I’m excited to share some important and exciting news with the Top Echelon Network membership. As part of our ongoing efforts to innovate and evolve, Top Echelon Software is launching a new version of our user interface—which you may already know—and introducing a strategic rebranding initiative that represents a significant milestone in our journey.

You might be asking yourself, “What was that last part again?”

Effective immediately, the Big Biller name has been officially sunsetted and will no longer be used in conjunction with Top Echelon’s products or services. Moving forward, our flagship recruitment software will be known as TE Recruit, and our renowned split placement network, formerly Top Echelon Network, will be rebranded as TE Network.

Why Are We Rebranding?

This change is more than just a new name; it symbolizes our commitment to continuous innovation and our dedication to empowering recruiters with cutting-edge tools that help them excel in a competitive landscape. The decision to retire the Big Biller name reflects our desire to align more closely with the evolving needs of our customers.

TE Recruit represents a new chapter in our story. It’s a comprehensive platform that integrates the best features of Big Biller while adding new, innovative functionalities like AI-driven tools. Similarly, TE Network remains a powerful split placement network designed to encourage and facilitate collaboration among agencies and expand your reach in the marketplace.

A Journey of Continuous Evolution

Top Echelon’s journey began with a vision to transform recruitment software by providing agency recruiters and search consultants with powerful, user-friendly tools. Over the years, we’ve navigated the same challenges as our customers, adapting to meet new demands and technological advancements. This rebranding is a natural extension of that evolution—a step that mirrors the journey of growth our customers experience daily.

With TE Recruit, we’ve created a software solution that not only retains all the strengths of Big Biller, but also introduces enhanced capabilities designed to make recruiters’ work smarter, faster, and more strategic. Our aim is to help you meet today’s challenges head-on with a solution that reflects our shared journey toward a brighter future.

What Does This Mean for You?

We understand that any change can be challenging, but rest assured, the feedback from our customers who have already transitioned to the new user interface now associated with TE Recruit and TE Network has been positive. We are committed to providing comprehensive support to ensure a smooth transition for all of our customers.

Going forward, you will no longer see the Big Biller name associated with our products or services. Instead, you will experience a renewed and reinvigorated brand that better represents our vision and the value we provide to recruiters across the industry.

Looking Ahead

As we move forward, our focus remains on listening to you, our customers, and anticipating your needs. The rebranding to TE Recruit and TE Network is a testament to our dedication to helping lead you into the future. We are committed to giving you the tools you need to turn challenges into opportunities and to acquire a strategic advantage for your business.

Our Commitment to Your Success

While the Big Biller name is now retired, our commitment to your success remains stronger than ever. We are excited about the future and the possibilities that TE Recruit and TE Network will bring to your business. Thank you for being a part of this journey with us. We look forward to continuing to serve you with the same dedication and excellence that you have come to expect from Top Echelon Software.

If you have any questions or need assistance with the transition to the new UI, please do not hesitate to reach out. Thank you for your commitment and loyalty as a Top Echelon Network—whoops, I mean TE Network member!

As you can see by the title of this blog post, there are some big recruiting fees among this week’s split placements in The Pinnacle Newsletter Blog.

In fact, not only did Robbye Jones of Trinity Professionals Corporation make her first split in TE Network, but that split also commanded the largest recruiting fee of the week. That’s because Robbye and Leonard Richards of Provision People placed a Senior Manager to earn a fee of $34,500 at 23%.

And guess what? That placement also represented the first split for Leonard as a member of TE Network. It’s a win-win! (Well, it’s a win-win-win because we at Top Echelon also won.)

Also winning this week are Mike Cook of Frontline Source Group, Inc. and Brad Dodge of iLocatum Recruiting. Mike and Brad made not one, not two, but three split placements together. Overall, Brad was part of four TE Network splits during the week.

As a friendly neighborhood reminder, here is the information that we publish with our placements:

• Names of the split recruiting partners involved (with their profile photos, when available)
• Job title
• Overall placement fee (before TE’s 6% brokerage fee, of course)
• Fee percentage

Please note that the placements listed below reflect deals finalized in TE Network for the period from September 9 through September 15, 2024.

Remember, if you don’t want information related to your split placements published in The Pinnacle, please send an email to marketing@topechelon.com to that effect.

Congratulations to everybody below for the split placements they made in TE Network!

This Week’s Split Placements

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Job recruiter: Jim Petitpren of PRA USA

Candidate recruiter: Richard Steinman of Steinman Recruiting Associates

Job title: SR. ELECTRICAL HARDWARE ENGINEER

Overall placement fee: $19,000

Fee percentage: 20%

— — —

Job recruiter: Mike Cook of Frontline Source Group, Inc.

Candidate recruiter: Brad Dodge of iLocatum Recruiting

Job title: ASSISTANT PRODUCE MANAGER

Overall placement fee: $12,650

Fee percentage: 25%

— — —

Job recruiter: Mike Cook of Frontline Source Group, Inc.

Candidate recruiter: Brad Dodge of iLocatum Recruiting

Job title: ASSISTANT STORE MANAGER

Overall placement fee: $6,435

Fee percentage: 12.5%

— — —

Job recruiter: Mike Cook of Frontline Source Group, Inc.

Candidate recruiter: Brad Dodge of iLocatum Recruiting

Job title: ASSISTANT DELI MANAGER

Overall placement fee: $5,200

Fee percentage: 12.5%

— — —

Job recruiter: Christina Boudreaux of Connectly Recruiting

Candidate recruiter: Ann Boland of The Boland Group

Job title: CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER (COO)

Overall placement fee: $30,000

Fee percentage: Flat

— — —

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

Candidate recruiter: Bob Brown of Questgroup Consultants, Inc.

Job title: NATIONAL ACCOUNT MANAGER

Overall placement fee: $26,250

Fee percentage: 25%

— — —

Job recruiter: Gary Kaufman of ExcelliSearch, Inc.

Candidate recruiter: Chris Shoulet of Top Dog Recruiting

Job title: ORACLE EBS FINANCIALS FUNCTIONAL ANALYST

Overall placement fee: $30,000

Fee percentage: 20%

— — —

Job recruiter: Josh Slimmer of Jericho HR Group

Candidate recruiter: Sara Katz of First Search, Inc.

Job title: GLOBAL PAYROLL SUPERVISOR

Overall placement fee: $23,200

Fee percentage: 20%

— — —

Job recruiter: Russ Hovendick of Client Staffing Solutions, Inc.

Candidate recruiter: Brad Dodge of iLocatum Recruiting

Job title: PROJECT ENGINEER

Overall placement fee: $26,400

Fee percentage: 22%

— — —

Job recruiter: Robbye Jones of Trinity Professionals Corporation

Candidate recruiter: Leonard Richards of Provision People

Job title: SENIOR MANAGER, CORPORATE ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE

Overall placement fee: $34,500

Fee percentage: 23%

— — —

Job recruiter: Michael Stuck of Gables Search Group

Candidate recruiter: Patty Miller of MillerNet HR & Business Solutions, Inc. (inactive)

Job title: ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

Overall placement fee: $16,000

Fee percentage: 20%

— — —

If you’re a newer Network member and you’d like to enjoy more success in our recruiter network, then I encourage you to contact Top Echelon Director of Network Operations Drea Codispoti, CPC/CERS.

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

At Top Echelon, we’re always looking for ways to help recruiters make more placements. The good news for us is that those recruiters are the ones who show us HOW they make more placements!

We published our “‘Comments’ and Compliments” feature for years in The Pinnacle Newsletter Blog, namely because it was so popular.

Network recruiters love to be recognized for making placements. They also love to recognize their split recruiting partners for a job well done.

However, there was a dual benefit to this newsletter feature. When recruiters submit these comments and compliments, they also provide a blueprint for how to be successful in TE.

So not only have we been publishing this feature, but we’ve also been compiling these best practices. Ultimately, they serve as an excellent blueprint for all Network members.

Based on countless placements over the years, below are four things that absolutely lead to more placements in Top Echelon’s recruiting network:

#1—Accuracy

This refers to the accuracy of the candidates supplied by the candidate recruiter to the job order recruiter based upon the job description. The more accurate the candidates, the more likely that one of them will be a fit for the position.

Therein lies the true value of a split network. It’s the ability to source candidates that you aren’t able to source through other means.

#2—Timeliness

This refers to how quickly the candidate recruiter is able to provide help during the hiring process. So it’s not just about the quality of the candidates. It’s also about how quickly you can get access to those candidates.

A great candidate doesn’t do much good if you present them to a hiring manager after the position has already been filled. As everybody knows, “Time kills all deals.”

#3—Sharing

This refers to the “give-and-take” of a solid trading partner relationship in TE Network. In such a relationship, the recruiters not only like working with each other, but they also work well together.

One of the overlooked aspects of split placements is that recruiters can “tag-team” a placement. This means they share the duties and responsibilities, making the process easier for both parties.

#4—Professionalism

While this might be a foregone conclusion for some recruiters, it should not be overlooked. Striking a professional chord is integral to navigating the ups and downs of the placement process and arriving at a successful conclusion.

When you conduct business in a thoroughly professional manner, you overcome challenges and more easily eliminate obstacles to placement success.

If you have questions about how to maximize your TE Network membership and make more splits, I urge you to contact Director of Network Operations Drea Codispoti, CPC/CERS.

You can do so by calling 330.455.1433, x156 or by sending an email to drea@topechelon.com.

Everybody in Top Echelon’s recruiting network wants to be a good trading partner. (At least . . . we hope that everybody in the Network wants to be a good trading partner.)

But how do you go from being a good trading Partner to being a great trading partner?

As you might imagine, it takes more than one thing. Fortunately, we’ve been keeping track of those things just by seeing the comments that Network recruiters submit with their Completed Placement Forms.

These recruiters almost invariably have good things to say about their split recruiting partners. Those good things have formed a pattern—a blueprint, if you will.

That blueprint basically shows how a recruiter can work with their trading partners in the best way possible and make more split placements. As part of that blueprint, we’ve uncovered some common behaviors of recruiters who do an excellent job of working with their partners to bring the placement process to a successful and satisfying conclusion.

Good to great as a trading partner

Based on these case studies, below are six behaviors that make a good trading partner a great one:

1. They screen and qualify their candidates.
2. They don’t just communicate, they over-communicate.
3. They’re proactive.
4. They’re responsive.
5. They consistently follow up.
6. They bring quality to the process.

As you can see, being a great trading partner is NOT a passive activity. You must be proactive in your approach, and you must invest in your partners.

Invest your time, energy, and effort. If you don’t invest, then you can not justifiably expect a return.

There are recruiters in this Network who are receiving a return on their investment on a weekly basis. YOU could be one of them.

How many of these behaviors do you and/or your trading partners exhibit? Would you agree that these are integral to great trading partner relationships and making more split placements and more money? What other behaviors would you add to these six?

If you have any questions or if you need more information, contact Top Echelon Director of Network Operations Drea Codispoti, CPC/CERS at drea@topechelon.com.

Top Echelon offers a free monthly webinar as part of its Expert Recruiter Coaching Series.

These webinars touch upon a variety of recruiter-related topics. These topics deal with both job candidates and clients. As always, our goal with these webinars is to help agency recruiters and executive search consultants just like YOU make more placements.

We record these webinars for recruiters who can’t attend the live presentation, and we’re now pleased to offer the video from our most recent webinar by Henna Pryor, PCC/MSA of Pryority Group.

The title of that webinar (and corresponding training video) is “5 Modern Recruiting and Selling Mistakes.”

Below is the official description for this training video:

— — —

Today, recruiters, sales, and revenue generators are battling three (3) huge roadblocks:

1. An ongoing trust crisis in the marketplace
2. A battle for attention and focus from the people you serve (add the recent election twists and this just got more difficult!)
3. Constant uncertainty, disruption, and competing priorities

Your teams need fresh perspectives centered around mindset, psychology, and human behavior to inform your next wave of growth.

Join Workplace Performance Expert, Inc. Columnist, 2x TEDx Global Keynote Speaker, and author Henna Pryor for the next webinar video in Top Echelon’s Expert Recruiter Coaching Series.

Henna will combine tips gleaned through over 20 years of recruiting and sales experience with her deep obsession with human behavior and sales psychology.

So watch this Recruiter Coaching Series webinar video and learn all about “5 Modern Recruiting and Selling Mistakes”!

Watch this FREE training video!

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Recorded versions of our Expert Recruiter Coaching Series of webinars are posted on our website as free online recruitment training courses in the Top Echelon Recruiter Training Library.

Keep an eye out for the next free webinar in our Expert Recruiter Coaching Series!