How do you enjoy success in a short amount of time in Top Echelon Network?

Jim Petitpren of The PRA Group, Inc. knows how.

Jim and his wife, Pam, joined Top Echelon Network as Preferred Member recruiters in February of this year.  Since that time, they’ve both attended the 2012 Top Echelon Network National Convention at the end of April, and they’re both registered to attend the upcoming 2012 Top Echelon Network Fall Conference in Chicago.

(By the way, Regular Registration for the conference is still going on.  If you haven’t signed up yet, all I can say is shame on you.)

Not only did Jim and Pam Petitpren enjoy the National Convention, but Jim has made two split placements in the Network since The PRA Group joined Top Echelon.  The way in which he made one of those placements is the focus of this blog post.

That’s because Jim Petitpren did exactly what we ask new Preferred Members to do when they want to know who to work with: he called Membership Development Coordinator Drea Codispoti, CPC/CERS.

Drea provided Jim with a list of recruiters in the Network who could possibly help him with his job order.  One of the names that Drea gave him was Eric Berg of JN Adams & Associates, Inc.  Jim reached out to Berg, and the two of them eventually made a split placement together.

Both of the split placements that Jim Petitpren has made this year have been associated with rather large fees.  (Login to the Member’s Area and visit Jim’s profile to check them out.)  While they’re fees that he split with his Trading Partners, the fact of the matter is that he might not have made the placement at all it wasn’t for the help of other Top Echelon Network recruiters.

So if you want to know who can help you with a job order or who else works in your niche, then call Drea Codispoti at (330) 455-1433, Ext. 156.

However, Drea is currently at the National Association of Personnel Services (NAPS) Conference in San Antonio, Texas . . . so leave a message.  Or call back next week.  But call!  And tell him I sent you to receive 10% off your order.  Wait, that’s not right.

That’s how you enjoy success in a short amount of time in Top Echelon Network.

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Job order recruiter: Jim Petitpren of The PRA Group, Inc.

Candidate recruiter: Eric Berg of JN Adams & Associates, Inc.

Job title: SUPPLY CHAIN QUALITY, ENGINEERING MANAGER

Fee Percentage—20%

Action causing split placement: I called Drea and asked who to work with on this specific job.

— — —

Job order recruiter: Jim Petitpren of The PRA Group, Inc.

Candidate recruiter: Judy Kaplan of Prof’l Recruiting Consultants

Job title: EMBEDDED DEVELOPMENT ENGINEER-MIDWEST

Fee Percentage—30%

Action causing split placement: Regular phone communication with a Top Echelon Network Preferred Member recruiter in my specialty area

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330.455.1433, x125
mdeutsch@topechelon.com
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At Top Echelon Network, we like to highlight recruiters who have made their first split placement as a Preferred Member . . . and we get to do it again this week in The Pinnacle Newsletter Blog!

To be honest, we had some help in the form of Preferred Member recruiter Debra Stitt, CPC of Quality Source, Inc. of Ohio.  Stitt and Tom Mitlo of the Orion Delta Group made a split placement recently, and it was Mitlo’s first split in the Network.

What’s noteworthy about this split placement (other than the fact it’s Mitlo’s first) is the way in which it happened.  As you can see from Stitt’s comments below, Mitlo was proactive, contacting Stitt about the job order she had posted in the Top Echelon Network Split Database.  To paraphrase his Trading Partner, “the rest was history.”

In addition, this split placement underscores two of the Four Pillars of Top Echelon Network (if not all four).  Those two Pillars are Communication and Active Participation.  Mitlo was proactive, and his communication was instrumental in making this split placement happen.

Congratulations to Tom Mitlo for his first split placement in Top Echelon Network, and thanks to Debra Stitt for the comments she submitted!

If you’d like to compliment a Trading Partner in a more extensive manner regarding a split placement, email your comments and information to marketing@topechelon.com.

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“Tom and Gina were outstanding to work with.  Tom called me, asked me what I needed, sent me two outstanding candidates, and the rest is history.  I’m honored that I could be the one to facilitate their first placement in TE.  Orion Delta Group, you guys rock!”

Position Title—DIRECTOR OF REIMBURSEMENT INNOVATION
Fee Percentage—25%

Submitted by Debra Stitt, CPC of Quality Source, Inc. of Ohio regarding her split placement with Tom Mitlo of the Orion Delta Group

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330.455.1433, x125
mdeutsch@topechelon.com
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Most of the time, sequels to movies just aren’t as good as the original.  However, sequels to split placements are just as good—or even better!

Take, for instance, the first split placement highlighted below.  It doesn’t represent just a sequel, but a trilogy of placements, and that’s a 1-2-3 punch that anybody can appreciate.

And if this placement was a movie, then maybe it would be Casablanca, because the line, “Play it again, Sam” makes sense . . . although the recruiter’s name is Suzanne, not Sam . . . and Casablanca isn’t a sequel.

Okay, forget all of that for now and humor me for just a second.  Once you make a split placement with another Preferred Member recruiter in Top Echelon Network, it becomes easier to make another split placement with that recruiter.  And another.  And another.  (You get the idea.)

With that in mind, below are the placements highlighted in this week’s installment of “‘Comments’ and Compliments.”

(Maybe split placements are like The Matrix movies.  Wait, make that Back to the Future.  Or Indiana Jones.  No, that was a series of four films, not three.  Darn it!)

If you’d like to thank another recruiter for their efforts in our split fee recruiting network, send your information to marketing@topechelon.com.  Your comments might be included in an upcoming issue of The Pinnacle Newsletter Blog!

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“Good job again, Suzanne!  This is our third split, and all three have been positions for strategic sourcing of Indirect and Service category candidates—two my job, one your job, and all salaries from $100,000 to $110,000.  Looks like we’re becoming specialists!”

Submitted by Robert Gabor of The Gabor Group regarding his split placement with Suzanne Griffith, CPC of J S Griffith & Associates

Position Title—CATEGORY MANAGER-INDIRECTS
Fee Percentage—20%

(Editor’s note: this is the third split placement that Gabor and Griffith have made together in Top Echelon Network.)

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“Working with Bruce is always great.  He always sends me candidates that fit the disciplines I recruit for.  It’s no wonder that he’s so successful in TE.”

Submitted by Ron Sunshine of Ron Sunshine Associates regarding his split placement with Bruce Ramstad of Bruce L. Ramstad

Position Title—INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING SUPERVISOR
Fee Percentage—25%

(Editor’s note: this is the first split placement that Sunshine and Ramstad have made together in Top Echelon Network.)

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330.455.1433, x125
mdeutsch@topechelon.com
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Last week, we presented the first part of a two-part interview with long-time Preferred Member recruiter Marc Tappis of Opportunity Search, Inc.

Tappis, who recently celebrated the 25th anniversary of his firm opening its doors, has been very successful in Top Echelon Network.

And because we’re an absolute stickler for detail, we’re now going to publish the second part of that interview in this week’s issue of The Pinnacle Newsletter Blog.

In the true tradition of an interview, we asked Tappis to answer even MORE questions, and he was good enough to answer them.  His answers are below.

If there’s a recruiter you believe we should interview, send their name to marketing@topechelon.com.  If you believe that YOU should be interviewed, you can send your name to . . . the same email address.

How has Top Echelon Network affected your career as a recruiter?

TE has allowed me to expand my business base, increase my revenue, and provide a better service to my clients.  It has allowed me to keep my overhead down.  I never saw the need to hire a staff when I have countless Top Echelon recruiters available to assist with my recruiting needs.

Why do you think you’ve been so successful working with other recruiters and making split placements with them?

I’ve been able to build trusting relationships with a Core Group of recruiters.  I also try to keep things in perspective, treat other recruiters like I want to be treated, be honest, and try to add some humor and fun to the process.  I strongly believe that communicating and providing feedback to other recruiters throughout the process is really important.  A split placement is a team effort, and in most cases, input and actions from both sides make the deal happen.  This won’t happen if you don’t communicate and keep the recruiter you’re working with informed during the process.

What are some crazy things that candidates and hiring managers have said and done down through the years?

The list is long . . . a candidate telling a hiring manager that they can’t get out of bed in the morning and would like the job, but only if they can start at 10 a.m.; a candidate literally falling asleep in the reception area waiting to be called back for their 8:30 a.m. interview; a candidate bringing their children to an interview and asking the receptionist to watch them.

What advice do you have for somebody just starting out as a recruiter?

On one hand, it’s a simple business—work hard, build relationships, be honest, be organized, and don’t get frustrated, as there are a lot of ups and downs.  On the other hand, it’s not an easy business.  You need luck and perseverance, and you must be able to handle things out of your control.  You don’t control what candidates do and say or what clients do and say.

What else would you like to add?

This job is extremely stressful.  It’s important to find a way to relieve stress.  I’m an avid runner and have completed three marathons and numerous half-marathons.  Exercise is one of many ways to reduce stress.

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330.455.1433, x125
mdeutsch@topechelon.com
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For years, The Cornerstone, the newsletter of Top Echelon contract staffing, was sent to the Preferred Members of Top Echelon Network.  The Cornerstone was eventually discontinued in favor of another newsletter, Contracting Corner, which is now published once a quarter.

However, we still run contracting statistics in select issues of The Pinnacle Newsletter Blog.  These statistics include Non-Split Contract Placements, Split Contract Placements, and Non-Recruited Placements, among others.

Below are the most recent statistics regarding contract placements made by Preferred Member recruiters, courtesy of Top Echelon Contracting, the recruiter’s back-office solution.

Many of the Top Producers in Top Echelon Network have added contract staffing to their business model and have also taken advantage of the contract placement services provided by Top Echelon Contracting.

For more information about the benefits of contract staffing and the services that Top Echelon Contracting provides, call (888) 627-3678, Ext. 2

(Editor’s Note: This is the next in a series of guest blog posts about contract staffing, courtesy of Top Echelon Contracting, the recruiter’s back-office solution.  Similar posts will appear in future issues of The Pinnacle Newsletter Blog.)

What does a worker who has only been out of work for a month have in common with one who has been unemployed for six months to a year?

It appears they are both just as likely to be rejected for a job based on their employment status (or lack thereof), even as legislators move to make “unemployed discrimination” illegal.

A recent Huffington Post article discusses a study in which 47 human resource professionals were asked to review resumes that were identical except that half stated the candidate was currently employed, and the other half indicated the candidate had been unemployed for one month.  The HR professionals gave the currently employed candidate higher marks for competence and hireability.

The study also found that unemployed candidates who are laid off are not viewed any more favorably than those who quit their jobs.  However, candidates who were laid off because the company went under do appear to get more sympathy.

Employer’s’ preference for selecting candidates who are currently employed is nothing new, but the practice came under fire last year when job postings emerged specifically stating that unemployed candidates would not be considered.  As a result, lawmakers on both the state and federal level have considered legislation against unemployed discrimination.

New Jersey passed a law last year banning job ads that are found to discriminate against unemployed candidates. This past May, the District of Columbia took it a step further with legislation that made unemployed status a protected class, according to the Littler Mendelson law firm.  The law makes it illegal for employers in the District of Columbia to refuse to hire candidates based on their employment status.

So what are you seeing out there in the trenches?  Do employers tend to reject unemployed candidates, even if they have only been out of work a short amount of time?

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888.627.3678
dfledderjohann@topecheloncontracting.com
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