There have been a lot of big recruiting fees in TE Network recently. For example, here . . . and here . . . and here.

Matthew Deutsch

And we have yet another one in this issue of The Pinnacle Newsletter Blog!

That’s because Network members Russ Hovendick of Client Staffing Solutions, Inc. and Steve Kohn of Affinity Executive Search, Inc. placed a Plant Manager to earn a fee of $50,000 at 25%.

However, as you can see below, this was far from the only split placement made recently in TE Network. Other recruiters also benefited from their investment in Network membership, and that’s what we want every member of the Network to do.

Because we are not successful unless YOU are . . .

As a friendly neighborhood reminder, here is the information that we publish with our split placements:

• Names of the trading partners involved (with their profile photos, when available)
• Job title
• Overall placement fee (before TE Network’s 6% brokerage fee, of course)
• Fee percentage

Please note that the placements listed below reflect deals finalized in TE Network for the period from March 2 through March 15, 2026.

Remember, if you don’t want information related to your split placements published in The Pinnacle, please send an email to marketing@topechelon.com to that effect.

Once again, congratulations to everybody below for the split placements they made in TE Network!

This Week’s Split Placements

— — —

Cliff Rusnak

Brad Dodge

Job recruiter: Cliff Rusnak of M-Works Search

Candidate recruiter: Brad Dodge of iLocatum Recruiting

Job title: PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT ENGINEER

Overall placement fee: $25,750

Fee percentage: 25%

— — —

Russ Hovendick

Steve Kohn

Job recruiter: Russ Hovendick of Client Staffing Solutions, Inc.

Candidate recruiter: Steve Kohn of Affinity Executive Search, Inc.

Job title: PLANT MANAGER

Overall placement fee: $50,000

Fee percentage: 25%

— — —

Kristy Staggs

Jennifer Lechner

Job recruiter: Kristy Staggs of Byrnes & Rupkey, Inc.

Candidate recruiter: Jennifer Lechner of HCP Talent

Job title: FABRICATION WELDER

Overall placement fee: $11,648

Fee percentage: 20%

— — —

Sherry Umpleby

Nicole Mitchell

Job recruiter: Sherry Umpleby of Innovative Search Solutions

Candidate recruiter: Nicole Mitchell of LRSolutions, LLC

Job title: MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN

Overall placement fee: $16,016

Fee percentage: 22%

— — —

Gary Kaufman

Adam Pantelli

Job recruiter: Gary Kaufman of ExcelliSearch, Inc.

Candidate recruiter: Adam Pantelli of AJ Search

Job title: PLANT DIRECTOR

Overall placement fee: $36,900

Fee percentage: 18%

— — —

Loren Robertson

Christina Boudreaux

Job recruiter: Christina Boudreaux of Connectly Recruiting

Candidate recruiter: Loren Robertson of Mosaic Partners

Job title: DIGITAL MARKETING ACCOUNT MANAGER

Overall placement fee: $22,000

Fee percentage: 22%

— — —

Jon Missirlian

Michael Stuck

Job recruiter: Jon Missirlian of Orion Placement

Candidate recruiter: Michael Stuck of Gables Search Group

Job title: ASSOCIATE ATTORNEY – EMPLOYMENT LITIGATION

Overall placement fee: $23,625

Fee percentage: 17.50%

— — —

Chris Wessell

Amylyn Kyler

Job recruiter: Amylyn Kyler of Kyler Professional Search

Candidate recruiter: Chris Wessell of PeopleWise

Job title: ACCOUNTANT

Overall placement fee: $16,500

Fee percentage: 20%

— — —

If you’re a newer TE Network member and you’d like to enjoy more success in our recruiter network, then I encourage you to contact Top Echelon Director of Network Operations Drea Codispoti, CPC/CERS.

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

Previously in The Pinnacle Newsletter Blog, I told you about the dynamic sessions that TE Network member Maria Hemming of MJ Recruiters, LLC is going to present at TE Connect Spring 2026 next month in Ybor City near Tampa, Florida.

Drea Codispoti, CPC/CERS

However, Maria is not the only dynamic speaker to be presenting at the convention.

That’s because our very own Todd Bossler will also be on hand, dispensing software wisdom in his usual relatable (and entertaining) fashion!

Todd, the Training and Support Manager at Top Echelon, brings nearly three decades of experience with TE software and recruiting technology. Todd has been deeply involved in the development and evolution of the company’s software tools. His power training sessions are designed to help recruiters unlock capabilities in the TE Recruit and TE Network platforms that can dramatically improve productivity and results.

Below are the titles and descriptions of the two sessions Todd will be presenting next month at TE Connect Spring 2026:

Turning Tools into Placements with TE Software

In this session, Todd will show recruiters how to get more out of the software tools they use every day.

During the session, attendees will:

• Learn practical, step-by-step ways to use key tools more effectively
• Discover underutilized features that can improve speed, organization, and results
• Leave with immediately actionable tips they can apply the same day

Many recruiters only “scratch the surface” of what their software can do. This training focuses on turning those overlooked features into tools that help generate more placements.

The Most Powerful Tools You Have to Make Placements

In his second Power Training session, Todd continues sharing insights from his decades of experience working with TE software and recruiting technology.

This session highlights tools and workflows that can help recruiters accomplish tasks that might otherwise consume hours of valuable time. Todd will demonstrate how to leverage technology to streamline daily activities, reduce manual work, and focus more energy on what truly drives success—building relationships and making placements.

The key takeaway is simple: work smart, not hard.

Practical Training You Can Use Immediately

Power Training sessions at TE Connect are designed to be practical and actionable. Instead of theory, attendees will walk away with specific techniques and workflows they can implement as soon as they return to their desks. For recruiters who want to increase efficiency, improve organization, and ultimately generate more placements, Todd’s sessions promise to deliver valuable insights grounded in decades of real-world experience.

If you’re planning to attend TE Connect Spring 2026 in Tampa, make sure these Power Training sessions are on your schedule. They could help you turn the tools you already have into a more powerful engine for growth.

Click HERE to register for TE Connect!

We’ll see you there!

Every once in a while, we reference The Four Pillars of Top Echelon’s recruiter network in The Pinnacle Newsletter Blog.

Drea Codispoti, CPC/CERS

Considering everything that is happening in the world right now, I thought this would be a good time to return to the basics and fundamentals of TE Network.

And the basics and fundamentals of the Network starts with The Four Pillars.

I’ve been Top Echelon’s Director of Network Operations for 20 years now. As a result, I can say with certainty that if you practice and adhere to these Pillars, you can enjoy more success in Top Echelon.

So without further adieu, here are The Four Pillars of TE Network:

Pillar #1: Quality

Everything starts with quality. That means quality should be infused into everything you do within the Network. You should strive to submit quality jobs and quality candidates. You should strive to have quality interactions with other Network members.

Quality is a great way to brand yourself as a member. If other Network recruiters know that you deal in quality, then they will be more likely to want to work with you.

When other Network recruiters want to work with you, this increases the chances that you’ll make split placements. Cha-ching!

Pillar #2: Communication

To enjoy success in TE Network, you must communicate well. What does that mean, exactly? It means:

• Communicating often.
• Communicating in as many different ways as is necessary.
• Identifying the most important information and making sure that information is communicated first.
• Clarifying information during every step of the recruitment process.

Actually, we want you to over-communicate with other Network members. That’s because when you try to over-communicate, it usually means you’ll end up communicating just enough.

Despite good intentions, miscommunication can derail any deal.

Pillar #3: Trust

This is quite possibly the most important Pillar. That’s because this is where the “rubber meets the road,” so to speak.

You have to trust another Network member to share your job order or candidate with them. However, when you find split recruiting partners you trust and you share with them liberally, that can lead to a TON of split business.

The most successful trading partner relationships in the history of Top Echelon have been built upon the Pillar of Trust. Once you trust another member completely and implicitly, that’s when the floodgates can open.

You can make 10, 20, or even 30 splits with them. That’s the “sweet spot” of Network membership.

Pillar #4: Active Participation

Did you know that, once upon a time, there were only three Pillars? Then TE Network members Dan Simmons, CPC and Jim Hipskind, CPC of Continental Search & Outplacement, Inc. suggested that we add this Pillar.

On the one hand, you might think that participating in the Network is a prerequisite for enjoying success in the Network. On the other hand, recruiters sometimes forget that TE is not a “magic money-making machine” and they DO have to make an investment of time, energy, and effort.

The good news is that you don’t have to make a huge investment. However, you do have to take the steps necessary to set yourself up for success.

This means sharing job orders and candidates and being proactive about contacting other recruiters, among other things.

Well, that’s it: The Four Pillars of TE Network. Follow the blueprint and enjoy more success!

In the meantime, if you’d like to discuss The Four Pillars or your split network membership, I encourage you to contact me. You can do so by calling 330.595.1742 or by sending an email to drea@topechelon.com.

There are many things that you should know and do as a member of TE Network to build relationships and make split placements.

Drea Codispoti, CPC/CERS

I am here to tell you about these things and more!

I have been the Director of Network Operations at Top Echelon for 20 years. As a result, I know what works in the Network . . . as well as what doesn’t work.

That’s why I have some quick tips for helping members enjoy more success in TE Network. Remember: success in Top Echelon results from a combination of proficiency with both human interaction and technology, including Top Echelon’s recruiting database of candidates and job orders.

(For specific questions about Top Echelon software and/or technology, the Help Center is available 24/7 to answer your questions and provide assistance.)

With all of this in mind, below are three quick tips for more success in Top Echelon’s recruiting network:

— — —

Tip #1: Update Your Areas of Specialization

Update the areas of specialization in your Recruiter Profile and be specific about the areas in which you work. This will make it easier for people to track you down as a potential trading partner.

I can NOT stress this tip enough!

— — —

Tip #2: Do NOT Repost Without Permission

It is against Network policy to advertise or re-post another member’s job order on the Internet or in any other form without prior written permission. A copy of that written permission must be sent to the Top Echelon offices via email and/or letter.

(See Policy #14: Advertising Another Top Echelon Network Member’s Job Order.)

— — —

Tip #3: Honor the Candidate Referral

Always honor the candidate referral!

As a general rule, once a recruiter accepts and acknowledges acceptance of candidate information from another TE Network recruiter, they must honor that candidate referral no matter if or whether they later determine that they “already had the candidate.”

— — —

If you want to be more successful in the Network right NOW, then please contact me.

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

Top Echelon Training and Support Manager Todd Bossler recently conducted a special TE Recruit Training Tuesday webinar titled, “Master Your Data: Data Integrity and Cleanup Best Practices.”

Matthew Deutsch

You may have attended this free webinar on Tuesday, March 3. On the other hand, you may not have been in attendance.

Regardless, we have the recorded version of the webinar, which I am presenting to you now. (The recording is also located in the Top Echelon Help Center.)

If you are not a user of our recruiting software, TE Recruit, then check out the video, anyway, to see how the software could benefit your recruiting desk and agency.

We at Top Echelon are continually working to make the resources that we provide to our customers better, and this is yet more proof!

Below is the official description of this training video:

— — —

Your data is the foundation of your recruiting success. However, even experienced recruiters can struggle when their database becomes cluttered, inconsistent, or outdated.

Todd Bossler

With search, automations, reporting, and AI tools relying more heavily than ever on accurate information, maintaining strong data integrity is essential.

That’s why during this Training Tuesday webinar video, Top Echelon Training and Support Manager Todd Bossler will explore best practices for maintaining and improving the quality of your TE Recruit database, along with key tools and features that support smarter organization and more reliable performance.

Whether you’re looking to streamline workflows, improve search accuracy, or prepare your system for advanced functionality, this video will provide practical guidance to help you take control of your data and maximize the power of TE Recruit.

So watch this FREE training video and get ready to “Master Your Data” in TE Recruit!

Watch this TE Recruit training video!

— — —

Remember to check The Pinnacle Newsletter Blog every week for more updates regarding Top Echelon software improvements and upgrades.

If you have any questions about how you can maximize your TE Network membership, please contact Director of Network Operations Drea Codispoti, CPC/CERS.

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