Here at Top Echelon Network, we are ALL about networking, and that includes both traditional networking and social networking.

That’s why we’re doing our best to meld the best of both worlds.

Regional Core Groups within the Network have started to heat up again in recent months.  This is not too surprising, since economic conditions in the country seem to be getting better and companies appear more interested in hiring again. (In fact, the economy added over 200,000 jobs during the month of February.)

At one time, we had anywhere from six to eight Regional Core Groups operating within the Network.  While we don’t have that many groups at the moment, they’re making a comeback.  In other words, the recruiters in these Core Groups are meeting, and they’re making plans to meet again in the future.

With that in mind, we plan to create individual photo albums on the Top Echelon Network Facebook Fan Page dedicated to each of the Regional Core Groups within the Network.  That way, every time the group holds an event, we can post pictures of that event in the album for all to see.

By way of illustration, we’ve already started with two Core Groups that recently held meetings.

The Mo/Kan Regional Core Group:

This is short for the Missouri/Kansas City Regional Core Group.  Before, it was known only as the Kansas City Regional Core Group.  This group had a meeting last month in Leawood, Kan., and we have a couple of photos with more information.

Click here to access the Mo/Kan Regional Core Group photo album on Facebook.

The Maryland/D.C./Virginia Regional Core Group:

This group was once known only as the Maryland Regional Core Group before expanding its territory slightly.  What hasn’t changed, though, is the fact that the group holds a special after-holiday party every year, complete with annual awards.  The latest after-holiday party for this Core Group also took place last month.

Click here to access the Maryland/D.C./Virginia Regional Core Group photo album on Facebook.

There are, of course, other Regional Core Groups currently operating in the Network, chief among them the Fort Wayne Regional Core Group and the Central Ohio Regional Core Group.  Facebook photo albums will be created for those recruiters, as well, and the albums will be filled with photos from their events as they are provided.

Which brings me to my next point . . . please send us photos of your Regional Core Group events.  We can’t post photos of events that we don’t have.  So snap some pictures and send them our way, and if you’re interested in joining an existing Regional Core Group—or starting a new one—be sure to contact me.

Oh, and if you’re Facebook Friends with any of the recruiters in these photos . . . be sure to tag them for me, would you?  Thanks.

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Drea@TopEchelon.com
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As has been documented numerous times (most recently here), we like to highlight recruiters for their success . . . and we’re doing it again!  This time, the recruiter we’re highlighting is David Wick, CPC of Career Center of Cincinnati, Inc.

Not only did Wick close a deal in Top Echelon Network last week, but he has two more this week!  (You can see the details of both of those split placements below.)

Wick enjoyed a good year in the Network in 2011, with 11 split placements.  He’s off to a pretty good start in 2012, too, with two placements . . . which, once again, are listed below.

During his time as a Preferred Member recruiter, Wick has made a total of 42 split placements.  An importer in the Network, Wick has supplied the candidate in all 42 of those split placement situations.

So, congratulations to Dave Wick—for a great 2011, these recent split placements, and for having this Pinnacle Newsletter Blog post named after him!

THIS WEEK’S COMPLETED SPLIT PLACEMENTS!

Job order recruiter: Richard Bramblett of ASAP Search & Recruiters

Candidate recruiter: David Wick, CPC of Career Center of Cincinnati, Inc.

Job title: ELECTRICAL ENGINEER

Fee Percentage—20%

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

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Job order recruiter: Rose Langhals of Bridgeway Professionals, Inc.

Candidate recruiter: David Wick, CPC of Career Center of Cincinnati, Inc.

Job title: MANAGER OF ACCOUNTING OPERATIONS

Fee Percentage—20%

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

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Job order recruiter: Steven C. Brandvold of Executive Connection

Candidate recruiter: Gene McQueen of the Cameron Craig Group

Job title: DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES

Fee Percentage—25%

Action causing split placement: The job order or candidate was sent to me via the automated email alerts.

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Job order recruiter: Maria Hemminger of MJ Recruiters, LLC

Candidate recruiter: Megan Hamburg of Bridgeway Professionals, Inc.

Job title: PROGRAM MANAGER

Fee Percentage—20%

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

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Job order recruiter: Debra L. Stitt, CPC of Quality Source Inc. of Ohio

Candidate recruiter: Kim Kirby of Balanced Career Solutions, Inc.

Job title: HUMAN RESOURCE GENERALIST

Fee Percentage—25%

Action causing split placement: Kim saw my job order and contacted me with candidates.

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If you’d like to see the amount of the fees associated with each of the split placements listed above, login to the Members’ Area and click on the profiles of the recruiters involved.  The fee totals will be included along with those split placements.

Remember, you can opt out of having your split placement highlighted.  Just send an email to marketing@TopEchelon.com indicating your desire to be left out.  Once you do so, you won’t be included in future installments of this feature.

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MDeutsch@TopEchelon.com
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Every once in a while in our “Comments and Compliments” feature, we like to highlight a recruiter who’s “flying under the radar.”  In other words, they’re not a high-profile Preferred Member, but they’re unerringly consistent, year after year.

One such recruiter is Georgette Sandifer of Gallman Consulting.  Sandifer has made 26 split placements since she joined the Network in 2005.  She made five split placements in 2011, and she’s already made two splits in 2012.  Speaking of two of Sandifer’s placements, there are two listed below.  We’re highlighting them because of the compliments that she paid her Trading Partners.

However, Sandifer also deserves kudos for the work that she does within the Network.  She’s made an investment of time and energy into her Preferred Membership, and that investment is paying off in the form of split placements—and more revenue for her firm!

If you’d like to recognize 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.

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“Trey and I have been friends since my first week in Top Echelon.  He taught me so much about using Big Biller and sourcing candidates.  We have tried forever to make a placement together.  [We’ve] come close dozens of times, and finally . . . it’s happened!”

Submitted by Georgette Sandifer of Gallman Consulting regarding her split placement with Trey Cameron of the Cameron Craig Group

Position Title—SENIOR COST ACCOUNTANT
Fee Percentage—20%

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

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“Larry and I have a great team going.  This is the best one yet.  I think [Larry’s] able to read my mind and the client’s mind, too.  Great candidates!”

Submitted by Georgette Sandifer of Gallman Consulting regarding her split placement with Larry Radzely of Adel-Lawrence Associates, Inc.

Position Title—DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
Fee Percentage—25%

(Editor’s note: this is the fourth split placement that Sandifer and Radzely have made together in Top Echelon Network.)

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MDeutsch@TopEchelon.com
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(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.)

A recent article from Staffing Industry Analysts confirms what we’ve been saying for a long time: the flexible workforce is here to stay.

The use of contract staffing has surged in this uncertain economy, a phenomenon that is not uncommon following a recession, as employers use contractors to test the hiring waters.  But according to the article, 69 percent of consultants working on a contract basis stated in a survey by M Squared Consulting that the use of the flexible workforce is not just a response to the economy, but a permanent change.

This correlates with what we’ve been seeing and hearing in the industry.  Companies learned in the recession that they can run lean and are continuing to do so by using contract staffing.  Using contractors allows them to quickly bring in talent and then just as quickly reduce their staff when the need passes.  We’re seeing companies maintain a small core of traditional direct hires, supported by a much larger outer ring of contractors.

Another reason for this change is that workers also need flexibility and are gaining it by working on contract.  This is also reflected in the survey, with 81 percent of the consultants saying they are satisfied or extremely satisfied with their career choice.  Additionally, 73 percent would remain consultants even if they had the opportunity to return to traditional direct-hire positions.

As the need for flexibility for both companies and workers continues, we can only expect the growth of contract staffing to grow indefinitely.