In the world of recruiting, relationships and resources are everything.

Drea Codispoti, CPC/CERS

The ability to rapidly fill positions with top-tier talent is what separates a recruiter with staying power from one who constantly feels like they’re chasing the next placement. And with competition growing more fierce and client expectations rising faster than ever, recruiters need more than just hustle—they need leverage.

For members of the Top Echelon (TE) Network, that leverage comes in the form of powerful technology tools, a massive shared candidate database, and—most importantly—a nationwide community of specialized partners. These resources are not just nice to have. They’re essential.

 Whether you’re new to the Network or a veteran looking to maximize your membership, here’s a breakdown of how to turn TE’s capabilities into competitive advantage.

Why Business Development Needs the Network

Let’s face it—business development isn’t optional. It’s not a quarterly initiative or a task that gets checked off your to-do list. It’s the heartbeat of your recruiting firm.

As I mentioned during the webinar, “If you’ve been in the recruiting business for more than 10 minutes, you understand how important it is to make business development a part of your everyday.” And it’s true. But here’s the twist: business development isn’t just about what you do—it’s about what you can prove.

Clients are inundated with outreach from recruiters. When they finally take your call or respond to your email, they want to know: “What can you do for me today?” That’s where TE’s tools and data become your differentiator.

• You’re not just one recruiter working alone.

• You’re not limited to your personal database.

• You’re not guessing where the talent is.

Instead, you’re armed with access to over a million candidates, 85% of the jobs in the network, and dozens of certified partners who can support every department in your client’s organization.

This makes you a true strategic partner—not just another vendor.

Step One: The Power of the Network Candidate Database

If you haven’t made the Network Candidate Database (NCD) part of your regular recruiting routine, start today. As of our latest update, the NCD contains more than 7 million candidates, and that number grows by 70,000 to 80,000 every single month.

These aren’t just static profiles collecting dust. They’re live, searchable, and often recently updated candidates that your fellow TE partners have made available for collaboration.

Here’s how to use this powerful tool to win business:

1. Start with Strategy

Have a real conversation with your client. Learn not just the title they want to fill, but the departments that are growing, the pain points they’re facing, and what future hiring might look like.

For example, if they mention needing engineers with PLC or automation experience, use those keywords to run a targeted search in the NCD.

2. Use Smart Filters

The database is big, so it’s important to filter for relevance and recency. For example:

• Candidates added in the last 6 months: Over 62,000

• Candidates added in the last 2 years: Over 279,000

That’s real-time value you can share with your client. Instead of saying, “I think I can help,” you can say, “I have access to over 60,000 qualified candidates in this space who have shown interest in job changes within the last 6 months.”

That’s a compelling value proposition.

3. Preview and Qualify

Each candidate profile includes a resume summary, extracted skills, and work history. These details help you quickly identify top talent and reach out to confirm interest. Even if the original recruiter hasn’t connected with them recently, you now have a legitimate reason to re-engage.

Step Two: Work Beyond Your Niche with Confidence

Here’s the beauty of being a Network member: you don’t have to say “no” to a client just because the role is outside your specialty.

Let’s say you typically fill engineering roles, and your client is growing their engineering team. That expansion may also lead to hiring needs in:

• Quality Control / Assurance
• IT and Systems
• Accounting / Finance
• Human Resources

Even if these aren’t your core disciplines, you can:

• Search the NCD for qualified candidates in those areas
• Reach out to partners who specialize in those disciplines
• Present yourself as a one-stop solution

You’re no longer just a recruiter—they see you as a recruitment consultant with a nationwide team behind you.

“You only need to work with one recruiter—me. I have a team of specialized partners across disciplines who can support every department in your company.”

That’s how you move from a transactional vendor to a trusted advisor.

What This Looks Like in Practice

Here’s an example that came up during the webinar:

A client says they’re going to need several engineers with PLC, automation, and controls experience. You run a search in the NCD and instantly see over 60,000 relevant candidates added in the last six months.

That’s powerful data you can bring to the conversation. You might also notice that the top five recruiters who own those candidates have a strong presence in that niche.

Now you know who to partner with.

You go back to the client and say:

“Not only do I have access to these candidates, I also have five recruiting partners who specialize in this field and are ready to collaborate. Together, we can cover this faster and more effectively than anyone else you’ll talk to.”

Final Thoughts: Leverage the Network Daily

The TE Network is more than a platform. It’s a community. It’s a database. It’s a marketing engine. But most of all—it’s a business development engine.

Every time you get on the phone with a client, you should be armed with:

• Candidate data from the NCD

• Niche-specific numbers that prove your reach

• A plan to cover roles inside and outside your specialty using trusted partners

Business development is about showing—not telling—your value. And TE gives you the tools to do exactly that.

If you haven’t tapped into the NCD or built out your partnerships within the Network yet, there’s no better time to start. And if you’re already doing these things, keep refining your approach.

This isn’t about making one placement. It’s about building a business that lasts.

See you at the next TE Connect event!

Drea Codispoti, CPC/CERS

We all want the same things . . .

• Have great relationships.
• Make more placements.
• Help our trading partners.
• Make more money.
• The end of “reality” TV shows.
• World peace . . . if you are a Miss America contestant.

But it takes work to get these great things. It takes work to get anything that is worthwhile. If there is no value set to anything, it in turn has NO value.

Our basic tendency is to “want” to do the right thing, but sometimes we just can’t rise up a bit to get what needs to get done . . . DONE!

Follow up and follow through

This rings true in split partner relationships. You ask for help on a job order. You post the job on TE Network. Then you call a few partners or they contact you for help and this wonderful conversations occurs. This is going to be great!

“They really qualified the job wonderfully, and I can’t wait to get candidates from them . . .”

One of three things happens:

1.) They call/email you back shortly and say, “Here are the candidates who are great matches according to our conversation.” You move forward together, and before you know it, the Completed Placement Form is being filed.

2.) They call/email you back shortly and present the candidates who are great matches, and you never respond to them.

3.) They don’t call/email or smoke signal you at all after you had this great conversation about the job . . . WHAT?

You ask yourself, “What did I miss? What just happened? Where is my return call, email, smoke signal, etc.?”

The truth is that we are ALL busy: you, your Top Echelon split network partners, and your clients. No one is an exception.

We all have to be better at the “follow through.” It’s a vital dynamic in any business partnership. The lack of follow through in any relationship always leaves something on the table or an opportunity left behind.

Do you call your clients back?

Take a moment and respond to your split recruiting partners as you would your clients. You DO call your clients back, don’t you?

Your split partners are no different. In fact, you should treat them better than your clients. They are “in the trenches” with you, day after day and week after week.

Your client of 10 years may disappear tomorrow (especially in these uncertain times), but your TE partners will be always be here. Unless, that is, you treat them as an annoyance or a bother to the things that you really thought were important at the time.

You know it’s the right thing to do, so why do you not follow through? Too busy? That’s a poor excuse, and you are better than that. That statement equates to “My dog ate my homework.”

Excuses be gone!

When your partners reach out to you, CALL THEM BACK! See that thing on your desk called a phone? PICK IT UP!

If you have any questions about this blog post or your Top Echelon recruiting network membership, please contact me.

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

There are many keys to making split placements in TE Network, but one of the most important is working with a great split recruiting partner.

Drea Codispoti, CPC/CERS

That’s because a great trading partner is just that—a partner with you throughout the entire process. You and your partner pool your resources and “tag team” the search, relying on each other’s strengths to bring the recruitment process to a satisfying conclusion.

We see examples of this in action all of the time. In fact, there are probably examples in this very issue of The Pinnacle Newsletter Blog.

Below are five traits of a great split recruiting partner:

#1—Candidate assessment

They know which candidates are a fit for their partner’s open positions and which ones are not. Because of this, they do not waste anybody’s time. (Least of all their own.)

#2—Collaboration

They don’t just send their candidates and wait for their partner to make the placement. They offer their help, and then they provide whatever assistance is needed.

#3—Persistence

It’s almost impossible to be a good recruiter without being persistent. So it’s almost impossible to be a great split recruiting partner without also being persistent.

#4—Responsiveness

Great split partners are on top of things. They don’t let time lapse and they don’t let things “fall through the cracks.”

And when another TE recruiter leaves a voice message or sends an email, they respond to them in a timely fashion! (Because nobody likes to be ignored.)

#5—Attention to detail

“The devil is in the details,” as we all know. It only takes one miscommunication or misplaced piece of information to derail a potential placement.

The placement process can be bumpy enough. Don’t make it bumpier by ignoring or forgetting facts and/or details.

If you’re looking for a great split partner in Top Echelon’s recruiting network, then you need to contact me immediately.

You can do so by telephone at 330.595.1742 or via email at drea@topechelon.com.

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. New Integration Partnership: GoPerfect + Top Echelon

Supercharge your sourcing workflow with our brand-new GoPerfect integration.

• Instantly surface top candidates with AI-powered precision matching.
• Access verified contact information effortlessly.
• Automate personalized outreach that drives real responses.

Schedule a product overview with the GoPerfect team and get 50 free credits just for signing up!

2. Redesigned Datasheet Headers + Expanded Side Panels

We’ve upgraded the layout on People, Company, and Job Datasheets:

• The new header design gives more space to view key details.
• A wider right side panel offers a cleaner, easier experience for reviewing and comparing record information.

3. Certified Split Placement Partner (CSPP) Program

Learn how TE Network™ operates, what makes partnerships thrive, and how our policies shape daily interactions.

Once you’re certified, you’ll earn a CSPP badge on your profile which indicates that you’re educated, committed, and collaboration-ready.

4. [PRO] Sequencing System Events

New system events now appear in the Timeline, showing when a record is:

• Enrolled in a Sequence
• Stopped in a Sequence
• Removed from a Sequence

— — —

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.

I’m pleased to announce the Virtual Core Group (VCG) meeting schedule for the month of August!

Drea Codispoti, CPC/CERS

For those of you who don’t know, TE Network recruiters share the following information during Virtual Core Group teleconference call meetings:

• Hot job orders and candidates
• Information about the activity they’re seeing in the marketplace and/or in their niche
• Ideas for increased production on their desks and within their agencies

These are the activities that lead most directly to making more split placements in TE Network.

So that is why I’m inviting—or in other words, strongly encouraging—you to attend one of August’s Virtual Core Group meetings. Below is the complete VCG schedule for August, including the industries involved and the time that each meeting will be held. (Note: all times are Eastern.)

Wednesday, August 13:

• 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. — Manufacturing & Engineering
• 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. — Accounting & Finance

Thursday, August 14:

• 1:30 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. — Law & Legal Services
• 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. — Sales & Marketing

You can join the meeting to which you belong by accessing the information listed below.

Google Meeting link: https://meet.google.com/qba-qdic-kou

Below is the agenda for each Virtual Core Group meeting:

1. Welcome
2. Roll call of the members
3. I will share the latest software updates for both TE Network and the Top Echelon recruiting software (also known as TE Recruit).
4. Members will share their hot jobs with corresponding group discussion.
5. I will direct a software and Network protocol Q&A session to close the call.

It is my goal that this agenda will help you take away more from the meeting than just hot jobs and/or candidates. Hopefully, it will help make you more knowledgeable in terms of the Top Echelon community.

If you’d like to join one of the groups listed above or if you’d like to start a new group, please contact me.

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