There may not be a lot to celebrate in what is decidedly a down job market with fewer job orders and search assignments than there were just a few years ago . . . but there’s plenty to celebrate in TE Network!

Matthew Deutsch

That’s because TE Network members are still making split placements and generating extra revenue.

As you can see below, those members include Therese Eckhoff, CPC of Therese Eckhoff and W. Scott Krepps of We Do The Search. Therese and Scott recently placed a Supply Chain Manager to split a recruiting fee of $37,500 at 30%.

The holiday season may be just around the corner, but in TE Network, it’s always split placement season!

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

• Names of the trading 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 October 13 through October 19, 2025.

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.

Once again, congratulations to everybody below for the split placements they made in TE Network!

This Week’s Split Placements

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Amy Chapman

Michael Agen

Job recruiter: Amy Chapman of Key People Staffing

Candidate recruiter: Michael Agen of New Solutions Group, LLC

Job title: WELD ENGINEER

Overall placement fee: $17,500

Fee percentage: 25%

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Troy Randolph

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

Candidate recruiter: David Cuozzo of CrowdSourced Recruiting (inactive)

Job title: HOME HEALTH SALES EXECUTIVE

Overall placement fee: $12,750

Fee percentage: 15%

— — —

Troy Randolph

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

Candidate recruiter: David Cuozzo of CrowdSourced Recruiting (inactive)

Job title: HOSPICE SALES EXECUTIVE

Overall placement fee: $13,050

Fee percentage: 15%

— — —

Troy Randolph

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

Candidate recruiter: David Cuozzo of CrowdSourced Recruiting (inactive)

Job title: HOSPICE SALES EXECUTIVE

Overall placement fee: $13,500

Fee percentage: 15%

— — —

Veronica Snyder

Paul Danowski

Job recruiter: Veronica Snyder of Career Professionals, Inc.

Candidate recruiter: Paul Danowski of Grace Search Service, Inc.

Job title: MAINTENANCE ENGINEER

Overall placement fee: $27,000

Fee percentage: 25%

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Eric V. Stearley, CPC

Jim Ingram

Job recruiter: Eric V. Stearley, CPC of Eric V. Stearley, CPC & Associates

Candidate recruiter: Jim Ingram of Jim W. Ingram

Job title: METALLURGIST/PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

Overall placement fee: $25,000

Fee percentage: 20%

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Therese Eckhoff, CPC

W. Scott Krepps

Job recruiter: Therese Eckhoff, CPC of Therese Eckhoff

Candidate recruiter: W. Scott Krepps of We Do The Search

Job title: SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGER

Overall placement fee: $37,500

Fee percentage: 30%

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If you’re a newer TE 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.

There is seemingly no end to the challenges and obstacles that exist in the economy and the employment marketplace right now. And that is one of the reasons why I’ve decided to go back to basics and stress the fundamentals of TE Network.

Drea Codispoti, CPC/CERS

Because focusing on the basics and the fundamentals is a sure-fire way to enjoy more success.

With that in mind, I have a series of networking tips that I will be sharing in The Pinnacle Newsletter Blog during the next several weeks.

These networking tips are specific things that you can do to enjoy more success as a member of our split fee recruiting network. This week, I have the first such tip, and that tip is as follows:

Adopt the philosophy that you are going to try to fill as many job orders as you can, as quickly as you can, with the best candidates you have available to you.

After all, the more assignments you’re able to complete with quality candidates, the happier your clients will be, the more repeat business you’ll receive, and the more money you’ll earn!

Our logic:

Statistics show that the longer a job order remains unfilled, the less your chances are of filling it. This being the case, you want to “strike hard and fast” when presenting candidates.

The longer it takes you to locate that perfect candidate, the more time there is for those “unexpected occurrences” to happen.

What follows are five examples of such “unexpected occurrences”:

1. Your client changes their mind and puts the search assignment on hold.
2. Your client tells you they’re going to promote from within.
3. Your near-perfect candidate changes their mind and must give consideration to a better offer.
4. Your client tells you they’re going to hire a candidate provided by another recruiter.
5. Your client learns to function without the position by doling out the responsibilities to other employees.

Immediate steps you can take:

1. Share your job order with the Network immediately.

When you share your job order with Top Echelon, the automated Network Job Alerts system starts working for you by notifying trading partners of new search assignments in their niche. Also, your trading partners have access to your search assignment immediately! Get it out to trading partners right away because they may have the perfect candidate.

Do not try working the job order first and then sending it to the Network as a last resort. Doing so will only use up whatever “lead time” you have and minimize your chances for filling the job order and completing the assignment.

2. Use the Network Candidates sourcing tool!

There are over SEVEN million recruited candidates being shared in the Network Candidates sourcing tool, and this sharing system is gaining greater momentum with each passing day.

3. Search candidates in your files and candidates in Top Echelon’s recruiting software to see if there are potential matches.

Present all qualified candidates to your client, regardless of whether it’s your own candidate or a Network candidate. Don’t let the issue of half of a fee versus the full fee cloud your thinking.

Instead, get the search assignment filled immediately with a good candidate, and your client will shower you with praise and (hopefully) repeat business.

4. Adopt a sense of urgency and get your clients to interview (even if it’s a video interview) as soon as you can.

If your best candidate is slightly less than a 100% fit, then you must evaluate all of the potential risks of not presenting that candidate in favor of going out and recruiting another candidate “from scratch.” Don’t forget, your client may have intentionally given you a “10-point” wish list, which is almost impossible to accommodate, when in fact they really only need seven or eight of those items to be satisfied.

We aren’t saying that you should use a “shotgun approach” when presenting candidates. We’re merely suggesting that you think twice before withholding a good candidate from your client.

If you have any questions, please contact me by calling 330.595.1742 or by sending an email to drea@topechelon.com.

As the end of the year draws near (yes, it’s hard not to rhyme sometimes), it’s time to consider upgrading your recruiting tools to the Professional Tier of the Top Echelon recruiting software, also known as TE Recruit.

Why Upgrade? Start with Savings

Matthew Deutsch

With the Professional Tier, you gain access to a robust suite of features designed to streamline your recruiting process and give you a competitive edge. And here’s the best part: opting for the annual plan lets you enjoy these premium features at a discounted rate.

Here’s how it works:

• The monthly cost for the Pro Tier is $110.
• If you pay annually, the cost drops to $89 per month—the same price as the Standard Tier on a monthly plan.
• So, by choosing the annual plan, you get Pro Tier features at Standard Tier pricing.

Nine (9) Big Pro Tier Features

The Pro Tier already includes powerful tools that can help you save time and make more placements. In fact, below are nine (9) big features and tools that the Pro Tier offers that the Standard Tier does not.

(We’ve recently added more enhancements to the Pro Tier, making it an even smarter choice for your team.)

1. Automations: Streamline repetitive recruiting processes with intelligent automation. Automatically trigger key actions—such as sending follow-up emails, updating candidate statuses, notifying hiring managers, or scheduling interviews—based upon predefined rules and workflows. Reduce manual effort, minimize errors, and boost team efficiency.

2. Sequencing: Build and manage multi-step workflows that guide candidates, clients, or internal teams through consistent, automated communication journeys. Use sequencing to nurture candidates, automate onboarding steps, or structure multi-stage approval processes, ensuring smooth progression through every stage of your recruitment lifecycle.

3. Smart-TE AI Job Description Generator: Generate detailed job descriptions automatically based upon key role requirements.

4. Smart-TE AI Search String Generator: Create optimized search strings with AI assistance for better candidate sourcing.

5. Custom Careers Page Forms and Questionnaires: Tailor your application process with customizable forms and surveys.

6. Organization Chart Builder for Reports: Visualize team structures effortlessly with this robust reporting tool.

7. Increased Storage: Enjoy 100 GB of storage space (compared to 10 GB on the Standard Tier).

8. Higher Email Limits: Send up to 10,000 emails per month (double the Standard Tier limit).

9. More Frequent Data Backups: Weekly backups ensure better data security (versus monthly on the Standard Tier).

Take the Next Step: Book a Demo

Ready to see the Pro Tier in action? Schedule a free personalized demo with a Pro Tier Specialist to explore how these features can transform your recruiting strategy:

Yes, I want a demo of the Pro Tier!

At Top Echelon, we’re committed to helping you succeed. We’ve been doing it for the past 37 years and we’re excited to continue this tradition of excellence.

Upgrade to the Pro Tier today and set yourself up for success in 2026!

Drea Codispoti, CPC/CERS

With fewer job orders in today’s tougher market, the challenge has shifted. Instead of wondering how to fill an overflowing desk, many recruiters are focused on how to make the most of every opportunity that comes in.

Competition for quality searches is fierce and clients are more selective than ever.

Yet even in a slower market, the fundamentals haven’t changed. Top talent remains hard to find, harder to engage, and absolutely critical to deliver.

In this environment, precision, relationships, and consistency matter more than volume. Every call, every connection, and every candidate conversation must count.

That’s why THIS is how TE Network recruiters make more split placements:

By participating in a Virtual Core Group (VCG)!

During Virtual Core Group (VCG) teleconference calls, Network recruiters share the following:

• Hot job orders and candidates
• Information about the activity they’re seeing in the job market and/or in their niche
• Ideas for increased production on their desk and within their agencies

Sharing Information = Making Placements

There are recruiters on these calls who have both candidates and job orders. They have quality candidates who they’re looking to place in your quality job orders and they have quality job orders for your quality candidates.

They just need to know about them. That means YOU must share what you have to offer.

I conduct Virtual Core Group calls within specific industries during the second week of each month. The schedule is available on the Main Dashboard calendar within the TE Network software.

If you’re a newer member of Top Echelon’s recruiter network, then I especially encourage you to join an existing Virtual Core Group. You can even start a new one!

I have been holding VCG conference calls for close to 15 years now. I can say without a doubt that the recruiters who participate in these calls make split placements because of these calls. It happens all the time.

These groups work, they’ve always worked, and they’re working right now. The only thing missing is YOU.

THIS is how you make more splits in TE Network. Virtual Core Groups, along with other recruiter networking events like TE Connect and our Regional Core Group meetings, is how you make placements and generate more revenue.

To join an existing Virtual Core Group or to start a new one, contact me at 330.595.1742 or send an email to drea@topechelon.com.

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

Matthew Deutsch

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 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 industry trainers Tricia Tamkin and Jason Thibeault of Moore eSSentials.

The title of that webinar (and corresponding training video) is “AI4Influence: Leveraging AI on Your Recruiting Desk.”

Below is the official description for this training video:

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Watch this free training video!

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Recorded versions of our Expert Recruiter Coaching Series 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!