What better way to start the month of May than with a rhyme? No!

What better way to start the month of May than with a $63,250 split placement? Yes!

And that’s exactly what we have for you in this week’s issue of The Pinnacle Newsletter Blog. That’s because TE Network members Amy Chapman of Key People Staffing and Steve Kohn of Affinity Executive Search, Inc. recently placed a Senior Director of Operations to earn a $63,250 fee at 25%!

And of course, there’s more . . .

That is also because recruiters Jonathon Goshorn of Talent-Pipeline and Stephanie Stephens of KESST Global Network both made their first TE Network split placement. They didn’t make the placement with each other, mind you, but the money spends just the same.

As a friendly neighborhood reminder, here is the information that we publish with our 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 April 21 through May 4, 2025.

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.

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

This Week’s Split Placements

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Job recruiter: Pat Batchelor of Engineering Search Partners

Candidate recruiter: Sara Alexandroff of Sterling St. James, Inc.

Job title: STRUCTURAL ENGINEER – STEEL DESIGN

Overall placement fee: $15,620

Fee percentage: 22%

— — —

Job recruiter: Todd Porter of H.T. PROF Executive Search

Candidate recruiter: Brad Dodge of iLocatum Recruiting

Job title: NON-DESTRUCTIVE TESTING INSTRUCTOR

Overall placement fee: $19,000

Fee percentage: 20%

— — —

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

Candidate recruiter: Jonathon Goshorn of Talent-Pipeline

Job title: QUALITY ASSURANCE MANAGER

Overall placement fee: $30,000

Fee percentage: 25%

— — —

Job recruiter: Brandon Adsit of Accurate Engineering Solutions, LLC

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

Job title: MECHANICAL DESIGNER/DRAFTER

Overall placement fee: $10,200

Fee percentage: 17%

— — —

Job recruiter: Amy Chapman of Key People Staffing

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

Job title: SENIOR DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

Overall placement fee: $63,250

Fee percentage: 25%

— — —

Job recruiter: Christina Boudreaux of Connectly Recruiting

Candidate recruiter: Sophi LaRose of Sola Staffing, LLC

Job title: LEGAL ASSISTANT

Overall placement fee: $12,400

Fee percentage: 20%

— — —

Job recruiter: Ross Triplett of Fusion HCR, LLC

Candidate recruiter: Patrick Novick of Metro Associates

Job title: LICENSED DRILLER

Overall placement fee: $9,360

Fee percentage: 18%

— — —

Job recruiter: Michael Stuck of Gables Search Group

Candidate recruiter: Stephanie Stephens of KESST Global Network

Job title: ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

Overall placement fee: $17,000

Fee percentage: 20%

— — —

Job recruiter: Bill Kubena of Kubena & Associates

Candidate recruiter: Thomas Trese of Tom Trese Networking, LLC

Job title: LEAD SWISS CNC MACHINIST

Overall placement fee: $11,560

Fee percentage: Flat

— — —

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.

Over the years in the pages of The Pinnacle Newsletter Blog, we’ve told countless stories and relayed a number of case studies about recruiters who have successfully leveraged the power of their TE Network membership.

Make no mistake: there have been many, many successful recruiters in the Network, and there are many right now. What these stories and case studies have basically illustrated is a blueprint for that success.

That’s because what has worked in the TE Network has largely NOT changed during the past 37+ years.

Success in TE is about more than just tools and resources; it’s about the proper mentality. It’s an attitude, and recruiters that have this attitude can excel in Top Echelon. They can excel regardless of their business model or the tools they choose to use.

Below are five ways to approach your membership in TE Network the right way:

#1—DESIRE to make split placements.

Don’t view split placements with a “if it happens, great, if it doesn’t, whatever” attitude. Instead, recognize the value that split recruiting efforts can provide for your business.

Have what’s called a “split frame of mind.” Half a loaf is better than no loaf at all. That’s the philosophy that the Network was built upon, and it’s the philosophy that guides it to this day.

#2—Work the way your partners work.

Recognize that every relationship is different and every recruiter works differently. Move in tandem with your split partners during the recruiting process, bobbing and weaving when they bob and weave.

They like to talk on the phone every day? Every other day? Then that’s what you do. The result? More split placements and more money.

#3—Invest in your relationships.

A split partner relationship is like any other relationship that you have. You can’t neglect it and expect it to continue to “bear fruit,” so to speak. You must invest in it and cultivate it.

That means staying in contact with your split partners, sharing job orders and candidates, and even sharing stories from your days in the recruiting “trenches.” Recruiters who invest in their split partner relationships make more splits. It’s as simple as that.

#4—Seek out new split partners.

You can’t have enough good, solid split partner relationships and you never know who you can split with. Placements often come from surprising places, and those placements can result in a relationship that eventually produces multiple deals.

Active Participation (one of The Four Pillars of TE Network) is the best way to seek out new partners. That means posting your jobs, posting your candidates, and using the Network Candidates sourcing tool.

#5—Look for opportunities to make splits.

We’ve come full circle (see #1). There are recruiters who miss out on split placement opportunities simply because they’re not looking for them.

Having the desire to make splits means actively looking for opportunities to make them. Words are meaningless without action to back them up.

Are there more than five ways to approach your TE Network membership correctly? Of course there are.

But the five ways outlined above are shared by many of the top producers in the Network. They’ve been used by recruiters to make split placements during the past 37+ years, and they’ll be used to make splits during the next 37 years.

The question is this: how do YOU approach your TE Network membership?

Welcome to the next installment in my blog post series about how to enjoy more “Exporter Success” in Top Echelon’s recruiting network.

In this latest installment, I’d like to discuss the steps for qualifying the job order. In my previous blog post, I stressed the importance of finding a job order within your area of expertise in our Network.

Why is that? Because it’s NOT fair to expect the job order recruiter to “teach you” how to recruit in their niche.

Important steps for success

Okay, so let’s say that you’ve found a job that’s in a niche, industry, and/or discipline in which you’re strong. Now what?

Now you qualify the job order, specifically by doing the following two things:

#1—Review the details of the job order carefully.

#2—Once you understand the details and nature of the job order, CALL the recruiter to discuss and qualify the job with them.

I know what you’re thinking: “But I don’t know this recruiter. I’ve never worked with them before.”

If you don’t already know them, this is a great time to get to know them, to find out how they like to work, and to start building a working relationship. This also helps to eliminate miscommunication, which will reduce wasted time.

As you know, time is of the essence during the recruiting process. It’s better to spend two minutes up front to prevent the loss of two days (or more) down the line.

It could mean the difference between closing a deal and a dead end.

If you have any questions about this blog post or about your TE Network membership in general, you can contact me by calling 330.595.1742 or by sending an email to drea@topechelon.com. Have a great week!

We’re continuously updating both the Top Echelon recruiting software and our split placement network software.

So we’re pleased to announce the following software updates!

1. Sequencing: Smarter, Automated Outreach (Pro Tier Only)

You can now set up a customizable series of scheduled emails and activities—with adjustable delays between them! It’s perfect for keeping prospects and candidates engaged without lifting a finger (well, almost).

2. Draft Job Status: Organize without the Clutter

Got a potential opportunity that’s almost ready? Now you can save Jobs as a Draft without messing up your open job counts or stats.

Drafts stay tucked away from Open Jobs tables and ads, keeping your pipeline clean and focused.

3. Pop-Out Attachments for Easier Viewing

No more squinting at tiny previews! Now you can open resumes and other attachments (in the Right Side Panel) in a new window—zoom, resize, or toss it onto another screen while you work.

You’ll find this handy feature in the Attachments pane, Resume cards, and Attachments tabs across People, Company, and Job records.

4. Smarter Handling from Calls to Texting Numbers

When someone calls a number meant just for texting, they’ll now hear an automated voice letting them know—and pointing them to the right agency phone number if available. No confusion, no missed connections.

5. Quick Decisions from Pipeline Record Preview

Need to move a candidate forward in or out on the fly? You can now disqualify or advance candidates right from the Record Preview in the Right Side Panel and Inbox view.

No extra clicks needed. Just smooth, speedy decisions.

6. Interface Updates: A Cleaner, Brighter Experience

Shoutout to everyone who’s shared feedback. We’ve retired the old interface and rolled out these improvements along the way:

• New look for Email Templates
• Brighter yellow highlights in dropdown fields for easier selections
• Smoother Comment editing in the Right Side Panel—more space, save button always visible
• Clearer selected Tags with better contrast
• Hide/show calendar and filters on the Planner (mobile) for a cleaner view
• Planner’s back in the main mobile navigation bar
• Better visibility with yellow highlights in tables
• No more text overlap in autocomplete drop downs (tags, codes, work history)
• Profile images are back in TE Recruit’s mobile experience!

— — —

Remember, you can always stay informed about software updates by visiting the official Top Echelon Product Updates page. You can see current and past updates, as well as which updates and upgrades are next.

If you have questions about these updates or about any other aspect of your TE Network and/or TE Recruit account, you can:

→ Send an email to support@topechelon.com.

→ Visit our Help Center for answers to your questions or start a live chat by clicking the “Contact” link in the navigation bar.

We don’t just want to help recruiters make split placements in TE Network. We want to help them make placements NOW, if not sooner.

We’ve chronicled scores of case studies down through the years. In fact, we’ve chronicled so many of them that certain patterns have emerged. These patterns, of course, have become our best practices for success in TE Network.

One of those best practices is the subject of this post in The Pinnacle Newsletter Blog. Because it’s always a good time for members to become more immersed in Network activities.

With that in mind, below is a simple, three-step plan for split network success in Top Echelon:

#1—Join TE Network.

You’re already a third of the way there! If you’re reading this blog post, then you’re more than likely a member of the Network.

Why include this step? Because it signifies that you’ve made an investment in the Network and a commitment to your agency and your recruiting desk.

#2—Participate in Core Group meetings.

Here’s the key word: participate. Participation is one of The Four Pillars of TE Network.

You can’t join the Network and simply “wish upon a star.” You have to get in the game and make things happen, and participating in Core Group meetings, including both virtual and national/regional meetings, is an easy (and effective) way to do that.

#3—Network with other recruiters in the meetings.

Participating in these meetings gives you the opportunity to build trading partner relationships with other TE Network members. And you can’t start reaping the benefits of those relationships until you build them. (“If you build them . . . placements can come.”)

You have the job order. Your split partner has the candidate. (Or vice-versa.) It’s like the old Reese’s debate: chocolate versus peanut butter. They’re perfect together! Placements and candy bars for everybody!

All you have to do is make one split placement each year to more than make up for your investment in TE Network. And you’ll have plenty of money left over to buy some candy bars. A whole lot of candy bars.

Regardless, if you want to join the Virtual Core Group meetings and/or maximize your Network membership, I encourage you to contact Director of Network Operations Drea Codipsoti, CPC/CERS.

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