How can you NOT name a recruiter who bakes cookies for her trading partners as the Recruiter of the Week?

But that’s just one of many reasons that we’re bestowing that honor upon Pam Copeland of Albert Energy LLC/fulltimeGiGS.

Take, for instance, her production. Pam made one Network placement in 2013 and seven in 2014. This year, though, she’s “blown up.” As of the writing of this blog post, she’s made 19 split placements in the Network.

As you might have seen in an earlier blog post in this week’s issue of The Pinnacle, Pam finished fifth in the Recruiter of the Month standings with four split placements during the month of August. With that kind of momentum, the fourth quarter of the year could end up being her best one.

In addition, other recruiter clearly enjoy working with Pam, as you can see by the comments listed below. (And they like her for more than just her cookies.) Pam obviously adheres to all of the Four Pillars of Top Echelon Network—Quality, Communication, Trust, and Active Participation.

And consider this: Pam has made her 28 Network placements with 25 different trading partners. What does that mean? It means she works well with a lot of different recruiters! Let’s face it, some recruiters can’t work with one another because of differences in personal preferences and personality clashes.

Pam clearly places a premium on creating an optimum placement process and a smooth working relationship with her trading partners, and the results speak for themselves. They’re results that we’re proud to highlight and hold up as an example to other Top Echelon Network recruiters.

Congratulations to Pam Copeland from everybody here at Top Echelon! We’d like to thank her for her hard work and commitment as a Preferred Member recruiter in the Network, and we hope there are many more split placements in her future!

Now if Pam would just send US some cookies . . .

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Pam Copeland

Mark London

“I made this placement to receive another batch of cookies Pam sends after I place one of her candidates. As you might imagine, they’re outstanding cookies!”

Submitted by Mark London of Command Consultants, Inc. regarding her Network split placement with Pam Copeland of Albert Energy LLC/fulltimeGiGS

Position Title—MAINTENANCE SUPERVISOR

Fee Percentage—20%

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

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Pam Copeland

Bill Kubena

“Pam, thanks so much for stepping outside of your niche a little and providing an incredible candidate to us. This is a fantastic step in his young career and will be a valuable asset to us as we move forward with my client. Again, we appreciate all of your hard work!”

Submitted by Bill Kubena of Kubena & Associates regarding her Network split placement with Pam Copeland of Albert Energy LLC/fulltimeGiGS

Position Title—PLANT MANAGER

Fee Percentage—20%

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

Not only are we announcing a new virtual core group in this issue of The Pinnacle Newsletter Blog, but we’re also announcing a new format for our Recruiter of the Month Award!

(In light of the fact that we also released a new corporate website, it could be said that we just can’t get enough of the new. What other new “stuff” is coming up? Stay tuned.)

Back to the Recruiter of the Month Award. Since The Pinnacle is now located in a separate blog than the one that’s on the outside of the Top Echelon website, we’re expanding the information that we typically include with the announcement of the award.

That information includes the following:

• The top five (5) recruiters in the Network for the month
• The number of split placements those recruiters made during the month
• The dollar amount of commission that the recruiters earned as a result of those split placements

With this new format, you can see who the “movers and shakers” are in the Network on a month-to-month basis. (You can see who they are a 12-month rolling basis in the Members’ Area.)

Below are the Recruiters of the Month in Top Echelon Network for the month of August.

— — —

Recruiters of the Month:

1st Place: Trey Cameron
Agency: Cameron Craig Group
Placements: 8
Commission: $77,315

2nd Place: Steve Kohn
Agency: Affinity Executive Search
Placements: 6
Commission: $54,099

3rd Place: Sean Napoles
Agency: Career Brokers, Inc.
Placements: 4
Commission: $46,530

4th Place: Maria Hemminger
Agency: MJ Recruiters LLC
Placements: 4
Commission: $33,370

5th Place: Pam Copeland
Agency: Albert Energy LLC / fulltimeGiGS
Placements: 4
Commission: $18,593

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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 have a new virtual core group in Top Echelon Network!

Why is this cause for celebration? Because virtual core groups help Network recruiters make more placements. It’s been proven time and time again, and it will continue to be proven.

The new virtual core group is for Automation and Controls. As you can see by the chart below, that core group will hold a conference call meeting from 3 to 4 p.m. on Thursday, October 8.

In case you didn’t know, we’ve changed the format for the virtual core groups. Previously, I conducted them on every Thursday of the month. They’ve now been changed to the first Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of each month (once again, as you can see by the chart below).

During virtual core group (VCG) teleconference calls, Network recruiters share hot job orders and candidates, information about the activity they’re seeing, and ideas for increased production on their desk and within their firms. As stated above, these are the activities that lead most directly to making more placements.

If you’re a newer Preferred Member in Top Echelon Network, I especially encourage you to join an existing virtual core group . . . or start a new one. Participation in these groups for recruiters is one of the best ways to enjoy success in Top Echelon more quickly, so that you can start earning a return on your Network investment.

Below is the full VCG teleconference call schedule for the month of October (all times listed are Eastern Standard Time):

To join an existing Virtual Core Group or to start a new one, contact me at 330.455.1433, x156 or via email at drea@topechelon.com.

This week’s installment of “‘Comments’ and Compliments” shows who some of the real power players are in Top Echelon’s recruiting network.

I’m talking about recruiters who have have been making split placements in our Network for decades. In some cases, the time period spans multiple decades.

Don’t forget, if you’re looking for more ways to win at recruiting, give Top Echelon’s online recruiting software a shot. Start your free trial today!

Donna Carroll and Sean Napoles recently made four split placements in a row after not making a split for over eight years. How is that possible?

Carroll has been a member for over 20 years, and she’s made a total of 140 Network placements. Napoles, on the other hand, has made 224 placements in Top Echelon since he joined the Network nearly 15 years ago.

Maria Hemminger and Dave Sgro? We’ve chronicled their trading partner relationship on a number of occasions. They’ve made 13 splits together and a total of 182 Network placements combined.

Steve Brody is a Charter Member of Top Echelon Network, which means he joined during the inaugural year of the Network’s existence (1988). Steve is still going strong, having made 107 placements, including four with Brenda Richardson.

These are Top Echelon Network power players. They know what they’re doing and they know how to do it, to the tune of hundreds of placements. If you’re a newer member of the Network, these are the heights to which you should aspire.

If you’re ready to reach those heights, contact Director of Network Operations Drea Codispoti, CPC/CERS at 330.455.1433, x156 or via email at drea@topechelon.com.

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Donna Carroll, CPC

Sean Napoles, CPC

“It’s great to make another placement with Sean. We hadn’t made a split placement together in eight years, and now we’ve made two in the last month!”

Submitted by Donna Carroll, CPC of Systems Personnel regarding her Network split placement with Sean Napoles, CPC of Career Brokers, Inc.

Position Title—VBA DEVELOPER-HEALTHCARE (PRODUCT SPECIALIST)

Fee Percentage—22%

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

— — —

Maria Hemminger

David M. Sgro, CPC

“We strike again . . . the MJR/SGRO team makes another placement. Adding IT to our business mix was easy with an established, trusted partner like Dave Sgro. What a great team we make!”

Submitted by Maria Hemminger of MJ Recruiters, LLC regarding her Network split placement with David M. Sgro, CPC of True North Consultants, Inc.

Position Title—BUSINESS SYSTEMS INTEGRATION MANAGER

Fee Percentage—25%

(Editor’s note: This is the 13th split placement that Hemminger and Sgro have made together in Top Echelon.)

— — —

Steve Brody

Brenda Richardson

“Brenda did a great job in sourcing the candidate, checking references, and helping in all aspects of the placement process.”

Submitted by Steve Brody of Executive Resource Systems regarding his Network split placement with Brenda Richardson of Stewart Cooper & Coon

Position Title—IT AUDIT MANAGER

Fee Percentage—25%

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

We have not one, but three Top Echelon recruiting agencies celebrating anniversaries of 20 years of more in the Network this month! These milestones are a testament to the success and longevity of these firms, and that’s why we enjoy highlighting them in The Pinnacle Newsletter Blog.

(For those of you keeping track at home, we highlight anniversaries of 20 years or more, as well as those at the intervals of five, 10 and 15 years.)

Janet Miller of Computer Management, Inc. is celebrating her 26th anniversary as a Top Echelon member. She’s made 65 placements during her time in the Network.

Professional Recruiting Consultants is celebrating its 23rd anniversary. Roger Malatesta is the owner of the firm, which has made a total of 138 placements in the Network.

Superior Search Consultants, Inc. is celebrating its 20th anniversary. Milt Jensen has made 35 Top Echelon placements, and Steve Bret Jensen has made 30 placements in the Network.

And those are just three of the agencies celebrating anniversaries this month! See below for the other firms that have reached a milestone.

We want to thank everybody for their commitment to Top Echelon and the investment they’ve made in the Network. Congratulations!

— — —

26-Year Anniversary

Computer Management, Inc. in Abingdon, Maryland
Staff Members: Janet Miller
Agency Join Date: September 5, 1989

— — —

23-Year Anniversary

Professional Recruiting Consultants in Wilmington, Delaware
Staff Members: Roger Malatesta, Patti Malatesta, Judy Kaplan, and Carol Calvano
Agency Join Date: September 18, 1992

— — —

20-Year Anniversary

Superior Search Consultants, Inc. in Pinetop, Arizona
Staff Members: Milt Jensen, Steve Bret Jensen, and Jared Hadlock
Agency Join Date: September 6, 1995

— — —

15-Year Anniversaries

Executive Personnel Services in Crestview Hills, Kentucky
Staff Members: Bob Long
Agency Join Date: September 6, 2000

iTech Consulting Partners, LLC in Newtown, Connecticut
Staff Members: John Barry, Joy Naui, and Amanda Blair
Agency Join Date: September 27, 2000

— — —

10-Year Anniversary

Interstate Recruiters Corp in Thousand Oaks, California
Staff Members: Mary Anne Buckley and Richard Alsabery
Agency Join Date: September 23, 2005

— — —

5-Year Anniversaries

Atlantic Pacific Group, Inc. in Laguna Beach, California
Staff Members: Linda Blakemore and Jennifer Hwang
Agency Join Date: September 24, 2010

Schuback Search Associates, Ltd. in Dallas, Texas
Staff Members: Donna Schuback
Agency Join Date: September 1, 2010

There’s no doubt that Top Echelon Network members enjoy working with other recruiters to make split placements. However, as with all interaction between humans, there are plenty of instances where the process is anything but seamless.

We recently conducted a survey of Network members to find out what drives them crazy about dealing with other recruiters.

That survey was based upon the following question:

What’s your biggest pet peeve regarding other recruiters in the Network?

Results:

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

• Not calling back when you leave a voicemail — 10.0%
• Not responding to your candidate submissions — 25.0%
• Not responding when you ask for help on a job — 9.0%
• Insufficient information in the job description — 10.0%
• Not letting you know where your candidate stands — 18.0%
• Another pet peeve — 28.0%

Analysis:

As you can see, the answers were spread out across a wide spectrum. What’s a pet peeve for one recruiter is not a pet peeve for another . . . at least not the top one. In fact, 28% of respondents tabbed “another pet peeve” as their #1 answer.

After that, “not responding to candidate submissions” garnered 25% of the vote, with “not letting you know where your candidate stands” coming in third at 18%. Then things get really close:

• “Not calling back when you leave a voicemail”—10.0%
• “Insufficient information in the job description”—10.0%
• “Not responding when you ask for help on a job”—9.0%

What do all of these pet peeves have in common? Look below for the answer to that question.

Conclusion:

Communication is what they all have in common! Actually, to be more specific, they have a LACK of communication in common.

The tragedy of this: Communication is one of the Four Pillars of Top Echelon Network. (The other three are Quality, Trust, and Active Participation.)

What does this mean? It means that Top Echelon Network recruiters want other members to communicate with them! This is especially the case if you’re already trading partners, but even if you aren’t, communication is vital to success in Top Echelon.

Pick up the phone and communicate with other Network recruiters. Heck, if you really don’t have time, then send an email. Do something. Just don’t do nothing. (Is that a double-negative? Don’t do a double-negative!)