Yes, we’ve implored you to make website placements with Hiring Hook in the recent past . . . but we’re going to do it again.

Why?  Because even MORE recruiters have made website placements with Hiring Hook!

We’ve included those split placements—along with the Top Echelon Network recruiters associated with them—in this issue of The Pinnacle Newsletter Blog.

Remember, with the help of Hiring Hook job board integration, these recruiters can post their jobs to their website and also to other Network recruiters’ websites.  The result?  More qualified candidates, more sendouts, and ultimately, more split fee recruiting placements.

If you don’t have a Hiring Hook Job Board on YOUR firm’s website, contact us today and we’ll tell you all about it.  In the meantime, below are the positions that were recently filled by Top Echelon Network recruiters.

• Chief Financial Officer
• Juvenile Furniture Designer
• Plant Manager
• Automation Manager
• Senior Mechanical Engineer

Call (330) 455-1433 for more information about Hiring Hook.  And don’t forget: you can request a FREE website evaluation for your agency!

THIS WEEK’S COMPLETED SPLIT PLACEMENTS:

Job recruiter: Randall Hardwick of Avalon Recruiting

Candidate recruiter: Debi Apple of Apple & Associates, Inc.

Job title: CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

Fee percentage—18.5%

Action causing split placement: The job order or client was found through my Hiring Hook recruiting website.

— — —

Job recruiter: Rick Krumel of SearchWise, Inc.

Candidate recruiter: Jim Strickland of BioSource International

Job title: JUVENILE FURNITURE DESIGNER

Fee percentage—25%

Action causing split placement: The job order or client was found through my Hiring Hook website.

— — —

Job recruiter: Ron Sunshine of Ron Sunshine Associates

Candidate recruiter: Chris Ramsay, CPC of Corporate Resources, LLC

Job title: PLANT MANAGER

Fee percentage—25%

Action causing split placement: The job order or candidate was found by searching Top Echelon Network’s split databases.

— — —

Job recruiter: Alan Daum of Alan N. Daum & Associates, Inc.

Candidate recruiter: Lisa Reitz of Automationtechies.com

Job title: AUTOMATION MANAGER

Fee percentage—25%

Action causing split placement: Regular communication with another Top Echelon Network recruiter

— — —

Job recruiter: Suzanne Griffith, CPC of J S Griffith & Associates

Candidate recruiter: Terry Rhodes of NewCareers

Job title: SENIOR MECHANICAL ENGINEER

Fee percentage—25%

Action causinig split placement: Regular communication with another Top Echelon Network recruiter

We know for a fact that not every Top Echelon Network recruiter believes that there is value in attending our conferences and conventions.  How do we know that?

Because not every Top Echelon Network recruiter attends our conferences and conventions.

But you know who DOES attend?  Those recruiters who realize the true value of these events, namely the opportunity to meet new Network recruiters and make placements they probably would not have made otherwise.

If you’d like proof, we’d be more than happy to provide some . . .

— — —

“I have made numerous splits with Automationtechies.com, but this is the first one with Lisa.  We met at the Chicago conference last fall, and this is the result of that!  Thanks, Lisa!  Let’s do more splits!”

Submitted by Alan Daum of Alan N. Daum & Associates, Inc. regarding his split placement with Lisa Reitz of Automationtechies.com

Position Title—AUTOMATION MANAGER

Fee Percentage—25%

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

— — —

“Thanks, Bobby!  Can’t wait to see you in Chicago in the fall!”

Submitted by Twanda DeBorde of CMD and Associates Executive Search regarding her split placement with Robert Gabor of The Gabor Group

Position Title—WAREHOUSE SUPERINTENDENT

Fee Percentage—Flat

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

— — —

The 2013 Top Echelon Network Fall Conference is scheduled for Thursday, October 3, and Friday, October 4, at the Sheraton Chicago O’Hare Airport Hotel.

Yes, there will be great speakers.  Yes, there will be fun.  Yes, there will be the “Windy City” of Chicago.

But more importantly, there will be the value of meeting other Network recruiters face-to-face, networking with them, and making split placements when you get back to the office.

Just like these recruiters did!

What’s the definition of being on a “split recruiting roll”?  Going from zero split placements to two split placements in just two months!

That’s what the Top Echelon Network recruiters in this installment of “‘Comments’ and Compliments” have done, effectively setting themselves up to make even more split placements in the future.  (As opposed to the past, which would be, you know, impossible.)

You never know when “split placement lightning” will strike.  Unlike regular lightning, this type of lightning is likely to strike again . . . and again . . . and again.  And then maybe again.

The key, though, is to communicate with other Network recruiters, reach out to them, share your job orders and candidates, and keep networking.

Then YOU can be on a “split recruiting roll,” too!  (Yes, with a side of butter . . . and maybe throw in some mashed potatoes and gravy.  Mmmmm.)

— — —

“Debbie is always very thorough on her candidate screening and fun to work with.  She found a perfect sales candidate for my client, and everyone’s happy.  Thanks, Debbie!”

Submitted by Mike Ehlers of Ehlers Recruiting Partners regarding his split placement with Debbie Harper, CERS of Harper Hewes, Inc.

Position Title—Account Executive
Fee Percentage—20%

(Editor’s note: This is the FIRST Network split that Ehlers and Harper have made together in Top Echelon.)

— — —

“Debbie and I are on a roll—two months, two deals.  Let’s keep it going, ‘Golf Girl!'”

Submitted by Mike Ehlers of Ehlers Recruiting Partners regarding his split placement with Debbie Harper, CERS of Harper Hewes, Inc.

Position Title—Sales Executive
Fee Percentage—20%

(Editor’s note: This is the SECOND Network split that Ehlers and Harper have made together in Top Echelon.)

As promised, we have a NEW short survey for Network recruiters this week.  Last week, our survey was presented as the “Desk Assessment Survey.”

This week, we have the “Membership Assessment Survey.”

This one, as you might have guessed, is more geared toward your Top Echelon Network Membership.  We want to know your likes, as well as your dislikes.  However, once again, this is just a two-question survey.

While the two questions are open-ended questions (as opposed to multiple choice), the survey should still only take two to three minutes to complete.  In fact, it could quite possibly take even less time than that.

Below are the two questions that comprise the “Membership Assessment Survey”:

1. What do you like the most about your Top Echelon Network Membership?  This can be ANY aspect of your Membership, but ideally, it’s the aspect that you believe provides you (and your firm) with the most value.

2. What do you like least about your Top Echelon Network Membership?  This can be ANY aspect of your Membership, but ideally, it’s the aspect that you believe provides the least amount of value to you (and your firm).

As before, there will be a text box in which you can type your answers to these two questions.  Your answers can as long or as short as you would like them to be.  Some recruiters have written only a few words, while other recruiters have written paragraphs.

Click here to take our ‘Membership Assessment’ survey!

If you have any questions about this survey or about your Top Echelon Network Membership, you can contact me at 330.455.1433, x156 or via email at drea@topechelon.com.

As the number of wage-and-hour lawsuits under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) hits an all-time high, recruiters can help clients avoid what one attorney calls “one of the top threats to U.S. employers.”

Human Resource Executive Online recently reported that 7,764 FLSA lawsuits were filed between April 2012 and March 2013, which is the reporting year that is used by the Federal Judicial Center.

“With no clear catalyst during the past 12 months, this strong spike and new high for FLSA claims makes them one of the top threats to U.S. employers,” Richard Alfred, chair of Seyfarth Shaw’s wage-and-hour litigation practice, told Human Resource Executive Online.

While there is no obvious reason for the spike, Alfred largely blames the economy.  As the economy improves, he believes attorneys are targeting new companies with growing workforces.

On the flip side, the long, stretched out recovery has put increased pressure on existing employees who might be looking more closely at their employer’s pay practices as a result.  Social media has also made employees more aware of the FLSA and the rights that they have under it.

As a recruiter, clients often look to YOU as an employment expert, so it’s important that you are familiar with the FLSA and counsel your clients on the proper application of the law to help them avoid this fate.  Below are six key points to remember:

1. Overtime (1.5 times the regular pay rate) must be paid to most employees for any hours worked over 40 in a workweek.
2. Your clients also need to be aware of state laws that may be more generous to employees.  For example, in California, employees must be paid overtime (OT) for any hours worked over eight in a work day.
3. Your clients MUST prohibit off-the-clock work.  They should require that employees get pre-authorization before working overtime and that they keep accurate records, Alfred told HRE Online.
4. Some employees may be considered exempt from OT, but they must fall into the Executive, Administrative, Learned Professional, Computer-Related, or Outside Sales classifications.  They must meet speific requirements to fall under these categories. Please see the exempt requirements provided on the Department of Labor website.
5. Exempt individuals must also be paid on a basis of at least $455 a week on a salary, not hourly basis.  There are a couple of exceptions to this rule.  Computer-Related professionals may be paid at an hourly rate of at least $27.63 per hour ($39.90 per hour in California). Additionally, the salary requirements do not apply to those under the Outside Sales exemption.
6. DO NOT let your clients misclassify W-2 employees as Independent Contractors to avoid the overtime rules.  Doing so is just asking for Internal Revenue Service audits and FLSA lawsuits for back OT wages.

(Editor’s note: This article is intended for informational purposes ONLY and should not be considered legal advice.)