June is here! Summer is here (or almost here)! This is a great reason to celebrate!

And there’s no better way to celebrate than with a split placement fee. A big, fat split placement fee, as a matter of fact.

Who is responsible for such a placement and corresponding fee? I’m glad you asked! The answer is TE Network members Christina Boudreaux of Connectly Recruiting and Ann Boland of The Boland Group.

Christina and Ann recently placed a Chief Executive Officer to earn a flat $49,000 placement fee.

However, congratulations are also in order for Jamie Miller of Greenhill Solutions Recruiters, who made his first split placement as a member of TE Network. Congratulations, Jamie!

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 May 19 through June 1, 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

— — —

Job recruiter: Amy Chapman of Key People Staffing

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

Job title: HUMAN RESOURCES GENERALIST

Overall placement fee: $23,750

Fee percentage: 25%

— — —

Job recruiter: David Wood, CPC of The David Wood Company

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

Job title: NERC CIP CYBER SECURITY TECHNICIAN

Overall placement fee: $26,624

Fee percentage: 20%

— — —

Job recruiter: Christina Boudreaux of Connectly Recruiting

Candidate recruiter: Ann Boland of The Boland Group

Job title: CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Overall placement fee: $49,000

Fee percentage: Flat

— — —

Job recruiter: Jamie Miller of Greenhill Solutions Recruiters

Candidate recruiter: Tracey Burch of Burch Group, Inc.

Job title: MANUFACTURING MANAGER 

Overall placement fee: $20,900

Fee percentage: 22%

— — —

Job recruiter: Gino DiGuardi of Alari Search, LLC

Candidate recruiter: Brad Dodge of iLocatum Recruiting

Job title: ACCOUNTS PAYABLE SPECIALIST

Overall placement fee: $10,400

Fee percentage: 20%

— — —

Job recruiter: Keith Cornelison of Personnel Resources

Candidate recruiter: Brad Dodge of iLocatum Recruiting

Job title: PAYROLL MANAGER – HEALTHCARE/HOSPITAL

Overall placement fee: $16,889

Fee percentage: 18%

— — —

Job recruiter: Scott Szur of The Harrison Group, LLC

Candidate recruiter: Gary Elias of Elias Associates, Inc.

Job title: SAFETY MANAGER

Overall placement fee: $26,000

Fee percentage: 20%

— — —

Job recruiter: Chuck Cole of Cole Professional Search

Candidate recruiter: Walaa El Rasheedy of Knowhirematch, LLC

Job title: ELECTRICAL AUTOMATION TECHNICIAN

Overall placement fee: $21,528

Fee percentage: 25%

— — —

Job recruiter: Georgette Sandifer of Gallman Consulting

Candidate recruiter: Victor Lopez of Resource One International

Job title: ELECTRONICS CONTROLS TECHNICIAN

Overall placement fee: $20,240

Fee percentage: 22%

— — —

Job recruiter: Stephanie Stephens of KESST Global Network

Candidate recruiter: Katherine Mastantuono of The KPM Group

Job title: CLIENT SERVICES ASSOCIATE

Overall placement fee: $7,250

Fee percentage: 10%

— — —

Job recruiter: Stephanie Stephens of KESST Global Network

Candidate recruiter: Katherine Mastantuono of The KPM Group

Job title: OUTSIDE SALES REPRESENTATIVE

Overall placement fee: $9,600

Fee percentage: 20%

— — —

Job recruiter: Debbi Reiger of Reiger Technical Search

Candidate recruiter: Ali Taghikhani of Synapse International (inactive)

Job title: INFRASTRUCTURE ARCHITECT/SERVICE DELIVERY MANAGER

Overall placement fee: $32,000

Fee percentage: 20%

— — —

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.

Joining Top Echelon (TE) Network is more than just becoming part of a recruiting community; it’s about engaging in a dynamic system designed to maximize efficiency, collaboration, and success in the recruiting world.

In this article, I will explore in detail what it truly looks like to be a member of TE Network—the tools you use, the connections you make, and the protocols that support your work.

A Platform Designed for Recruiters

From the moment you log into the TE Network dashboard, you’re greeted with live data about the jobs currently shared in the Network.

This is not a static listing—every job has a lifespan of 90 days to ensure that the listings remain relevant and fresh. If a job isn’t refreshed within that time, it’s removed, streamlining your search experience and keeping your workflow focused on real-time opportunities.

Another powerful element of the platform is the Network Candidates Database (formerly the MEGA Database), housing more than 7 million searchable candidates. The system is designed to make sharing and accessing candidates as frictionless as possible.

For recruiters, this is very valuable. You’re not just working in isolation; you’re instantly connected to a vast pool of potential placements, all indexed and ready to support your current client needs.

Uploading and Sharing Candidates

The process of getting your candidates into the TE system is efficient and user-friendly. By uploading resumes in bulk (e.g., a ZIP folder of resumes), you can quickly populate your database. These resumes are parsed, and key information such as work history and skills is extracted automatically.

Importantly, when you share candidates to TE Network, sensitive information such as names and contact details is redacted. This ensures privacy and intellectual property protection while still providing enough data for other recruiters to evaluate potential matches.

Searching for Candidates

When searching for candidates, you can apply filters to narrow your results—location, skills, job titles, and even resume age.

For example, if you’re looking for a software developer in New York with experience in object-oriented programming and C++, you can define those criteria and retrieve relevant matches. Previewing these candidates gives you a glimpse of their experience and extracted skills without revealing full identities.

When you find candidates who seem like a fit, you can request them for the jobs you’re working. This creates a seamless workflow where collaboration and mutual benefit are at the core. You can request up to 100 candidates at once, further saving you time.

Engaging with Jobs

If you’re on the other side and looking for jobs to fill, TE Network makes it easy to search jobs shared across the Network.

You can filter by industry, function, or specific keywords (e.g., manufacturing roles involving Six Sigma or lean methodologies). Each job listing includes a preview card that offers essential information about the role, helping you determine whether it’s a fit for your expertise.

Once you identify a suitable job, you can submit your candidate through the platform. However, success in TE Network often goes beyond just clicking “submit.”

It’s about building relationships with the job owners. This brings us to one of the most vital aspects of being a TE Network member: collaboration.

Building Partnerships and Trust

In TE Network, submitting a candidate to a job is just the start. The real foundation of the network lies in human relationships.

Before sending a candidate, it’s encouraged that you reach out directly to the job recruiter. Give them a call, understand their expectations, and introduce yourself as a potential partner.

These connections, nurtured over time, become long-term professional relationships that often result in repeated, mutually profitable placements. And that’s the key: TE Network members succeed by playing the long game.

Automated Alerts and Notifications

To help members stay ahead of the curve, TE Network allows you to create custom alerts for job searches. Once you’ve defined your criteria, the system will notify you whenever a new job matching those parameters enters the network.

These alerts come via email, notifications on your jobs page, and within the platform interface. It’s a smart system that works for you, even when you’re not actively logged in.

Ground Rules and Professional Conduct

Being part of TE Network also means adhering to a well-established set of policies. These protocols, refined over 37 years, are the ethical and operational backbone of the Network. They outline how members should engage with each other, handle candidates, and manage communication.

A particularly important principle is the “But-For Rule,” which asks: “But for what action did this engagement occur?” This rule helps resolve disputes by identifying the cause-and-effect chain that led to an action (e.g., a candidate submission or client interest).

The policies are not restrictive; they’re empowering. They create a level playing field and help build a culture of transparency, trust, and cooperation.

Community Interaction

Top Echelon isn’t just a database—it’s a community. Members interact through discussion forums where they can share hot jobs, request contract templates, or seek advice. Whether it’s sharing insights about industry shifts or troubleshooting an issue, members actively help one another.

This collaboration is built upon mutual respect and a shared goal: making quality placements. The platform’s very structure encourages members to become active contributors, not just passive users.

Core Values of TE Network

At the heart of everything are The Four Pillars of TE Network:

1. Trust – Fundamental to any partnership. TE Network builds trust through transparency and accountability.
2. Communication – Open, honest dialogue between recruiters is encouraged at every step.
3. Quality – From candidates to job descriptions, quality is a non-negotiable standard.
4. Active Participation – The most successful members are those who regularly engage with the platform, their peers, and the broader community.

These values aren’t just slogans—they’re reflected in the design of the platform, the policies that govern behavior, and the community ethos that drives the network.

TE Network: More Than Just Software

Being a TE Network member means being part of a collaborative ecosystem where technology meets human connection.

It’s a platform that enables you to work smarter by giving you access to millions of candidates and thousands of jobs. But more importantly, it’s a place where relationships are formed, knowledge is shared, and mutual success is celebrated.

Whether you’re uploading candidates, searching for jobs, reaching out to a fellow recruiter, or participating in a training session, everything you do in TE Network contributes to a greater whole. It’s not just about making a placement; it’s about building a career alongside peers who share your drive, integrity, and vision.

Top Echelon is more than a tool. It’s a team. And when you become a member, you’re not just gaining access—you’re gaining allies.

If you have any questions, please contact me by calling 330.595.1742 or by sending an email to drea@topechelon.com.

You’ve probably heard of recruiter branding as it pertains to branding yourself to clients and candidates.

But what about as it pertains to . . . other recruiters?

Well, if you’re a member of TE Network, then recruiter branding is integral in your efforts to make more split placements and generate more revenue for your agency. That’s because how you brand yourself to other recruiters largely dictates whether or not those recruiters want to work with you again.

Below are five ways to brand yourself in a positive fashion within TE Network:

#1—Communicate well and often.

Communication is one of The Four Pillars of Top Echelon’s recruiting network. When you adhere to the Pillars, you brand yourself in a positive fashion with other members.

Nobody likes to work with somebody who doesn’t communicate well. It can become an exercise in frustration.

#2—Respond quickly.

Not only should you respond, but you should also respond quickly. You’ve heard the phrase “Time is money” before. TE Network recruiters want to make money.

You want to make money. So respond to them so that everybody can make money!

#3—Be thoroughly professional.

Recruiters respect other recruiters who are professional throughout the recruitment process. This means remaining calm and not letting your emotions get the best of you, no matter what happens.

People want to work with other people who relieve stress, not create stress.

#4—Present qualified candidates.

It doesn’t matter how many job orders you have. You can’t cash placements checks until you fill said job orders with candidates. Neither can your trading partners.

So present those qualified candidates in a professional way, being sure to communicate well and often. (See how this works?)

#5—Work the way your trading partner works.

Every recruiter works their desk differently. They work the placement process differently. They’re used to a certain ebb-and-flow.

So if you can make simple adjustments to how your trading partner likes to work, then you’ll increase your combined chances for both a successful placement and a positive experience leading up to that placement.

The overriding goal is a great experience for all involved. (Well, you want a placement fee, first and foremost, but that almost goes without saying.)

When you provide a great experience for another recruiter in a split placement situation, then the other recruiter will want to work with you again.

For more information about recruiter branding and your TE Network membership, please contact me. You can do so by calling 330.595.1742 or emailing drea@topechelon.com.

Top Echelon’s recruiting network is comprised of both importers (job order recruiters who accept candidates from other TE Network members) and exporters (candidate recruiters who submit candidates to other members for their job orders).

Remember that a healthy trading partner relationship requires a commitment on the part of both recruiters. Just like any other relationship, if one person is putting forth more effort than the other, then problems are bound to arise.

However, if both the importer and the exporter do the things that lead to a healthy relationship, then beautiful things can happen—like, for instance, split placements.

We’ve been in this game for more than 37 years. We know what works . . . and what doesn’t.

With that in mind, below is my list of recommendations for a Top Echelon Network importer:

1. Be thorough, detailed, and informative with the job description. Make sure that you “paint the picture” of your client’s needs.

2. Post only job orders that are your client’s job orders, not somebody else’s with whom you’re planning to do a three-way split outside of TE Network Network. That’s a no-no.

3. Respond as quickly as possible to your split partners when they submit candidates. (How quickly do you like your clients to respond to your submissions?)

4. If a split partner calls you, then pay them the respect due a fellow TE Network member . . . and return the call.

Here’s an easier way of approaching a split partner relationship in a healthy fashion.

First, think of the best client you’ve ever had.

Second, treat your TE Network trading partners the same way you would treat that client.

If you do that, then those recruiters will be your business partners for years to come.

If you have any questions, please contact me by calling 330.595.1742 or by sending an email to drea@topechelon.com.

Remember last year, when we had “Top Echelon’s Epic 95 Days of Summer”? Here, allow me to remind you.

Well, despite our best efforts, we’re all one year older. That can mean only one thing—that it’s time for “Top Echelon’s 99 Days of Summer”!

Why 99 days, as opposed to 90 or 95 or even 100? Great question! Answer: Because there are 99 days between Memorial Day and Labor Day in 2025—and we plan to make every single one of them count.

(After all, Memorial Day has traditionally been considered the start of summer, the summer solstice be darned, and Labor Day has traditionally been considered the end of summer, the fall solstice be darned.)

So, what can you expect over the next three months as Top Echelon customers?

Well, for starters:

• A special TE Network announcement
• New software feature releases for TE Recruit
• The Hall of Fame Class of 2025
• And more! (Much more? Maaaaybe.)

That’s right—we’re keeping some surprises under wraps, but rest assured: this will be a summer filled with game-changing updates, exciting milestones, and big announcements.

And yes, since it’s summertime, you’re going on vacation. Just as we did last year, we understand. You need and deserve a break.

However, make sure that you’re connected to us on social media. At the very least, be sure to follow both Top Echelon Software and Top Echelon Network on LinkedIn.

That way, you won’t miss any of these important announcements regarding Top Echelon, our software, and your Network membership.

Last year’s summer was epic . . . but let’s make the summer of 2025 even better!