome
2. Roll call of the members
3. I will share the latest software updates for both TE Network and the Top Echelon recruiting software (also known as TE Recruit).
4. Members will share their hot jobs with corresponding group discussion.
5. I will direct a software and Network protocol Q&A session to close the call.

It is my goal that this agenda will help you take away more from the meeting than just hot jobs and/or candidates. Hopefully, it will help make you more knowledgeable in terms of the Top Echelon community.

If you’d like to join one of the groups listed above or if you’d like to start a new group, please contact me.

You can do so by calling 330.595.1742 or by sending an email to drea@topechelon.com.