Every recruiter uses Top Echelon Network differently and experiences varying levels of success based on how they use it.  But some recruiters join the Network and pretty much “hit the ground running.”

One of those recruiters is Bill Kubena of Kubena & Associates, who we’re pleased to announce is the Recruiter of the Week in Top Echelon Network!

Kubena joined the Network in November of 2013, and after the first five months of 2015, there’s no doubt that he’s rising up the ranks in Top Echelon.  Kubena, who’s been recruiting for almost 20 years, specializes primarily in precision machining (Swiss CNC, CNC, and screw machines).

Below are five reasons why Kubena is the Recruiter of the Week in Top Echelon Network:

#1—His production

Since joining Top Echelon in late 2013, Kubena has made a total of 15 split placements in the Network.  He made five last year, but he’s already made 10 this year.  In fact, he made four splits alone during the month of May.  If he continues at his current pace, he’ll make well over 20 Network split placements in 2015, and that’s impressive production for a recruiter who’s been in the Network for only two years.  It represents a textbook definition of “hitting the ground running.”

#2—He values his trading partner relationships.

There are comments from five split placements listed below, and four of the comments are by Kubena.  Clearly, he values his trading partner relationships and has no problem praising his split partners for their efforts and giving credit where credit is due.  It’s this kind of attitude and mentality that pays big dividends in the Network, because Kubena is branding himself as somebody who works well with others, gets results, and is gracious throughout the entire process.

#3—He attends TE networking events.

Kubena met fellow TE recruiter Maria Hemminger of MJ Recruiters, LLC at the Network’s annual Ohio Golf Outing, and that event served as the catalyst for their placement highlighted below.  Face-to-face networking is the cornerstone for lasting success in Top Echelon Network.  Kubena understands that and strives to build and nurture trading partner relationships based on those networking efforts.  It’s a tried-and-true formula for making split placements.

#4—He’s taken a “split placement selfie.”

A while back, we issued our “Split Placement Selfie Challenge,” and Kubena has participated (with encouragement from Hemminger, of course).  The placement that the two of them made recently led to this “split placement selfie” opportunity.  Active Participation is one of the Four Pillars of Top Echelon Network, and taking this type of “selfie” definitely denotes a willingness to participate.  (As you might have guessed, Kubena also adheres to the other three Pillars: Quality, Communication, and Trust.

#5—He’s from Ohio.

What?  Is it against the law to show some love to the Buckeye State?  The fact of the matter is that there are quite a few recruiting firms in Top Echelon Network that are located in Ohio.  Not only that, but many of these firms have also enjoyed very successful tenures during their time in the Network, and Kubena is the latest in a long line of search firms to enjoy such success.  Besides, Ohio State won the 2014 College Football National Championship.  So there.

Congratulations to Bill Kubena for being Recruiter of the Week from everybody at Top Echelon!

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Maria Hemminger

Bill Kubena

“We first met Bill at a Top Echelon golf outing in the summer of 2013.  Dave Sgro [of True North Consulting, Inc.] introduced us.  I am very happy that [Bill] has chosen to still do business with me, even after we golfed together.  He did a great job of learning the type of candidates that we are constantly looking for.  He sent this candidate to me based on our previous conversations.”

Submitted by Maria Hemminger of MJ Recruiters, LLC regarding her Network split placement with Bill Kubena of Kubena & Associates

Position Title—PURCHASING COORDINATOR

Fee Percentage—25%

(Editor’s note: This is the first Network split placement that Hemminger and Kubena have made together in Top Echelon.)

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Trey Cameron

“Trey, another placement that took less than a week!  I can get used to this.  Great candidate again!”

Submitted by Bill Kubena of Kubena & Associates regarding his Network split placement with Trey Cameron of the Cameron Craig Group

Position Title—CNC PROGRAMMER

Fee Percentage—25%

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

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Robert Alexander

“Thanks for the great candidate, Robert.  He is really excited to be going back home to Michigan.”

Submitted by Bill Kubena of Kubena & Associates regarding his Network split placement with Robert Alexander of Systems Technology International, Inc.

Position Title—LEADSMAN

Fee Percentage—25%

(Editor’s note: This is the first Network split placement that Kubena and Alexander have made together in Top Echelon.)

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“Trey, I can’t thank you enough!  Another new client that will continue to provide us with business!  You are the best!”

Submitted by Bill Kubena of Kubena & Associates regarding his Network split placement with Trey Cameron of the Cameron Craig Group

Position Title—CMM PROGRAMMER

Fee Percentage—25%

(Editor’s note: This is the fifth Network split placement that Kubena and Cameron have made together in Top Echelon.)

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“Once again, a nice, easy placement with Trey.  This candidate was so motivated to move to Massachusetts [that] he covered all of the costs to get up there, interviewed with two clients, accepted an offer, and started already!”

Submitted by Bill Kubena of Kubena & Associates regarding his Network split placement with Trey Cameron of the Cameron Craig Group

Position Title—SWISS CNC MACHINIST

Fee Percentage—20%

(Editor’s note: This is the seventh Network split placement that Kubena and Cameron have made together in Top Echelon.)

Top Echelon recruiters make their first Network placement all the time.  In fact, it’s almost a weekly occurrence.

However, not many of them make a first Network placement like Greta Guimond of Career Development Partners recently made hers.

No, Guimond made her first split in TE with Debi Apple of Apple & Associates, and the fee that they two of them earned from that split was so high (nearly $40,000) that it won the Largest Split Fee of the Month award for May!

Of course, Trey Cameron won the Recruiter of the Month Award for May, which he’s done for so many months in a row that we’ve pretty much lost track.  Trey is in the midst of an unprecedented placement tear in the Network right now, one that probably will never be duplicated.

But back to Guimond.  She might not have 327 Network placements like Cameron currently has, but her first one was a split to remember . . . and we certainly hope that it’s the first of many!

For more information about the Top Echelon Network recruiter awards listed below, login to the Members’ Area and view the profiles and placement details of the winning recruiters involved.

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Recruiter of the Month:

Trey Cameron

Trey Cameron of the Cameron Craig Group

Cameron once again won this award with eight split placements (only eight?) during the month of May, while Recruiter of the Week Bill Kubena of Kubena & Associates was second with four splits and Pam Copeland of Albert Energy, LLC/fulltimeGiGs made three splits.

In addition, two Network recruiters made two split placements apiece in May.  They were Sean Napoles, CPC of Career Brokers, Inc. and Steve Kohn of Affinity Executive Search.

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Largest Split Fee of the Month:

Greta Guimond

Debi Apple

Greta Guimond of Career Development Partners and Debi Apple of Apple & Associates, Inc.

The position for this split placement was a Senior Chemical Engineering Manager.  Guimond was the job order recruiter, and Apple was the candidate recruiter.

The action that stimulated this split placement was listed as, “Another Top Echelon Network member’s Hiring Hook website.”

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Top Echelon determines the monthly and quarterly winners of its recruiter network awards based upon two criteria, which are listed below in order of importance:

1.) The number of split placements made
2.) The amount of “cash-in” dollars earned as a result of those split placements

This explains why, when multiple recruiters are tied with the same number of split placements during a given month or quarter, the recruiter with the largest “cash-in” total for their placements is deemed the winner.

We recently conducted a poll of Top Echelon Network recruiters by posting a question in the Members’ Area.

That question was as follows:

What’s your biggest problem with clients right now?

Results:

The choice of answers that we provided is listed below, along with the percentage of recruiters that selected each one:

• Getting job orders — 11.3%
• Lack of timely feedback — 37.9%
• Taking too long to extend an offer — 33.1%
• Not offering a relocation package — 3.2%
• Taking too long to pay an invoice — 4.8%
• Some other problem — 9.7%

Analysis:

Two responses were far and away the most popular ones in this poll, and they were “Lack of timely feedback” at 37.9% and “Taking too long to extend an offer” at 33.1%.

All of the other answers were far back in the pack.  “Getting job orders” was third at 11.3%, while “Some other problem” actually garnered 9.7% of the vote.

Bringing up the rear were “Taking too long to pay an invoice” (4.8%) and “Not offering a relocation package” (3.2%).

Conclusion:

Why is it that no matter what type of economic environment exits, companies and organizations always seem to have two main problems when it comes to their hiring process and working with recruiters?

#1—Communicating in an effective fashion

#2—Acting with urgency

Quality candidates are scarce.  Quality candidates are interviewing with more than one company.  Quality candidates are receiving more than one offer of employment.  Doesn’t all of this add up to a need for effective communication and a sense of urgency?

Apparently not.

THIS is why companies lose out on top talent, and THIS is why hiring managers and company officials are left scratching their collective heads when they lose out on that talent.

It makes you wonder: will it ever change?

What do you think?  Are the majority of hiring managers doomed to make the same major mistakes over and over when it comes to hiring top talent?

Post your comments below!

Colleen Switala of Database Search, Inc. is one of the most successful recruiters in the history of Top Echelon Network.

She’s made 128 Network placements during her two separate stints as a Preferred Member recruiter.  Those placements have resulted in a cash-in total of nearly $1 million.

In fact, Switala has made four Network placements in 2015.  If she duplicates that production during the second half of the year, she could become the newest member of the “Top Echelon $1 Million Club.”

However, this blog post is not really about Colleen Switala.  It’s actually about her SON, Matthew Switala, who recently made his first Network placement as a Preferred Member recruiter!

We’ve had quite a few parent-child pairings in TE down through the years, and we’re certainly glad to have yet another new generation of split placements, especially if Matthew also makes 128 of them.  (No pressure . . . no pressure.)

Congratulations to Matthew Switala and everybody who made placements this week!

If you have questions about how to maximize your Top Echelon Network Membership and make more splits, I urge you to contact Director of Network Operations Drea Codispoti, CPC/CERS by calling 330.455.1433, x156 or by sending an email to drea@topechelon.com.

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Donna Carroll, CPC

Matthew Switala

“Congratulations to Matt Switala on his first TE Network split placement.  Great work on identifying a ‘purple squirrel’ for my client.  We’re happy to have you aboard, Matt!”

Submitted by Donna Carroll, CPC of Systems Personnel regarding her Network split placement with Matthew Switala of Database Search, Inc.

Position Title—VB DEVELOPER – HEALTHCARE PROJECTS

Fee Percentage—22%

(Editor’s note: This is the first Network split placement that Carroll and Switala have made together in Top Echelon.)

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Rich Harrold

Steve Kohn

“Thanks, Steve!  Another great candidate!  Always a pleasure doing business with you!”

Submitted by Rich Harrold of Front Line Search Solutions regarding his Network split placement with Steve Kohn of Affinity Executive Search

Position Title—SW ENGINEER

Fee Percentage—15%

(Editor’s note: This is the fourth Network split placement that Harrold and Kohn have made together in Top Echelon.)

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Robert Wilson

Pam Copeland

“This is the second placement with the Copeland team in the past nine months.  They have an excellent website that pulls in Hiring Hook candidates.  Hooked a good one!”

Submitted by Robert Wilson of R.L. Wilson & Associates regarding his Network split placement with Pam Copeland of Albert Energy, LLC/fulltimeGiGS

Position Title—PAYROLL ACCOUNTANT

Fee Percentage—15%

(Editor’s note: This is the first Network split placement that Wilson and Copeland have made together in Top Echelon.)