A trio of recruiters made multiple split placements recently in Top Echelon, leading the way in terms of production within the Network.

Those recruiters were Brad Dodge of iLocatum Recruiting; Sara Alexandroff of Sterling St. James, Inc.; and Nathan Gruen of Gruen Search Consultants, Inc.

As you can see below, Sara and Nathan were part of two split placements recently. Dodge, meanwhile, was involved in five split placements, a total befitting of the reigning Top Echelon Network Recruiter of the Year.

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 May 4 through May 17, 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

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Job recruiter: Brandon Adsit of Accurate Engineering Solutions, LLC

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

Job title: ELECTRICAL DESIGNER – POWER DISTRIBUTION

Overall placement fee: $18,750

Fee percentage: 15%

— — —

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

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

Job title: PRODUCTION SUPERVISOR

Overall placement fee: $17,160

Fee percentage: 25%

— — —

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

Candidate recruiter: Kendra Arnold of A Plus Hire Right Search Group, LLC

Job title: HOSPICE SALES EXECUTIVE

Overall placement fee: $16,500

Fee percentage: 15%

— — —

Job recruiter: Wayne Miller of THR Partners

Candidate recruiter: Justin Bidwell of Bidwell & Associates, LLC

Job title: VAVE ENGINEER

Overall placement fee: $27,500

Fee percentage: 25%

— — —

Job recruiter: Steve Schanz of CPS Recruitment

Candidate recruiter: Brad Dodge of iLocatum Recruiting

Job title: SIMULATION & ANALYSIS ENGINEER

Overall placement fee: $25,000

Fee percentage: 25%

— — —

Job recruiter: Nathan Gruen of Gruen Search Consultants, Inc.

Candidate recruiter: Brad Dodge of iLocatum Recruiting

Job title: PRODUCTION COORDINATOR

Overall placement fee: $15,000

Fee percentage: 20%

— — —

Job recruiter: Amy Chapman of Key People Staffing

Candidate recruiter: Brad Dodge of iLocatum Recruiting

Job title: SENIOR FOOD SCIENTIST

Overall placement fee: $31,250

Fee percentage: 25%

— — —

Job recruiter: Amylyn Kyler of Kyler Professional Search

Candidate recruiter: Brad Dodge of iLocatum Recruiting

Job title: HR MANAGER

Overall placement fee: $22,000

Fee percentage: 20%

— — —

Job recruiter: Nathan Gruen of Gruen Search Consultants, Inc.

Candidate recruiter: Brad Dodge of iLocatum Recruiting

Job title: ASSOCIATE PRODUCT MANAGER

Overall placement fee: $16,000

Fee percentage: 20%

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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.

As I announced last week, we’re heading back to the always-popular Sheraton Suites Chicago O’Hare in Chicago on October 29–30 for TE Connect Fall 2026.

This will be another unforgettable TE Connect experience filled with networking, collaboration, industry insight, and plenty of opportunities to reconnect with recruiters from across the country.

However, I am back this week with another announcement . . .

Top Echelon is officially opening Super Early Bird Registration for TE Connect in Chicago, and if you’ve been waiting for your sign to commit, this is it.

That’s because you can lock in your spot at the Super Early Bird rate of just $375 per person.

So mark your calendar, grab your seat early, and get ready for another incredible TE Connect event in Chicago!

Event Details

If bullet points are your love language, we’ve got you covered below.

• Main Event Dates: Thursday–Friday, October 29–30, 2026
• Location: Chicago, Illinois
• Venue: Sheraton Suites Chicago O’Hare
• Registration Cost: $375
• Registration Includes:
  • Product insight and software training
  • Recruiter-to-recruiter networking
  • Practical strategies you can use immediately in your business

We’re still building out the full agenda, but we already know this much: it’s going to be packed with training, networking, collaboration, and actionable takeaways.

What You Can Expect

TE Connect Fall 2026 is designed to help recruiters finish the year strong and head into 2027 with momentum.

Below is just a preview of what’s in store . . .

1. High-Impact Networking

Build new relationships with recruiters across TE Network and strengthen existing partnerships that can lead to more split placements and long-term collaboration.

2. Practical Software Training

Learn how to get more out of your Top Echelon tools with hands-on guidance and real-world recruiting workflows from the TE team.

3. Industry Expertise

We’re excited to welcome Barb Bruno as one of our featured speakers.

Barbara Bruno, CPC brings decades of recruiting and training expertise to the conference, with experience spanning retained search, contract staffing, direct hire, and leadership training. Her sessions are always packed with practical insight recruiters can immediately apply to their desks.

4. Product and Platform Insight

Todd Bossler will also be sharing training and best practices designed to help recruiters maximize the value of Top Echelon’s software and recruiting platform.

With nearly three decades at Top Echelon, Todd brings a unique blend of product knowledge and recruiter-focused problem solving.

Real Community

There’s simply nothing like getting recruiters together in the same room. That’s when the real magic happens.

Ideas get exchanged, partnerships get built, placements happen, and momentum grows. Considering the current state of the job market, these are all things we could use right now.

And yes . . . there will probably be plenty of stories shared, too.

Recruiters Are Already Registering

Momentum for TE Connect Fall 2026 is already building, with recruiters from a wide variety of specialties signing up early.

Current niche participation includes:

• Manufacturing
• Sales
• Engineering
• Food
• Accounting
• HR
• Automotive
• Finance
• IT
• Operations
• Marketing
• Executive Search
• CNC and Machine specialties
• And more

The diversity of recruiting specialties represented creates even more opportunities for split placements, collaboration, and expanding your recruiting network.

Why You Should Attend

Attending TE Connect Fall 2026 is more than just attending another conference.

It’s an investment in your recruiting business.

Here’s why:

• Build More Partnerships: Strong recruiter relationships lead to stronger split opportunities.
• Learn Practical Strategies: Walk away with ideas and tactics you can implement immediately.
• Gain Product Knowledge: Use your Top Echelon tools more efficiently and effectively.
• Recharge Your Energy: Sometimes the best thing you can do for your business is step away from the desk and reconnect with people who understand the industry.
• Finish the Year Strong: Fall is the perfect time to sharpen your focus and prepare for a successful 2027.

Let’s Connect in Chicago!

We’re looking forward to heading back to Chicago this October for another unforgettable TE Connect experience.

Whether you’re a TE Connect veteran or planning to attend for the very first time, TE Connect Fall 2026 is shaping up to deliver the networking, collaboration, insights, and recruiter-to-recruiter connections that make this event so valuable year after year.

And now is the perfect time to secure your spot.

Register for TE Connect Fall 2026!

Once again, Super Early Bird Registration is officially open at just $375 per person, giving you the opportunity to lock in the best available rate before prices increase.

So mark your calendar for October 29–30, reserve your seat, and start making plans for Chicago.

We can’t wait to see you there!

The year is certainly flying by, is it not? After all, it’s hard to believe that we’re rapidly approaching the halfway mark of 2026.

Now that we’re nearly at the end of the fifth month of the year, it can mean only one thing . . . the Memorial Day holiday!

As you might have already guessed, the Top Echelon Software offices are closed on Memorial Day. Specifically, the Top Echelon offices will be closed on Monday, May 25, in observance of the holiday.

In this case, the “Top Echelon Software offices” refers to the following:

• Top Echelon’s recruiting network (TE Network)
• Top Echelon’s recruiting software (TE Recruit)

No worries, though. Our offices will re-open at 8 a.m., EDT the following day: Tuesday, May 26.

As always, I’d like to take a moment to wish you a fun and safe Memorial Day holiday. This is a great opportunity to get together with family and friends and to travel for parties, picnics, and barbeques.

And of course, the Memorial Day holiday is always an opportunity to remember those who have served our country or who are currently serving our nation, both here and overseas.

We hope that you have a great holiday weekend!

Everybody in Top Echelon’s recruiting network wants to be a good trading partner. (At least . . . we hope that everybody in the Network wants to be a good trading partner.)

But how do you go from being a good trading Partner to being a great trading partner?

As you might imagine, it takes more than one thing. Fortunately, we’ve been keeping track of those things just by seeing the comments that TE Network recruiters have submitted with their Completed Placement Forms down through the years.

These recruiters almost invariably have good things to say about their split recruiting partners. Those good things have formed a pattern—a blueprint, if you will.

That blueprint basically shows how a recruiter can work with their trading partners in the best way possible and make more split placements. As part of that blueprint, we’ve uncovered some common behaviors of recruiters who do an excellent job of working with their partners to bring the placement process to a successful and satisfying conclusion.

Good to Great as a Trading Partner

Based upon these case studies, below are six behaviors that make a good trading partner a great one:

1. They screen and qualify their candidates.
2. They don’t just communicate, they over-communicate.
3. They’re proactive.
4. They’re responsive.
5. They consistently follow up.
6. They bring quality to the process.

As you can see, being a great trading partner is NOT a passive activity. You must be proactive in your approach, and you must invest in your partners.

Invest your time, energy, and effort. If you don’t invest, then you can not justifiably expect a return.

There are recruiters in TE Network who are receiving a return on their investment every single month. YOU could be one of them.

How many of these behaviors do you and/or your trading partners exhibit? Would you agree that these are integral to great trading partner relationships and making more split placements and more money? What other behaviors would you add to these six?

If you have any questions or if you need more information, contact Top Echelon Director of Network Operations Drea Codispoti, CPC/CERS at drea@topechelon.com.

Top Echelon offers a free monthly webinar as part of its Expert Recruiter Coaching Series.

These webinars touch upon a variety of recruiter-related topics. These topics deal with both job candidates and clients. As always, our goal with these webinars is to help agency recruiters and search consultants just like YOU make more placements.

We record these webinars for recruiters who can’t attend the live presentation, and we’re now pleased to offer the video from our most recent webinar by industry trainer Greg Doersching of Next Level Training.

The title of that webinar (and corresponding training video) is “Stop Selling . . . You’ll Make More Sales!”

Below is the official description for this training video:

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Keep an eye out for the next free webinar in our Expert Recruiter Coaching Series!