This is not the only time you will see Nick Stoia, CPC of ASAP Search in this issue of The Pinnacle Newsletter Blog.

As you can see below, Nick was part of the Largest Split Fee of the Quarter in Top Echelon Network for the first quarter of 2024. He shared that honor with Sara Alexandroff of Sterling St. James, Inc. Nick and Sara placed an Embedded Software Architect at 30% to earn a $53,400 fee.

We’ve also profiled Nick this week in our “Spotlight” feature for reaching two important milestones within the Network. Click HERE to read that feature.

In the meantime, Nick and Sara’s fee wasn’t the only big split fee in Top Echelon during the first quarter. There were plenty more, and Maggie Wolgamot of Ridgeback Management Services, LLC was part of two of the top 10. The fees associated with those splits were $48,400 and $35,000.

As a reminder, Top Echelon determines the monthly and quarterly winners of its Network split fee recruiting awards in four distinct categories:

1.) Recruiter of the Month
2.) Largest Split Fee of the Month
3.) Recruiter of the Quarter
4.) Largest Split Fee of the Quarter

We only announce the winners of these awards in The Pinnacle Newsletter Blog. We do so usually (but not always) in the issue following the conclusion of each month and/or quarter.

Congratulations to everybody who made the largest split fees in Top Echelon Network during the quarter!

Largest Split Fees of the First Quarter – 2024

— — —

First Place:

Nick Stoia, CPC of ASAP Search and Sara Alexandroff of Sterling St. James, Inc.

The position for this split placement was an Embedded Software Architect and the fee percentage associated with this placement was 30%.

Nick was the job order recruiter and Sara was the candidate recruiter.

The fee for this split placement was $53,400.

— — —

Second Place:

Michael Brown of Seneca Creek Executive Search, LLC and Jasmyn Smith of Hire Level Consulting, Inc.

The position for this split placement was a Chief Product Officer and the fee percentage associated with this placement was 17.5%.

Michael was the job order recruiter and Jasmyn was the candidate recruiter.

The fee for this split placement was $52,500.

— — —

Third Place:

Pam Ratz DeVille of Selective Resources, LLC and Maggie Wolgamot of Ridgeback Management Services, LLC

The position for this split placement was an Executive Leader – Information Systems and the fee percentage associated with this placement was 22%.

Pam was the job order recruiter and Maggie was the candidate recruiter.

The fee for this split placement was $48,400.

— — —

Fourth Place:

Jeff Katz of JSK Recruiting and Rebecca Lucas of CPG Talent Management, LLC

The position for this split placement was a Senior VP of Sales and the fee percentage associated with this placement was 25%.

Jeff was the job order recruiter and Rebecca was the candidate recruiter.

The fee for this split placement was $42,500.

— — —

Fifth Place:

John Peterson of Sun Recruiting, Inc. and Brad Dodge of iLocatum Recruiting

The position for this split placement was a Plant Manager and the fee percentage associated with this placement was 25%.

John was the job order recruiter and Brad was the candidate recruiter.

The fee for this split placement was $40,000.

— — —

Sixth Place:

Carol McBride of RCC Group, LLC and Steve Kohn of Affinity Executive Search, Inc.

The position for this split placement was a Controller – CFO and the fee percentage associated with this placement was 25%.

Carol was the job order recruiter and Steve was the candidate recruiter.

The fee for this split placement was $37,500.

— — —

Seventh Place:

Mike Whittington of Match Point Recruiting and Adam Pantelli of AJ Search

The position for this split placement was an Engagement Director and the fee percentage associated with this placement was 25%.

Mike was the job order recruiter and Adam was the candidate recruiter.

The fee for this split placement was $36,250.

— — —

Eighth Place:

Michael Haydon of Personnel Services Unlimited and Adam Neumann of New Talent

The position for this split placement was a CEO of Operations and the fee percentage associated with this placement was 18%.

Michael was the job order recruiter and Adam was the candidate recruiter.

The fee for this split placement was $36,000.

— — —

Ninth Place:

Christopher Castanias of Accelerated Search Partners Inc. and Maggie Wolgamot of Ridgeback Management Services, LLC

The position for this split placement was a Tax Partner and the fee percentage associated with this placement was 20%.

Christopher was the job order recruiter and Maggie was the candidate recruiter.

The fee for this split placement was $35,000.

— — —

Tenth Place:

Roberto Briones of R.A. Briones & Company and Mark Steele of Steele Staffing, LLC

The position for this split placement was a Plant Operations Manager and the fee percentage associated with this placement was 25%.

Roberto was the job order recruiter and Mark was the candidate recruiter.

The fee for this split placement was $34,923.75.

— — —

If YOU want to make more money through Top Echelon’s recruiting network, then contact Director of Network Operations Drea Codispoti, CPC/CERS.

You can reach Drea by calling 330.595.1742 or by sending an email to drea@topechelon.com.

We have a lot of good stuff to share regarding split placements in this quarterly issue of The Pinnacle Newsletter Blog!

Let’s start with the fact that Network recruiters Kerry Boehner of KOB Solutions, Inc. and Uri Katz of Ortek Management Recruiters paced the recent splits with a fee of $55K. Kerry and Uri did so by placing a Director at 20%.

But wait, there’s more! This just so happened to be Uri’s very first placement in Top Echelon’s recruiting network.

But wait, there’s even more! Uri wasn’t the only recruiter to make their first Network split recently.

That’s because Linda Jones of Encore Recruiters also made her first TE split placement. Linda placed a Manufacturing Engineer with Bill Kubena of Kubena & Associates to earn a fee of $21K at 20%.

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 April 1 through April 14, 2024.

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

— — —

Job recruiter: Christopher Castanias of Accelerated Search Partners, Inc.

Candidate recruiter: Pat Batchelor of Engineering Search Partners

Job title: INTERNAL AUDITOR

Overall placement fee: $15,000

Fee percentage: 15%

— — —

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

Candidate recruiter: Brad Dodge of iLocatum Recruiting

Job title: CONTROLS AND AUTOMATION APPLICATION ENGINEER 

Overall placement fee: $21,250

Fee percentage: 25%

— — —

Job recruiter: Troy Randolph of Lea Randolph & Associates, Inc.

Candidate recruiter: Brad Dodge of iLocatum Recruiting

Job title: EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR – HOSPICE

Overall placement fee: $38,000

Fee percentage: 20%

— — —

Job recruiter: Bill Kubena of Kubena & Associates

Candidate recruiter: Linda Jones of Encore Recruiters

Job title: MANUFACTURING ENGINEER

Overall placement fee: $21,000

Fee percentage: 20%

— — —

Job recruiter: Kerry Boehner of KOB Solutions, Inc.

Candidate recruiter: Uri Katz of Ortek Management Recruiters

Job title: DIRECTOR

Overall placement fee: $55,000

Fee percentage: 20%

— — —

Job recruiter: Pat McGue of Mackie Search, LLC

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

Job title: CUSTOMER SERVICE COORDINATOR

Overall placement fee: $13,000

Fee percentage: 20%

— — —

Job recruiter: Sharon McCord of McCord Executive Search

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

Job title: QUALITY ASSURANCE MANAGER – FOOD INGREDIENTS

Overall placement fee: $24,000

Fee percentage: 20%

— — —

Job recruiter: Ross Triplett of Fusion HCR, LLC

Candidate recruiter: Patrick Novick of Metro Associates

Job title: CONSTRUCTION PROJECT ESTIMATOR – COMMERCIAL

Overall placement fee: $18,200

Fee percentage: 25%

— — —

Job recruiter: Kerry Boehner of KOB Solutions, Inc.

Candidate recruiter: Michael Stuck of Gables Search Group

Job title: ENGINEER

Overall placement fee: $23,000

Fee percentage: 20%

— — —

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.

You would be hard pressed to find a recruiter as accomplished as Nick Stoia, CPC of ASAP Search, both inside and outside of Top Echelon’s recruiting network.

Let’s start with the fact that Nick, who specializes in Manufacturing, started in the recruiting profession in 1979. Then let’s add that he became a member of Top Echelon Network in 2004, which means in addition to being in the profession for 45 years, he’s also been a Network member for 20 years.

Nick has been quite prolific within Top Echelon during those two decades. Specifically, he’s made 128 split placements and those splits have generated a cash-in total of $1,065,095. This, of course, makes Nick part of Top Echelon’s exclusive 100 Placement Club and its equally exclusive $1 Million Club.

Since this is the quarterly issue of The Pinnacle and Nick recently surpassed these milestones, we thought this would be a good time to feature him in the newsletter. Not only that, but Nick is currently ranked ninth in the Network in terms of cash-in during the past 12 months. He finalized 12 splits in TE in 2023.

And during a time when some recruiters are struggling due to uncertainty in the economy and other factors, Nick has already finalized four splits in the Network this year. Those four splits have brought him a cash-in total of $110,600.

Nick Stoia clearly understands the value that Top Echelon Network provides, he’s been leveraging that value to benefit his recruiting business for 20 years, and he continues to leverage it.

According to Nick, below are four big takeaways that have been instrumental to his success as a member of Top Echelon Network:

#1—More Resources for Expanded Reach

According to Stoia, membership in the Network has allowed his firm to generate business in ways it would not have been able to otherwise. This includes in his dealings with candidates, clients, and prospects.

“Candidates sourced from the Network have been placed on numerous occasions, and we can often represent them to more than one opportunity,” said Nick. “We’ve also been able to meet the needs of our clients on numerous occasions, and this increases the odds of acquiring new and continued business with them. Also, saying that we’re part of a formal national network is helpful in prospecting for new clients.”

#2—Making the Network a Priority

Nick has never viewed his Top Echelon Network membership as a “magic money-making machine” right out of the pages of Dr. Seuss. He has recognized that it requires a certain amount of time, energy, and effort on this part.

However, he also expects to receive a return on this investment, and he has.

“Our firm is committed to prioritizing Top Echelon as a resource for success,” said Nick. “If we are going to spend the money to be a part of the Network, we want a return.”

While Nick adheres to all Four Pillars of Top Echelon Network, he indicated that Communication has been especially integral to his success within TE.

“We place a high value on communicating with affiliates regarding candidates being considered for our posted positions while they are in process,” he said. “Also, we enjoy building partner relationships, both existing and new.”

#3—The Role of Software and Networking

While working with other Top Echelon split recruiting partners has contributed to his agency’s success, Nick also stated that both Top Echelon’s recruiting software and its recruiter networking events have played a role, as well.

“The technology tools that are available with Top Echelon’s ATS and the enhancements that are made keep Network members competitive,” he said. “Technical support has been readily available on numerous occasions to assist when needed. The various conferences are a great way to meet members and there are excellent training sessions at the events. There is a lot of opportunity for learning with the perspectives and insights of TE partners.”

(Shameless Plug Alert: Registration is still available for Top Echelon Connect 2024 in St. Petersburg Beach! Register today and join us—and your trading partners—on the beach next month!)

#4—Trust in a Higher Power

Although this is #4 on our list, Nick certainly places it higher in terms of what it has meant to his life and his recruiting business. As a Christian, he credits his faith for keeping him centered and focused in what can be a topsy-turvy profession.

“As a Christ follower, both prayer and insights from the Bible have become very important to me as a recruiter in the midst of the ups and downs in this business,” Nick said.

Nick also uses his faith and the Bible as guides for how he operates within the confines of Top Echelon Network. The results, of course, speak for themselves.

“The wisdom and promises found [in the Bible] are important, as they relate to both doing business and relating to others,” added Nick.

In terms of advice for newer TE members, Nick once again defers to The Four Pillars of Top Echelon Network. This time, though, he references Quality.

“For someone who would import candidates in the Network, be sure to write the job order descriptions with quality information that is updated with changes if they occur,” he said. “Keep in mind that job orders from good companies increase your chances of acceptance if an offer is made.”

When a recruiter who has excelled within the profession for 45 years gives free advice, it is advice that should be taken.

As for Nick’s part, the more things change, the more things stay the same. That applies to both the recruiting profession overall, which has undergone quite a few changes since 1979, and his Top Echelon Network membership specifically.

“I have been associated with Top Echelon since 2004,” Nick said. “I am a big believer in split business and that perspective has not changed.”

And he has the placements to prove it.

Believe it or not, the first quarter of the year is over!

And you know what that means. Yes, it means that the second quarter of 2024 has begun.

However, it also means that we have the quarterly awards for Top Echelon’s recruiter network. And those quarterly awards include the Recruiter of the Quarter.

And the Recruiter of the Quarter for Q1 of 2024 is . . . Brad Dodge of iLocatum Recruiting! (Sorry, you had to imagine the anticipatory drum roll.)

However, Brad was not the only recruiter who made a lot of money in Top Echelon during the first quarter. Below are nine more members who also received a considerable return on their investment in Network membership.

Below is the information that we include with the Recruiters of the Quarter feature in Top Echelon Network:

1. The top 10 recruiters for the quarter
2. The “cash-in” total for each recruiter during the quarter. (We base the order of the recruiters on their amount of “cash-in” dollars, as opposed to the number of split placements they made during the quarter.)
3. The number of splits that the recruiters made during the quarter
4. The date that each recruiter’s agency joined Top Echelon Network
5. The number of splits each recruiter has made during their Network career
6. Each recruiter’s cash-in total for their Network career

Congratulations to the recruiters listed below . . . and congratulations to every Network member who made a split placement (or multiple splits) during the quarter!

Recruiters of the Quarter – Q1 2024

— — —

First Place:

Recruiter: Brad Dodge
Agency: iLocatum Recruiting
Placements: Eighteen (18)
Cash-in total: $147,929.68
Career Top Echelon placements: 141
Career Top Echelon cash-in: $1,047,270.76

— — —

Second Place:

Recruiter: Sara Alexandroff
Agency: Sterling St. James, LLC
Placements: Seven (7)
Cash-in total: $71,626.12
Career Top Echelon placements: 64
Career Top Echelon cash-in: $536,119.12

— — —

Third Place:

Recruiter: Steve Kohn
Agency: Affinity Executive Search, Inc.
Placements: Six (6)
Cash-in total: $60,471.30
Career Top Echelon placements: 545
Career Top Echelon cash-in: $4,946,804.55

— — —

Fourth Place:

Recruiter: Nick Stoia, CPC 
Agency: ASAP Search
Placements: Four (4)
Cash-in total: $51,982.00
Career Top Echelon placements: 128
Career Top Echelon cash-in: $1,065,095.23

— — —

Fifth Place:

Recruiter: Michael Stuck
Agency: Gables Search Group
Placements: Nine (9)
Cash-in total: $49,642.26
Career Top Echelon placements: 565
Career Top Echelon cash-in: $4,032,809.71

— — —

Sixth Place:

Recruiter: Maggie Wolgamot 
Agency: Ridgeback Management Services, LLC
Placements: Two (2)
Cash-in total: $39,198.00
Career Top Echelon placements: 3
Career Top Echelon cash-in: $78,501.75

— — —

Seventh Place:

Recruiter: Frank Caligiuri 
Agency: Basilone Executive Search
Placements: Four (4)
Cash-in total: $35,959.70
Career Top Echelon placements: 11
Career Top Echelon cash-in: $104,685.45

— — —

Eighth Place:

Recruiter: James Grayem 
Agency: Jamie Graham
Placements: Five (5)
Cash-in total: $35,645.43
Career Top Echelon placements: 33
Career Top Echelon cash-in: $165,773.31

— — —

Ninth Place:

Recruiter: Adam Pantelli 
Agency: AJ Search
Placements: Two (2)
Cash-in total: $28,101.30
Career Top Echelon placements: 7
Career Top Echelon cash-in: $43,273.53

— — —

Tenth Place:

Recruiter: Adam Neumann
Agency: New Talent
Placements: Two (2)
Cash-in total: $26,743.00
Career Top Echelon placements: 8
Career Top Echelon cash-in: $89,775.88

— — —

If YOU want to make more money through Top Echelon’s recruiting network, then contact Director of Network Operations, Drea Codispoti, CPC/CERS.

You can reach Drea by calling 330.595.1742 or by sending an email to drea@topechelon.com.

In this current environment, making placements is more vital than ever. You want to be the recruiter who stands out from everybody else.

One of the best ways to accomplish this is by leveraging the power of Top Echelon’s recruiting network. (And as luck would have it, you are a member of this network!)

However, there are multiple moving parts involved with this protocol. I’d like to explore them, with an emphasis on doing what is necessary to help your split recruiting partners help YOU to close more deals with your clients.

For the purposes of this blog post, I’ll be focusing on the “importers” in Top Echelon Network, those recruiters who have the job order or search assignment and “import” candidates from their trading partners. Specifically, I will address the data that importers share with exporters, namely the job description and other important information.

This data and information is central to the following three-step process of helping others help YOU make more split placements:

#1—Writing a Good Job Order

Everybody who writes job descriptions probably thinks their write-ups are top notch. So for the sake of posterity, let’s just review the key elements of a well-written job description with the purpose of informing your Top Echelon Network partners about what your client is really seeking in candidates to fill their position.

Position Title: Make sure the title is relevant to the industry and fully written out, avoiding abbreviations.

Job Description: According to respected industry trainer Greg Doersching’s definition of a complete job order, you must accomplish six major objectives. I have listed those objectives below.

1. A complete understanding of what skills and experience the client requires. This goes far beyond a formal job description. You need to find out what the client’s “hot buttons” are. What areas of experience are more important to them than others? This is rarely covered in their formal job description.
2. A picture of how this role fits into the rest of the organization, both from an organizational standpoint, as well as a process standpoint.
3. A complete picture of what it is about this organization that will make a person want to join and stay with this company—the “sizzle.” You must have something that will ATTRACT candidates and the scope of the job responsibilities are not an attractant—what this company offers an employee on a day-to-day quality of life basis is.
4. An idea of where the client would like you (and your trading partners) to search for this candidate—what kind of companies should be targeted.
5. An understanding of whether or not this search assignment is good for your agency. (And by extension, good for your trading partners.)
6. A picture of how this client’s interviewing process will work, including an anticipated timeline.

In short, include every requirement, skill set, list of duties, and details of what the candidate will be doing with who, what, where, why, when, and how. Don’t assume that your trading partners are going to know what your client is looking for, even if it’s a role they have worked a hundred times over. Tell the story in detail!

#2—Including Network Recruiting Instructions

Network Recruiting Instructions are all of the things that you would share with your partner that will make the difference in the types of candidates they send to you—how you like to work, your communication preferences, payment details, and any piece of information that you would share with the partner if they were sitting at the desk next to you.

The Network Recruiting Instructions are designed to help you communicate the intangible items to your partners so they are more effective in their efforts to help you.

#3—Responding to Trading Partners

The final step in all of this is to respond to your partners when they reach out to you. I can not emphasize how critically important this step is. After all, Communication is one of The Four Pillars of Top Echelon Network. This network runs on communication between its members, and this is one area in which you can’t afford to “drop the ball.”

I understand that everybody is busy, and I certainly sympathize with that. However, taking a few minutes of time to respond to a trading partner can make all the difference in the world. (And it can certainly make the difference in terms of whether you make more splits or not.)

And for you exporters in the audience, be sure to read the job details very clearly. Consider this thought before sending a candidate to one of your trading partners for their open position: “If this was my client and my relationship with them was on the line, would I send this candidate?” That is how important this interaction is to your success in the Network.

Remember: ALL Top Echelon Network members should treat one another as they would treat their best client in this business!