For nearly 15 years, Philip Bartfield of Analytic Search has done his very best to maximize the tools and resources that Top Echelon offers to agency recruiters and executive search consultants.
Philip Bartfield
“I looked at it as a package of services—software, network, and the contracting back-office—that all worked in harmony together,” said Philip. “I embraced all three immediately, thinking that I needed this foundation on which to grow my business.”
At the time that Philip joined Top Echelon Network, he started using the Big Biller recruiting software and also made contract placements through Top Echelon Contracting. (TEC has since changed its name to FoxHire.)
Philip has made both direct hire split placements and contract placements since becoming a member of the Network. In fact, he’s made 57 direct hire placements that have generated a total of $514K cash-in.
According to Philip, below are five takeaways that have been instrumental to his success as a member of the Network:
#1—Take the training and networking opportunities seriously.
Philip indicated that he wasted little time in engaging in training regarding Top Echelon’s tools and services, implementing as many best practices as he could.
“I attended the Fall Conference my first year and met Mark [Demaree], Todd [Bossler], and Debbie Fledderjohann. I also met some great recruiters, including Dan Simmons [of Continental Search & Outplacement], the top producer at the time, who spent time with me sharing his vision on how to be successful.”
#2—Relationships are the catalyst for lasting success.
According to Philip, perhaps the biggest lesson he’s learned during his Network tenure is that the relationships he has formed represent the real benefit of Network membership.
“In that respect, TE is a means to an end, a ‘relationship starter,’” he said. “At one time, I talked to Bob Small every day. We were partners brought together by TE that no longer relied on TE to work with each other. Keeping an eye out for opportunities to develop new relationships represents a game changer. Even one or two relationships like that can translate to success.”
#3—The Network does not need to be ALL of your business.
Philip indicated that being a member of the Network provides you opportunities for revenue to which you would not have access otherwise. In addition, Top Echelon Network offers a support system where even if you’re part of a smaller recruiting agency, you can learn from what other members and trading partners are doing.
More importantly, though, the Network does not need to be ALL of a recruiter’s business ALL of the time to still be a great investment.
“You can strike a balance depending on your particular needs at a particular time,” said Philip. “If you need to scale quickly to assist a client, you can do so. If your client business is slow, you can shift your focus to assisting partners in the Network. If you’re interested in growing into a new niche, you can tiptoe into it by assisting partners.”
#4—Use TE to brand your agency to clients.
Success in recruiting is all about servicing your clients’ needs to the greatest degree possible. According to Philip, his membership in Top Echelon Network helps him to accomplish that.
“I sell the benefit of TE to my clients all the time,” he said. “It helps diffuse the impression that I’m a single-shingle proprietor and that I can scale when necessary or leverage my network to find that ‘diamond in the rough.’”
#5—There are no shortcuts to Network success.
When it comes to one piece of advice that Philip would give to a new member or to somebody who is thinking of joining the Network, his advice is simple.
“Don’t take shortcuts,” he said. “Earning the confidence of your TE partners early will provide the foundation to grow in the Network.”
Philip Bartfield has embraced the software, tools, and resources of Top Echelon Network to an extent that few other recruiters have done during the course of TE’s existence. His tenure as a Network member and the success that he has enjoyed during it serve as a prime example of how Top Echelon can help agency recruiters and executive search consultants grow while keeping their overhead down and their costs low.
We at Top Echelon want to thank Philip for his loyalty and dedication down through the years, as well as congratulate him on the tremendous success that he has enjoyed!