“It’s better to ‘co-broke’ than go broke.”

That’s what the wife of Top Echelon Network member Jim Strickland of BioSource Recruiters said to him many years ago, before he joined the Network.

As it turned out, those words would prove to be instrumental in his success in Top Echelon. In fact, Jim has enjoyed so much success that he recently made his 200th split placement as a member of the Network.

“[What she said was a driving force me to seek out TE when I started recruiting,” said Jim. “And I was grateful for that.”

Jim’s wife’s words of wisdom and his desire to make split placements have served him well over the years.

On October 17, BioSource Recruiters celebrated its 19th year as a member agency in Top Echelon Network. Since that date, Jim has made 201 split placements through the Network, generating more than $1.5 million in recruiting fees in the process.

According to Jim, joining Top Echelon has allowed him to grow his business in ways he would not have been able to had he not become a Network member.

“Best decision I ever made was joining Top Echelon over 19 years ago,” he said. “For me, being a part of the largest recruiting split network in the country allowed me to find key recruiters that wanted to be partners and share in placements and commissions.”

BioSource Recruiters works primarily in the Pharmaceutical industry, but has recently expanded its specializations to include Healthcare, Manufacturing, Accounting, Engineering, Scientific, and Information Technology, among others.

Jim has built and cultivated many long-standing split recruiting relationships in the Network over the years. One of those is with another Top Producer, Maria Hemminger of MJ Recruiters, LLC. Maria also recently reached the 200-placement plateau in Top Echelon.

In fact, Jim and Maria have had one of the most productive trading partner relationships in Top Echelon Network history, combining to make 38 split placements together.

According to Maria, Jim is a model Top Echelon Network trading partner.

“Jim and I have an excellent partnership,” she said. “He is attentive to MJ Recruiters’ recruitment needs. The key to working with someone who is reposting your jobs is to keep them up to date on the status of the positions. I communicate with Jim on an almost a weekly basis as to what my ‘hot jobs’ are. He is a good, solid partner.”

In many ways, Jim is a model Network trading partner. And it all starts with his philosophy and his attitude toward making split placements, both of which were planted as a mental seed in his brain more than two decades ago.

“I can’t say enough good things about the TE staff and how they enabled me to create a successful recruiting business that I can operate from home or from anywhere,” said Jim. “I plan on sticking around as long as I can.”

From everybody at Top Echelon, congratulations to Jim Strickland for making 200 placements as a member of Top Echelon Network!

Top Echelon recruiters were in double digits once again last week, as they made another dozen split placements in the Network.

And also once again, there were some big fees to be found among the splits. At the top of the list was a $48,750 fee generated by Amy Chapman of Key People Staffing and Eric Berg of JN Adams & Associates. Amy and Eric placed a Director of Operations at 25% to earn that fee.

As a friendly neighborhood reminder, here is the information that we publish with our weekly 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 Top Echelon Network for the period from October 17 through October 23, 2022.

Remember, if you don’t want information related to your Network 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 Top Echelon Network!

This Week’s Top Echelon Split Placements

— — —

Job recruiter: Amy Chapman of Key People Staffing

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

Job title: DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

Overall placement fee: $48,750

Fee percentage: 25%

— — —

Job recruiter: Nancy Phillips of Phillips Staffing Solutions

Candidate recruiter: Trey Cameron of Cameron Craig Group

Job title: SENIOR SOURCING MANAGER

Overall placement fee: $30,312

Fee percentage: Flat

— — —

Job recruiter: Bob White of Impact Solutions, Inc.

Candidate recruiter: Trey Cameron of Cameron Craig Group

Job title: STAINLESS STEEL TIG WELDER

Overall placement fee: $12,085

Fee percentage: 22%

— — —

Job recruiter: Rich Grunenwald of Advisory and Consulting Services, LLC

Candidate recruiter: Trey Cameron of Cameron Craig Group

Job title: NETWORK ADMINISTRATOR

Overall placement fee: $20,000

Fee percentage: 25%

— — —

Job recruiter: Connie Dorigan of Dorigan & Associates

Candidate recruiter: Joe Cresci of Food Management Search

Job title: SENIOR GROWER ACCOUNTANT

Overall placement fee: $17,437

Fee percentage: Flat

— — —

Job recruiter: Michael Agen of New Solutions Group, LLC

Candidate recruiter: David Cuozzo of CrowdSourced Recruiting (inactive)

Job title: RN HOSPICE

Overall placement fee: $18,000

Fee percentage: 20%

— — —

Job recruiter: Steve Zollner of The Sunridge Group

Candidate recruiter: Brad Dodge of iLocatum Recruiting

Job title: ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE-ENTERPRISE SOFTWARE-FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SECTOR

Overall placement fee: $29,000

Fee percentage: 20%

— — —

Job recruiter: Bob White of Impact Solutions, Inc.

Candidate recruiter: Brian Hulecki of Career Transitions, LLC

Job title: OBJECT-ORIENTED JAVA AND PHP loT CLOUD SOFTWARE ENGINEER

Overall placement fee: $25,000

Fee percentage: 25%

— — —

Job recruiter: Rhonda Dove of KB Search Team, LLC

Candidate recruiter: Dyann Ivey of Automationtechies

Job title: MANUFACTURER’S SALES REP

Overall placement fee: $13,750

Fee percentage: 25%

— — —

Job recruiter: Nick Stoia of ASAP Search

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

Job title: MANUFACTURING ENGINEER – CNC

Overall placement fee: $17,616

Fee percentage: 20%

— — —

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

Candidate recruiter: Michael Stuck of Gables Search Group

Job title: ROBOTICS ENGINEER

Overall placement fee: $15,000

Fee percentage: 20%

— — —

Job recruiter: Bill Cebak, CPC of Orbital Search Group

Candidate recruiter: Michael Stuck of Gables Search Group

Job title: MAINTENANCE MANAGER

Overall placement fee: $18,550

Fee percentage: 17.5%

— — —

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 the Network’s 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 Top Echelon 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 Top Echelon 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.

If you’re a member of Top Echelon’s recruiting network, then you want great recruiter relationships. After all, you’ve made split placements a part of your desk, have you not?

Once upon a time, we ran a segment in The Pinnacle Newsletter Blog titled “‘Comments’ and Compliments.” In this segment, we highlighted specific TE recruiters and the placements they’ve made together. To do so, we used the comments that those recruiters submitted with their Completed Placement Forms.

As you might imagine, trends begin to emerge over time. That’s because certain characteristics almost always lead to success.

In fact, we’ve gathered those certain characteristics together in this blog post. Based upon placements made in the Network, below are seven characteristics of great recruiter relationships:

#1—Collaboration

The recruiters involved have a desire to make split placements and a desire to work together in a collaborative fashion.

#2—Cooperation

The recruiters may have a desire to make splits and work together initially, but that desire must compel them to fully participate in the “give and take” needed for a successful relationship.

#3—Responsiveness

Time kills all deals. That means time is money. That’s why the best relationships include trading partners who respond and who respond quickly.

#4—Communication

It’s not just the frequency with which you communicate, but also how well you communicate that makes a big difference.

#5—Motivation

This speaks to a sense of urgency. If hiring managers must have a sense of urgency, then trading partners must have it, as well.

#6—Niche knowledge

When a recruiter knows their niche thoroughly, that allows them to act quickly to make the correct decisions regarding people and situations.

#7—Candidate assessment

The ability to identify top talent will always give recruiters an edge, no matter if it’s a split placement scenario or a full-fee situation.

Do YOU want more great recruiter relationships in Top Echelon’s split network?

Then contact Top Echelon Director of Network Operations Drea Codispoti, CPC/CERS at 330.595.1742 or via email at drea@topechelon.com.

You can’t experience success . . . unless you expect success, and that philosophy most certainly applies to your Top Echelon Network membership.

Just as trust and effort are vital factors, so are your expectations in recruiting within Top Echelon, specifically the expectations you have for networking. That’s why in this blog post in the “Planning Your Network Success” series, I’ll be examining the expectations that Network recruiters have.

Below are how The 5 Stages of a Networker apply to expectations in recruiting:

Stage 1 Networker

Their expectations of networking fluctuate on a per-person basis. They always blame Top Echelon Network or other recruiters if they’re unsuccessful.

Stage 2 Networker

Their expectations are normally high. They can see the potential, but they expect other recruiters to respond to their job orders and to place their candidates.

Stage 3 Networker

Their expectations are a little more realistic now. They’re beginning to understand that many of their job orders and candidates submitted to the Network will not result in a placement, but they recognize that some will. So they persevere!

Stage 4 Networker

They know how much Network activity is needed to generate revenue. They try to budget their time accordingly and take their split business seriously.

Stage 5 Networker

With relatively good accuracy, they can predict how many split placements they will make with their Outer Circle, Inner Circle, and Core Group of trading partners. They have a formal plan for the way in which they’re going to derive their split business revenue, and they work their plan. They know this success will not happen by chance, so they take responsibility to make it happen!

In my next blog post in this series, I’ll examine submissions.

If you have any questions in the meantime—about this blog post, about The 5 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.