Last week, we had some big recruiting fees associated with the split placements that recruiters made in TE Network.

So . . . it’s a new week. That means more split placements. And fortunately, it also means MORE big recruiting fees associated with those placements!

But that’s not all! We also have two recruiters who recently made their first split placement in TE Network. First, though, let’s talk about the largest split fee of the week.

The recruiters who accounted for that particular fee are Amy Chapman of Key People Staffing and James Sullivan of Ethical Search Professionals, Ltd. Amy and James placed an Electrical Controls Engineer to earn a fee of $37,500 at 25%.

And as promised, there were two recruiters who made their first split placement in TE Network. They were Mark Skender of DCS Consulting and Becky Barclay Prewitt of R.L. Barclay & Associates. Congratulations to you both!

Now let’s make more placements!

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 Network’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 16 through September 22, 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

— — —

Job recruiter: Jason Kaminsky of bizjobz, LLC

Candidate recruiter: Mark Skender of DCS Consulting

Job title: SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE – LEGAL SOLUTIONS

Overall placement fee: $15,000

Fee percentage: 20%

— — —

Job recruiter: Amy Chapman of Key People Staffing

Candidate recruiter: James Sullivan of Ethical Search Professionals, Ltd.

Job title: ELECTRICAL CONTROLS ENGINEER

Overall placement fee: $37,500

Fee percentage: 25%

— — —

Job recruiter: Becky Barclay Prewitt of R.L. Barclay & Associates

Candidate recruiter: Siena Burwell of Surf Search

Job title: PARALEGAL – OIL & GAS

Overall placement fee: $12,000

Fee percentage: 20%

— — —

Job recruiter: Christina Boudreaux of Connectly Recruiting

Candidate recruiter: Sara Alexandroff of Sterling St. James, Inc.

Job title: HUMAN RESOURCES GENERALIST

Overall placement fee: $16,000

Fee percentage: 20%

— — —

Job recruiter: Brian Gruen of Gruen Search Consultants, Inc.

Candidate recruiter: Jim Ingram of Jim W. Ingram

Job title: TEXTILE DESIGNER

Overall placement fee: $21,250

Fee percentage: 25%

— — —

Job recruiter: Bill Kubena of Kubena & Associates

Candidate recruiter: Donna Coleman of Donna Coleman and Associates

Job title: ORACLE EBS FINANCIALS FUNCTIONAL ANALYST

Overall placement fee: $31,250

Fee percentage: 25%

— — —

Job recruiter: Edward Duff of RCD Group

Candidate recruiter: Steve Kohn of Affinity Executive Search, Inc.

Job title: PROJECT ENGINEER – BRIDGES

Overall placement fee: $24,000

Fee percentage: 20%

— — —

Job recruiter: Genie Matthews of Genie Matthews and Associates

Candidate recruiter: Brad Dodge of iLocatum Recruiting

Job title: PLANT CONTROLS (DCS) ENGINEER

Overall placement fee: $36,750

Fee percentage: 25%

— — —

Job recruiter: Steve Schanz of CPS Recruitment

Candidate recruiter: Brad Dodge of iLocatum Recruiting

Job title: QA SUPERVISOR

Overall placement fee: $12,750

Fee percentage: 15%

— — —

Job recruiter: Steve Schanz of CPS Recruitment

Candidate recruiter: Brad Dodge of iLocatum Recruiting

Job title: GATING PROCESS ENGINEER

Overall placement fee: $17,000

Fee percentage: 20%

— — —

Job recruiter: Troy Randolph of Lea Randolph & Associates, Inc.

Candidate recruiter: Steve Kohn of Affinity Executive Search, Inc.

Job title: PRESIDENT, HOMECARE & IDD

Overall placement fee: $26,250

Fee percentage: 15%

— — —

Job recruiter: Nick Stoia, CPC of ASAP Search

Candidate recruiter: David Manns of Access Staffing

Job title: MAINTENANCE SUPERVISOR

Overall placement fee: $17,600

Fee percentage: 20%

— — —

If you’re a newer 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.

Remember a couple of weeks ago, when we said that the 2024 Top Echelon Hall of Fame inductions announcements were done?

Well . . . we fibbed. It wasn’t an intentional deception, per say. In fact, I wouldn’t even call it a deception. Let’s call it a “misarrangement of information.” Yes, that sounds better.

Anyway, back to the task at hand. That task: one more inductee into the 2024 Top Echelon Hall of Fame class!

That inductee is Ron Sunshine of Ron Sunshine Associates, LLC. Right now, you might be asking yourself, “So what’s the story? Why is Ron being inducted now, as opposed to before TE Connect Fall 2024?”

Excellent questions, all. With that in mind, I invite you to read Ron’s induction announcement below for the answers to those questions. (And perhaps to questions that you haven’t even asked yourself yet.)

— — —

— — —

SUNSHINE IN TE: It’s a well-known fact that recruiter Steve Brody of Executive Resource Systems is the last Charter Member of TE Network. Steve joined TE at the inception of the Network in March of 1988, and he’s been a member ever since.

However, Ron Sunshine of Ron Sunshine Associates, LLC also joined the Network when it was founded as Nationwide Interchange Service (NIS) more than 36 years ago. However, he left TE Network shortly thereafter, eventually returning in 2008.

Since returning, Ron has made 84 split placements as a member of the Network. There is a distinct possibility that he has officially made more than that, namely because the TE placements he made during his initial tenure in the Network may not be counted among those 84.

So while Ron is not a Charter Member who has been with TE Network for the entirety of its 36-year existence, he was a member at the very beginning and has been quite successful within the Network since he re-joined. For these reasons—and others—Ron Sunshine is a Top Echelon Hall of Fame Committee Special Selection for the TE Hall of Fame class of 2024.

Ron is another dyed-in-the-wool, old-school headhunter. He’s been recruiting in the Manufacturing and Engineering industries since 1979, working mainly with Fortune 1000 companies. He has attained tremendous success within the recruiting profession—both inside and outside of TE Network—during a career that has spanned 45 years.

For his part, Ron enjoys being a recruiter and believes that he has benefitted greatly from his membership in TE Network. This has especially been the case, of course, during the past 16 years.

“I am truly honored to be included among this group of true professionals in our industry,” said Ron of his induction. “Top Echelon has been a great part of my career, and I highly value the support that I get from the TE team and my relationships with my peers in the Network.”

We at Top Echelon are pleased to announce the induction of Ron Sunshine into the Top Echelon Hall of Fame as a member of the 2024 class!

Last week, we announced a rebranding initiative regarding the software formerly known as Big Biller and Top Echelon Network.

In a nutshell, we’ve sunsetted the Big Biller name. Instead, our recruiting software is now known as TE Recruit. In addition, we’ll now be referring to Top Echelon Network as TE Network.

Are we still retaining the Top Echelon name? Yes, as it is the name of our company. This rebranding initiative pertains to Top Echelon’s two main products—now TE Recruit and TE Network.

We realize that’s just one of many questions that you may have regarding this initiative. That’s why I’m pleased to present the FAQs listed below:

1. What changes are happening with Top Echelon’s software and services?

Top Echelon is undergoing a rebranding initiative. The recruitment software formerly known as Big Biller is now called TE Recruit and Top Echelon Network is rebranded as TE Network.

2. Why did Top Echelon rebrand from Big Biller to TE Recruit?

The rebranding symbolizes our evolution and dedication to innovation. TE Recruit integrates the best features of Big Biller while introducing new capabilities, such as AI-driven tools (at the Pro Tier level), designed to help recruiters work smarter and more strategically in a competitive market.

3. What is the difference between Big Biller and TE Recruit?

While TE Recruit builds upon the strengths of Big Biller, it introduces a more advanced and user-friendly platform. TE Recruit includes enhanced features like an improved user interface and AI-driven tools (at the Pro Tier level) to streamline the recruitment process, making it faster and more efficient.

4. How will the rebranding impact my current use of the software?

The transition to TE Recruit and TE Network is seamless. If you’re already using the new user interface, you can toggle back and forth between the new UI and the legacy UI. All your data and workflows will remain intact.

5. What new features can I expect with TE Recruit?

TE Recruit includes a more intuitive interface and AI-driven tools (once again, at the Pro Tier level) to improve candidate sourcing and matching and enhanced collaboration functionalities that build upon the strengths of Big Biller.

6. How does the rebranding affect Top Echelon Network?

Top Echelon Network has been renamed TE Network. However, its core purpose remains the same: facilitating collaboration and split placements among recruiting agencies. The rebranding simply aligns the Network more closely with the updated TE Recruit platform.

7. Will pricing change with the rebranding?

No, the rebranding to TE Recruit and TE Network does not come with any pricing changes. You’ll continue to have access to our services at the current rates.

8. Will there be any disruption in service during the transition?

There will be no disruption to your service during the rebranding process. We’ve ensured that the transition is as smooth as possible, and our support team is available to assist with any questions or concerns you may have.

9. How do I access training or support for TE Recruit?

As has always been the case, our support team is ready to assist you with any questions or training needs. You can reach out to our support team for personalized assistance at support@topechelon.com.

10. I’m already familiar with Big Biller. Do I need to learn a new system?

No, TE Recruit is basically the same software that you have been using to this point, so you will have an easy time adapting. The changes involve improvements to the user interface and new tools designed to enhance your recruitment strategy, not a complete system overhaul.

Once again, if you have any questions or need assistance with the transition to the new user interface, please do not hesitate to reach out. And thank you for your commitment and loyalty as a TE Network member!

Now we’re getting down to the nitty-gritty in my “Planning Your Network Success” series of blog posts. That’s because we’ve reached the essential element of trust in recruiting.

Trust also happens to be one of The Four Pillars of TE Network. (The other three are Quality, Communication, and Active Participation.)

This week, we’re going to examine the element—and the Pillar—of Trust as it pertains to the five stages of a networker.

That analysis is below. You’ll notice that a Stage 4 Networker and a Stage 5 Networker are pretty much the same in terms of Trust.

That’s because when it comes to networking, Trust is one of the most important factors involved, especially if that networking is going to lead to split placements.

Stage 1 Networker

They are normally non-trusting of other recruiters. They are reluctant to openly share candidate contact information and company names.

Stage 2 Networker

They are willing to share to some degree, but are still cautious and will hold back their best candidates and best job orders. They will reluctantly share the name of a client with another recruiter.

Stage 3 Networker

These recruiters are willing to share most of their candidates and job orders. They will still hold back some of their exceptional items for themselves.

They have no problem sharing the name of a company with their peers. In addition, they are not overly concerned about somebody “ripping them off.”

Stage 4 Networker

They are willing to share ALL of their candidates and job orders and will not hold back their exceptional items for themselves. They share everything.

Stage 5 Networker

The same as a Stage 4 Networker, they are willing to share ALL of their candidates and job orders. They will not hold back their exceptional items for themselves. They share everything!

In my next blog post in this series, I’ll examine the essential element of effort.

If you have any questions in the meantime—about this blog post, about the five stages of a networker, or about your split recruiting membership—please contact me.

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

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

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 these Virtual Core Group meetings. Below is the complete VCG schedule for October, including the industries involved and the time that each meeting will be held. (Note: all times are Eastern.)

Tuesday, October 8:

• 2:30 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. — Legal Services
• 3:30 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. — Sales & Marketing

Wednesday, October 9:

• 1:30 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. — Manufacturing & Engineering
• 2:30 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. — Information Technology
• 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. — Biotechnology/Pharmacology

Thursday, October 10:

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

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.
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 TE Network 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.