As you’re probably already aware, this year marks the 25^th anniversary of Top Echelon Network.

During those 25 years, there have been a TON of great stories that have happened because of this Network and the people who have been a part of it.

Some of these stories have been collected and published in The Pinnacle Newsletter Blog (and before that, The Pinnacle hardcopy newsletter).  However, the majority of have NOT, and that’s something that needs to be rectified.

That’s why we want your Top Echelon Network stories!

Why?  We want to share these stories with other Network Members.  We want to showcase them on our (soon-to-be-new) website.  We want to share them with other recruiters to emphasize that there are great people and great recruiters in this Network.

Now, keep in mind that these can be any type of stories, just so long as they pertain to your Network Membership.  Some examples are as follows:

• A split placement you made under extraordinary circumstances
• The beginning of a Trading Partner relationship
• A memory from a Top Echelon networking event (National Convention, Fall Conference, etc.)

These are just some examples.  By no means does the story have to fall within these categories.  Our goal is to collect these stories and create a “scrapbook” of sorts, a collection of memories that emphasize the camaraderie and friendships that have transpired during the past 25 years.

How do you tell your story?  One of two ways:

1. Email your story to Marketing@TopEchelon.com.
2. Send an email to MDeutsch@TopEchelon.com indicating your desire to be interviewed for a story, and I’ll be glad to give you a call!

Recruiting is a “people business,” and there are many recruiters whose lives have been enriched by the relationships they’ve formed with other people in Top Echelon Network.

We want to hear—and tell—the story of those relationships!>

SPLIT PLACEMENTS THIS WEEK:

Today is Top Echelon Network recruiter Al Daum’s birthday . . . and what better way to celebrate a birthday than with a placement!

Not only that, but it’s a Network split placement with Trading Partner Bruce Widnes, who happens to have two placements in this week’s issue of The Pinnacle Newsletter Blog.

Daum, a diehard Ohio State University football fan, has to be happy with the Buckeyes’ 3-0 start to the 2013 season, and he also has to be happy with the fact that he’s made five Network placements this year and was the Recruiter of the Month in Top Echelon for June.

O-H . . . I-O!

D-A . . . U-M!

College football and split placements: it’s tough to beat a combination like that.  (Except maybe with a National Championship.  And maybe some MORE split placements.  Just sayin’.)  Happy birthday, Al!

SPLIT JOBS FILLED THIS WEEK:

Below are the split jobs that were recently filled by Top Echelon Network recruiters.

• Foxboro Process Control Engineer
• EHS Manager (Bilingual)
  
• Outside Sales Industrial – Plastics
  
• Program Manager
  
• IT Manager Clinical Systems

For more information about how YOU can be more successful in Top Echelon Network and make more split placements, call Membership Development Coordinator Drea Codispoti, CPC/CERS at (330) 455-1433, Ext. 156.

THIS WEEK’S NETWORK SPLIT PLACEMENTS:

Job recruiter: Bruce Widnes of The Recruiting Group, Inc.

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

Split job title: FOXBORO PROCESS CONTROL ENGINEER

Fee percentage: Flat

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

— — —

Job recruiter: Bruce Widnes of The Recruiting Group, Inc.

Candidate recruiter: Greg Downs of Downs Associates

Split job title: EHS MANAGER (BILINGUAL)

Fee percentage: 25%

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

— — —

Job recruiter: Terri Conroy, CPC of Aventure

Candidate recruiter: Trey Cameron of the Cameron Craig Group

Split job title: OUTSIDE SALES INDUSTRIAL – PLASTICS

Fee percentage: 25%

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

— — —

Job recruiter: Frank Gregg of Gregg & Associates

Candidate recruiter: Ron Caley of Caley Enterprises

Split job title: PROGRAM MANAGER

Fee percentage: 20%

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

— — —

Job recruiter: Jennifer Fahlsing of Aldis Associates

Candidate recruiter: Juli Smith of The Smith Consulting Group, LLC

Split job title: IT MANAGER CLINICAL SYSTEMS

Fee percentage: 25%

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

SURVEY QUESTION:

With the third quarter of the year rapidly coming to an end and the fourth quarter on the horizon (and right behind it, 2014!), this is a good time for recruiters to analyze the activity in their niche.

The activity in a recruiter’s niche is one of the factors influencing whether or not that recruiter finishes the year strong and carries a sizeable amount of momentum into the next year.  It also might determine how much that recruiter works between now and the end of the year.

If they’re enjoying a good year, some recruiters take off nearly the entire month of December, at least in terms of sourcing and hard-core recruiting.

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

That question was as follows:

How would you describe the activity in your niche right now?

SURVEY RESULTS:

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

• Red hot! — 16.9%
• Heating up fast! — 31.2%
• Eh, lukewarm — 44.2%
• Not that hot — 6.5%
• Pretty much ice cold — 1.3%

SURVEY ANALYSIS:

Okay, first the good news: 16.9% of survey participants indicated that the activity level in their niche is “Red hot!” and another 31.2% answered “Heating up fast!”  Put those together, and you’ve got nearly half of recruiters enjoying a heightened level of activity.

However, another 44.2% chose “Eh, lukewarm” as their answer, and another 6.5% indicated that their niche is “Not that hot.”  Thankfully, only 1.3% of respondents are of the opinion that their niche is “Pretty much ice cold.”

So as you can see, the answers are all over the place, which pretty much reflects what’s happening in the economy overall—some areas are hot, some are lukewarm, and some are not.

FEEDBACK:

How would you characterize the activity in your niche right now?  With one of the choices listed above, or do you have your own way to describe that activity?  Will you be taking the whole month of December off this year . . . or can you just not afford to do that?

Top Echelon Network is pleased to welcome nine new agencies to our recruiter network during the month of August!  These nine agencies represent a total of 20 recruiters in a number of different industries.

The names of these new Network agencies are listed below, along with their location; the number of recruiters in each firm; and the disciplines, industries, and specialty areas in which they work.  We encourage you to reach out to these recruiters and welcome them to the Network, especially if they operate within your specialty area!

Alliant Management Professionals, LLC in Columbia, Maryland
—Four recruiters in Technical

Applied Staffing Solutions in Reno, Nevada
—One recruiter in Clerical/Accounting/IT/Light Industrial/Manufacturing

Candidate Ready in Santa Clara, California
—One recruiter in Technology, Healthcare, Finance, Accounting, and Executive

CARMAC Executive Recruiting in Commerce Township, Michigan
—One recruiter in Sales & Marketing, Manufacturing, Engineering, Designers, Quality Control, Production, Plant Management, and Operations

CKM Staffing, Inc. in Roseville, California
—Five recruiters in Insurance, Quality Control/Food Safety, Finance and Accounting, Printing and Graphics, General Business, IT, and Medical Device

David Alexander Morales in El Paso, Texas
—One recruiter in Engineering, Financial, Information Technology, Telecom, and Scientific; Industries: Renewable Energy, Pharmaceuticals, and Biotechnology

Lincoln & Creed in Denver, Colorado
—Four recruiters in Infrastructure and Power and Energy

Management Performance Associates in Kirkland, Washington
—Two recruiters in Consumer Packaged Goods, Food, Beverage, Wine, and Spirits

The Candidate Combination in Chicago, Illinois
—One recruiter in General

Remember, if you know somebody who you think would be a good fit for Network Membership, you can receive a $100 credit toward your Top Echelon invoice for referring an agency that eventually becomes a Preferred Member.

You can send your referrals to info@topechelon.com.