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If there’s one thing that we like to do at Top Echelon, it’s highlight “model Network recruiters” in The Pinnacle Newsletter Blog.

There are many qualities and characteristics of a “model Network recruiter.” Among other things, they:

  • Have a split-minded mentality.
  • Embrace The Four Pillars of Top Echelon Network.
  • Practice patience in the pursuit of split placement production.
  • Place an emphasis on building and maintaining their trading partner relationships.
  • Realize that the Network is an opportunity that requires an investment of time, energy, and effort but is also worth that investment.

And this week in The Pinnacle Newsletter Blog, we are pleased to highlight another such “model Network recruiter.” That recruiter is Preferred Member John Ricciardi, Managing Partner at Afton Consulting Group.

John Ricciardi of the Afton Consulting Group

John Ricciardi

John primarily works in the Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology industries, but he also works in a number of other industries and disciplines, including Human Resources, Technical, Manufacturing/Industrial, and Sales. So far during his Network career, he’s made 44 split placements that have generated over $470K in extra revenue. (As a general rule, the money that recruiters earn in Top Echelon is money they would not have made otherwise . . . ergo, the value of the Network.)

As fate would have it, John found out about Top Echelon Network from another “model Network recruiter.” That recruiter? Long-time Preferred Member Philip Bartfield!

“I actually knew all about it when I first heard the name,” said John. “One of my first mentors in this industry was Philip Bartfield. He told me from the very beginning that when I decide to start my own business, I need to join Top Echelon because of the Network.”

It was sage advice, indeed, especially when John realized the struggles that came with running his own recruiting agency.

“Being a boutique firm means that you always have capacity issues,” he said. “You either have too much work or not enough work.  My hope was that Top Echelon would help alleviate those capacity issues by partnering with other boutique firms.”

One of the key factors to John’s success has been his willingness to be patient, especially during the early stages of his membership. It was a patience that eventually paid off—literally.

“It took me a while to figure out my place in Top Echelon,” said John. “I’ll admit, it took me some time to figure out how to navigate the system and understand the submittals. As an importer, once I had a better understanding of how the candidate ended up in my inbox, I had a much better feel for how to work the candidate and work with my Top Echelon partners. As an exporter, I try to make myself available to help in whatever way my partner is looking for that help.”

As part of his split-minded mentality, John strives to be the best trading partner that he can possibly be. He knows that will not only help him build better relationships, but it will also maximize the potential of those partnerships in terms of split placements.

“As an importer, just send me the resume and I’ll take it from there,” said John. “I really don’t ask much of my partners who are sending me candidates. We have a specific process we follow, so no need to do any prescreening; we’ll take care of it. As an exporter, I try to be available to my partners and work whatever process they have. Basically, I’m happy to be as involved—or not involved—as you would like me to be.”

Being a member of Top Echelon has also helped John in his dealings with candidates and clients, since he has the power and the resources of the Network behind him.

“Being a part of Top Echelon means that I can help candidates from all backgrounds and industries,” he said. “Also, when I speak with clients, I can confidently say that I have hundreds of eyes on their roles, looking to get them filled!”

As noted above, John has made more than his fair share of split placements and money in Top Echelon Network. However, the value of membership exceeds the financial rewards.

“The splits are fantastic, but it’s the friends that I’ve developed during my time at Top Echelon that I treasure the most,” he said. “Attending the conferences has afforded me the ability to meet many of the other members in person, and it makes picking up the phone and chatting with them much easier and fun.”

In terms of advice that he would give to newer Network members, John’s suggestions are direct and simple.

“First, listen to [Director of Network Operations] Drea Codisopti,” he said. “I don’t know if I would still be here if it wasn’t for Drea helping me understand the ways of working within the Network.  Second, don’t be shy. I was shy about reaching out to others when I started and after two calls, I realized there was no need to be.”

So if you want to be a “model Network member,” be sure to listen to Drea. He knows what it takes to be successful in Top Echelon.

And so does John Ricciardi.

We’ve had some big split fees in Top Echelon Network lately, and that trend has continued!

In fact, of the 16 split placements listed below, two have fees over $40K and four have fees of $30K or more. With that in mind, congratulations are in order . . . for Kristy Staggs of Byrnes & Rupkey, Inc. and Gary Schultz of Work 22, Inc.!

That’s because Kristy and Gary accounted for the largest split fee of the week. They placed a Field Sales Application Engineer to generate a fee of $43,500 at 30%.

In addition, we’d like to give a shout-out to Trey Cameron of Cameron Craig Group and Bob White of Impact Solutions, Inc. Trey and Bob were both part of four of the 16 splits below, and both made deals with four different trading partners in the process.

We’d also like to congratulate Kristy Cardwell of The Bradley Group for making her first split placement in Top Echelon Network!

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

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

Please note that the placements listed below reflect deals finalized in Top Echelon Network for the period from March 27 through April 2, 2023.

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

Congratulations to everybody below for the split placements they made in Top Echelon Network!

This Week’s Top Echelon Split Placements

— — —

Trey Cameron of the Cameron Craig Group

Trey Cameron


Keith Cornelison of Personnel Resources

Keith Cornelison

Job recruiter: Keith Cornelison of Personnel Resources

Candidate recruiter: Trey Cameron of Cameron Craig Group

Job title: MANAGER REVENUE CYCLE PROVIDER BILLING

Overall placement fee: $13,692

Fee percentage: 18%

— — —

Trey Cameron of the Cameron Craig Group

Trey Cameron


Bob White of Impact Solutions, Inc.

Bob White

Job recruiter: Bob White of Impact Solutions, Inc.

Candidate recruiter: Trey Cameron of Cameron Craig Group

Job title: SOLIDWORKS DRAFTER ENGINEERING DESIGNER

Overall placement fee: $13,000

Fee percentage: 25%

— — —

David M. Sgro of True North Consultants, Inc.

David M. Sgro


Maria Hemminger of MJ Recruiters, LLC

Maria Hemminger

Job recruiter: Maria Hemminger of MJ Recruiters, LLC

Candidate recruiter: David M. Sgro of True North Consultants, LLC

Job title: IT INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT MANAGER

Overall placement fee: $23,750

Fee percentage: 25%

— — —

Chuck Cole of Cole Professional Search

Chuck Cole


Kristy Cardwell of The Bradley Group

Kristy Cardwell

Job recruiter: Chuck Cole of Cole Professional Search

Candidate recruiter: Kristy Cardwell of The Bradley Group

Job title: MECHANICAL ENGINEERING LEAD

Overall placement fee: $41,250

Fee percentage: 25%

— — —

Michael Stuck of Gables Search Group

Michael Stuck


Bruce Widnes of Bruce Widnes

Bruce Widnes

Job recruiter: Bruce Widnes of Bruce Widnes

Candidate recruiter: Michael Stuck of Gables Search Group

Job title: SERVICE ENGINEER

Overall placement fee: $11,440

Fee percentage: 22%

— — —

Jim Strickland of BioSource International

Jim Strickland


Ben Brown of TSS Sourcing Solutions

Ben Brown

Job recruiter: Ben Brown of TSS Sourcing Solutions

Candidate recruiter: Jim Strickland of BioSource Recruiters

Job title: SR. DESIGN ELECTRICAL ENGINEER

Overall placement fee: $30,000

Fee percentage: 25%

— — —

Gary Schultz of Work 22, Inc.

Gary Schultz


Kristy Staggs of Byrnes & Rupkey, Inc.

Kristy Staggs

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

Candidate recruiter: Gary Schultz of Work 22, Inc.

Job title: FIELD SALES APPLICATION ENGINEER

Overall placement fee: $43,500

Fee percentage: 30%

— — —

Trey Cameron of the Cameron Craig Group

Trey Cameron


Chuck Cole of Cole Professional Search

Chuck Cole

Job recruiter: Chuck Cole of Cole Professional Search

Candidate recruiter: Trey Cameron of Cameron Craig Group

Job title: BUYER – INDIRECT (MANUFACTURING/INDUSTRIAL)

Overall placement fee: $25,000

Fee percentage: 25%

— — —

Trey Cameron of the Cameron Craig Group

Trey Cameron


Jon Sullivan of Ethical Search Professionals, Ltd.

Jon Sullivan

Job recruiter: Jon Sullivan of Ethical Search Professionals, Ltd.

Candidate recruiter: Trey Cameron of Cameron Craig Group

Job title: ELECTRIAL ENGINEER

Overall placement fee: $20,000

Fee percentage: Flat

— — —

Bob White of Impact Solutions, Inc.

Bob White


Aldin Beslagic of BestLogic Staffing

Aldin Beslagic

Job recruiter: Aldin Beslagic of BestLogic Staffing

Candidate recruiter: Bob White of Impact Solutions, Inc.

Job title: AEROSPACE PARTS PAINTER

Overall placement fee: $12,064

Fee percentage: 20%

— — —

Bob White of Impact Solutions, Inc.

Bob White


Gary Thompson of Retail Options Executive Search

Gary Thompson

Job recruiter: Bob White of Impact Solutions, Inc.

Candidate recruiter: Gary Thompson of Gary Thompson

Job title: PRODUCTION SHOP FLOOR MANAGER

Overall placement fee: $22,500

Fee percentage: 25%

— — —

John Ricciardi of the Afton Consulting Group

John Ricciardi


Veronica Snyder of Career Professionals, Inc.

Veronica Snyder

Job recruiter: Veronica Snyder of Career Professionals, Inc.

Candidate recruiter: John Ricciardi of Afton Consulting Group

Job title: LOGISTICS SPECIALIST (SAP SUPER USER)

Overall placement fee: $27,000

Fee percentage: 25%

— — —

Phil Hurd of Oculus Search Partners, LLC

Phil Hurd


Laura Petraitis-Doll of LS Doll & Associates

Laura Petraitis-Doll

Job recruiter: Laura Petraitis-Doll of LS Doll & Associates

Candidate recruiter: Phil Hurd of Oculus Search Partners, LLC

Job title: DIVISION SAFETY MANAGER

Overall placement fee: $30,000

Fee percentage: 25%

— — —

Bob White of Impact Solutions, Inc.

Bob White


Edward Duff of RCD Group

Edward Duff

Job recruiter: Edward Duff of RCD Group

Candidate recruiter: Bob White of Impact Solutions, Inc.

Job title: PROJECT SUPERINTENDENT – UNDERGROUND

Overall placement fee: $26,000

Fee percentage: 20%

— — —

Michael Stuck of Gables Search Group

Michael Stuck


Adam Franklin of TradeLink Solutions

Adam Franklin

Job recruiter: Adam Franklin of TradeLink Solutions

Candidate recruiter: Michael Stuck of Gables Search Group

Job title: PROJECT MANAGER/SUPERINTENDENT

Overall placement fee: $6,000

Fee percentage: Flat

— — —

Michael Stuck of Gables Search Group

Michael Stuck


Adam Franklin of TradeLink Solutions

Adam Franklin

Job recruiter: Adam Franklin of TradeLink Solutions

Candidate recruiter: Michael Stuck of Gables Search Group

Job title: WARRANTY MANAGER – HOME CONSTRUCTION

Overall placement fee: $6,000

Fee percentage: Flat

— — —

If you’re a newer 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.

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

For those of you who don’t know, Top Echelon 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 Top Echelon 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 April, including the industries involved and the time that each meeting will be held. (Note: all times are Eastern.)

Wednesday, April 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, April 13:

  • 1:30 p.m. to 2:15 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 Top Echelon Network and the Top Echelon recruiting software.
  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.

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.