While Bob Small of Carroll Technology Services, Inc. may have made his 50th Network placement with Dave M. Sgro of True North Consultants, Inc. recently, it was a split placement he made with Sgro’s father—Dave J. Sgro—that prompted Small to call the Top Echelon offices and praise the elder Sgro.

Small did so because of the way in which the placement occurred.

Earlier this year, Small submitted a candidate to Sgro for a specific job order.  That candidate went on numerous interviews with Sgro’s client, but did not receive an offer.  As is often the case, time went by and Small forgot all about the fact that he sent the candidate to Sgro.

Then, two months ago, Small was on the phone with Sgro discussing another matter, when Sgro said to him, “By the way, your [candidate] is getting an offer.”

Apparently, Sgro received a new job order, and he thought that Small’s candidate would be a good fit for the position.  He moved quickly, prepping the candidate and setting up an interview.

“I said to Dave, ‘Why didn’t you tell me?  I would have prepped him!’” said Small.  “Dave did everything.  I actually feel badly that I didn’t do more.”

As it turned out, Small and Sgro placed a Staff IT Audit, and when all was said and done, Small received a check in the mail for $6,674.  According to Small, there are three aspects of this placement that stand out the most:

1. Sgro considered Small’s candidate for the position instead of trying to place one of his own in an attempt to secure a full fee.

2. Sgro did ALL the prepping of the candidate and set up the interview.

3. Sgro TOLD Small that he had placed his candidate, even though it wasn’t in the position for which Small had originally submitted the candidate, and then mailed him a check for half of the placement fee.

“Kudos to Dave,” said Small.  “He’s a great split partner. He was looking out for me and thought of my candidate first.  I really appreciate it.  I can’t say enough good things about Dave J. and Dave M.  They’re great to work with.”

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Okay, so this “Crazy Recruiting Story” is 11 years old . . . but we don’t care.  It’s a doozy, as the headline of this blog post most definitely hints.

The story was submitted to us recently by a Top Echelon Preferred Member recruiter.  So let’s get down to business, shall we?  Enough of me yakking—bring on the “Crazy.”

— — —

“In 2000, I received a call from a large automotive manufacturer that wanted our help in filling a variety of engineers and technician positions.  They were rapidly expanding, their business was good, and they didn’t want to add to their Human Resources staff.

“In my initial meeting, they ‘held out the carrot’ that if we did a good job, there could be a large number of placements coming in the next couple of years.  They explained that we would be their outside partner in filling the positions and that they would stop using advertising and Internet postings and use our firm exclusively.  An opportunity of a lifetime was landing in our lap!

“The first candidate we presented was interviewed, and they immediately went to an offer.  They wanted him to start even before references were completed.  Not having any issues in the past with references, I was not concerned and told them I would get going on them.  The candidate started the next day.

“Phone calls to the references weren’t returned at first, and the candidate’s degree verification was not checking out.  The college had no record of him.  When confronted with that information, he responded with, “My mom has my diploma hanging on her living room wall.  I will get a copy of it faxed to you.”  No surprise when the fax machine never rang with an incoming message over the next couple of days.  I did speak with one reference who gave an okay, but not glowing, recommendation.

“During all of this I kept my client informed of the challenges I was having and that my concerns were growing.  They told me not to worry about it and that he seemed to be doing fine so far in the job, but for me to keep at the process.

“With all of what happened so far in trying to verify his degree, who would have been surprised by the phone call that I received from my client at the end of his first week on the job?  ‘Hey Jerry, the police just came to our site and arrested our newest employee.’

“Not one, but two police officers showed up to haul my first placement with my newest client away in handcuffs.  Later, I was told by a friend of mine who is a police officer that they only send out two officers if the guy is REALLY bad.

“My heart sank and my embarrassment level was at its all-time peak.  I knew that this wasn’t good for customer relations and would never lead to continued business or satisfied customer referrals.

“The good news is that my client knew that they had pushed the process forward before due diligence.  The better news is that they had a sense of humor about it.  The best news is that we went on to make multiple placements with them in the next three years: $74,000 in 2000, $70,000 in 2001, and $34,000 in 2002 for a total of $178,000 in fees.

The lessons learned . . .

#1. Really good things can come out of a seemingly dark situation.

#2. Make sure that all of the details are taken care of before a candidate begins working for your client.

And #3. They only send out two officers to arrest your candidate if the guy is REALLY bad.

— — —

Remember, there are three ways you can submit your “Craziest Recruiting Story”:

1. You can email your story to marketing@TopEchelon.com.
2. You can post the story by including it in the comments section at the end of this blog.
3. You can give me a call and relay your story to me.

The deadline for submitting your “Craziest Recruiting Story of 2011” is midnight on Saturday, December 31.  We’ll announce the winner during the first part of January in The Pinnacle Newsletter Blog and also on “Top Echelon TV.”

C’mon, don’t be shy.  Send me your crazy recruiting stories.  Everybody’s doing it.

— — —

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MDeutsch@TopEchelon.com
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Last week, I put out a call for your craziest recruiting stories . . . and you responded.  I received a bunch of emails from Preferred Member recruiters, all of them containing crazy recruiting stories from either this past year or from some point during their career.

As promised, we’ll be publishing these stories in The Pinnacle Newsletter Blog (as well as in the Recruiter Training Blog).  Why?  Well, for one thing, they’re crazy!  Which, of course, makes them entertaining.  And second, all recruiters everywhere take comfort in the knowledge that things like this don’t ONLY happen to them.  There’s plenty of craziness to go around.

This week’s crazy recruiting story—stories, actually—were emailed to us by Top Echelon Network Preferred Member recruiter Stacy Pursell of The Pursell Group, LLC.  Those stories are as follows:

“I have many crazy recruiting stories, including one time I had to wait for a candidate to begin his new position a month after he accepted the offer because he had to go on a cattle drive.  With another candidate, I had to find stables to board her horses in New Jersey before she would take the offer.  One time, another candidate would only consider the opportunity if we could find his son fencing lessons in the new city where the job was.”

“Recently I had to wait for a candidate to take his sheep to another state to get sheared and to be sold before he was available for an interview.  Lastly, I recently had a candidate accept a counter-offer because his current employer held him hostage for a week in one part of their building and threatened him with legal action if he left for a competitor.  Never a dull moment in recruiting!”

Remember, there are three ways you can submit your “Craziest Recruiting Story”:

1. You can email your story to marketing@TopEchelon.com.
2. You can post the story by including it in the comments section at the end of this blog.
3. You can give me a call and relay your story to me.

Last year, Top Echelon held its first-ever “Craziest Recruiting Story of the Year” Contest.  And now we’re having another one!

Yes, I know.  It’s only August.  We have almost five more crazy months to go in 2011.  However, that’s just going to add to the fun, because we’ll have a larger pool of stories to evaluate—and to share with you.  If there’s one thing that recruiters love, it’s reading about crazy recruiting stories . . . that happened to some other recruiter.

First and foremost, the rules: just like last year, there are three ways you can submit your “Craziest Recruiting Story”:

1. You can email your story to marketing@TopEchelon.com.
2. You can post the story by including it in the comments section at the end of this blog.
3. You can give me a call at (330) 455-1433, Ext. 125 and relay your story to me.

The deadline for submitting your “Craziest Recruiting Story of 2011” is midnight on Saturday, December 31.  We’ll announce the winner during the first part of January in The Pinnacle Newsletter Blog and also on “Top Echelon TV” (which still exists, we’re just taking a summer break, thank you very much.)

In the meantime, we’re going to continue publishing some of the stories from last year that didn’t win, as well as any stories that recruiters submit that didn’t occur this year.  After all, some recruiters just enjoy sharing their experiences with others, especially if those experiences almost have to be seen to be believed.

As crazy as last year was in the recruiting industry, I’d be willing to bet that this year is even more so.  Bizarre behavior is probably the rule, rather than the exception.  Sharing crazy stories of bizarre behavior can be a cathartic exercise of sorts.  It’s good to get stuff like that off your chest—not to mention off your desk.

So sit back, relax, and take a deep breath.  Tell me your tale.  The doctor is in.

— — —

330.455.1433, Ext. 125
MDeutsch@TopEchelon.com
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We can guarantee that there will be Top Producers in the Network at the upcoming 2011 Fall Conference.  That’s because some of them will be presenting sessions at the conference, scheduled for Thursday, October 20, and Friday, October 21 at the Embassy Suites O’Hare/Rosemont.

One of those Top Producers is Bob Wylan of R.A. Wylan & Co., Inc.  Wylan has been ridiculously consistent in the Network since he became a Preferred Member, making split placements each and every year, including this one.  Overall, he’s made a total of 15 Network placements, many of them with hefty split fees.

The secret behind Wylan’s success?  It really isn’t a secret at all.

“It’s all about establishing relationships and building trust,” said Wylan, who started in the recruiting industry in 1979.  “I’ve found that operating with honesty and integrity is the best way to conduct business.”

One of the unique aspects of Wylan’s session in Chicago is that it revolves around the game of golf.  That’s because Wylan, an avid golfer, has discovered a correlation between the way somebody plays golf and the way they conduct themselves in a business situation.  In other words, Wylan will know if he wants to work with you after playing with you (and observing you) on the golf course.

The best part is that Wylan has applied these principles to his recruiting firm and to his Preferred Membership in Top Echelon Network, and he’s done so with great success.  These principles are proven, timeless, effective, and applicable for other Preferred Member recruiters.  That’s one of the reasons we asked Wylan to present a session at the Fall Conference.  We want him to share his insight—and his wit—with those in attendance.  Below is a brief synopsis of what to expect from Wylan’s session.

— — —

Session Title: “I Learned Everything I Needed to Know About Business from Golf” or “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Driving”

Presenter: Bob Wylan of R.A. Wylan & Co., Inc.

Date: Friday, October 21

Time: 3 to 3:45 p.m.

Session Description: How can the game of golf make you more productive as a recruiter?  Help you build better relationships?  Help you make more split placements in the Network?  Join Wylan as he educates you not only about golf, but also about how the game can help you to successfully deal with clients and other recruiters, especially in a face-to-face situation.  Regardless of whether or not you’re a golfer, everyone knows how many deals are sealed on the green.  Now you can find out how the game of golf can help you seal more deals, too!

(Editor’s Note: Wylan was recently profiled in The PinnacleNewsletter Blog because of his success as a Preferred Member recruiter.  Click here to access the “Recruiter’s Resume” feature about Wylan.)

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Welcome to the next installment of “The Value of the Network,” where we present a recent split placement in which the recruiters involved relied heavily upon one another—or other resources of Top Echelon’s network of job placement recruiters—in order to succeed.  (Thereby, you know, illustrating the value of being a Preferred Member of the Network . . . but I suppose that’s obvious.  Ahem.)

Anyway, the recruiters who were part of the split placement featured in this installment of the series are Jay Laney of The Williams Company and Dan Schultz, CSP of Premier Employment Solutions.

Laney and Schultz recently placed a Plant Manager, earning a 25% fee in the process.  That process was anything but a short one, but the two recruiters hung in there until the very end, and their combined patience paid off in the form of a split placement fee.

Laney was the job order recruiter for this placement, while Schultz provided the candidate.  According to Laney, the candidate’s salary requirements proved to be an obstacle at different times.

“Dan sent this candidate early in my process,” said Laney.  “I submitted him three different times for this role.  Each of the three times, he was rejected due to his salary being too high.  They finally interviewed him and loved him, but rejected him, again due to salary.”

However, time turned out to be on our heroes’ side.  That’s because the company continued to interview candidates and continued to be underwhelmed by them—at least in comparison to Schultz’s candidate.

“After a month of meeting people [who] didn’t measure up, they finally stepped up and got their man,” said Laney.

Laney praised Schultz for the patience that he displayed throughout the process.  Although it looked as though the company was dead-set against hiring Schultz’s candidate, that’s exactly what it did . . . and Laney and Schultz split their placement check last week as a result.

“Dan was patient the entire time somehow,” said Laney.  “After crazy negotiations leading to 90-day delayed start, we finally got paid before July 4—as promised!”

How has the Network been valuable for you?  We’d like to tell your story, so send it to marketing@TopEchelon.com, and you could be featured in an upcoming issue of The Pinnacle Newsletter Blog!

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330.455.1433, Ext. 125
MDeutsch@TopEchelon.com
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Top Echelon Network provides value for a lot of different recruiters in a lot of different ways, and it recently did so for Preferred Member Jim Hipskind, CPC of Continental Search & Outplacement, Inc.  As is usually the case, that value was ultimately defined as a split placement with another Network Member.

The value that the Network provided for Hipskind can be summed up as follows:

Hipskind received a job order from one of his clients that was outside of his niche, and because of his Membership in Top Echelon Network, he was able to fill that job order and make a placement that he might not have made otherwise.

Hipskind works primarily in the Animal Science and Animal Nutrition industries.  However, he was tasked with filling a Programmer position.  Since that was outside of his niche, he decided to enlist the help of other Preferred Members by posting the job in the Split Jobs Database.

Fortunately for Hipskind, Bill Law of OraStaff, Inc., saw his job posted in the Network.  As a result, he contact Hipskind about the opening, and that started a process that eventually ended with a split placement.

“Bill contacted me after seeing my opening on the Network and sent me two excellent candidates,” said Hipskind.  “Both were interviewed and the company selected the best person.”

The candidate was placed for a 25% fee, which was a respectable sum for Hipskind and Law.  According to Hipskind, this placement is a perfect example of the Network’s “half a loaf is better than no loaf” philosophy.  No matter the amount of the split placement fee Hipskind received, it was certainly better than not receiving any fee because he wasn’t able to fill the job order on this own, which was a distinct possibility because the order was outside of his niche.

“This type of position is way outside my area of expertise and is a continuing example and reason why Top Echelon Network is so critical to my business model,” said Hipskind.  “It continues to allow me to say to my clients, ‘Yes, I can help you out.’  Thank you, Bill, and thank you, TE.”

How has the Network been valuable for you?  We’d like to tell your story, so send it to marketing@TopEchelon.com, and you could be featured in an upcoming issue of The Pinnacle Newsletter Blog!

— — —

330.455.1433, Ext. 125
MDeutsch@TopEchelon.com
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Whether you know it or not, if you’re a Preferred Member of Top Echelon Network, you’re branding yourself to other recruiters every day—through the things you do and the things you don’t do.  This is important, because how you brand yourself helps to determine which recruiters want to work with you and how often they want to work with you.

In this episode of “Top Echelon TV,” Membership Development Coordinator Drea Codispoti and Communications Coordinator Matt Deutsch discuss the three ways in which Preferred Members can brand themselves in a positive fashion and increase the chances that they’ll make split placements in the Network.

What are your thoughts?  What can recruiters do to brand themselves more effectively as Preferred Members of the Network?  What are things that recruiters do that brand them in a negative fashion, perhaps things they don’t even know they’re doing?

Seven placements in 2010.

Five so far in 2011.

Judy Kaplan of Prof’l Recruiting Consultants knows how to be successful as a Preferred Member of Top Echelon Network.

Kaplan has a made a total of 66 placements in Top Echelon Network since 1999.  That’s an average of just over five placements per year—quite a healthy return on her investment.

So, how does she do it?  What’s her secret?  How is she making money, even during tough economic times like these?

In essence, Kaplan employs a simple, three-step method when it comes to making split placements with other recruiters in Top Echelon Network.  Those steps are as follows:

Step #1—Find other recruiters who work in the same industry, discipline, niche, etc., as you do.

Step #2—Of those recruiters, identify the way in which they like to work in a split placement situation, from beginning to end.

Step #3—Work with those recruiters who work the same way that you do or a way with which you feel comfortable.

Step #4—Make split placements.

Step #5—Repeat as necessary.

“The key is finding the right people, those people who work the same way that you do,” said Kaplan, who started recruiting in 1998.  “Everybody has a different way of working.  I’ve been able to find people like that, and it’s paid dividends for me.”

However, it does NOT stop there.  That’s because not only does Kaplan make direct-hire split placements, but she also makes split contract placements, as well.  Of the 12 placements that’s she made in the past 14 months, over half of them have been contract placements.  The others?  Direct-hire placements with hefty fees associated with them.

Kaplan specializes in exporting candidates in the Information Technology, Pharmaceutical/Biotech, Medical Device, Manufacturing, Environmental Health & Safety, and Accounting industries nationwide.  When it comes to dispensing advice to other Network Members, Kaplan’s is simple.

“Recruiters should share their information in the Network,” she said.  “When I see jobs on the Network that I think I can help fill, I contact those recruiters.  If you don’t share your information, you can’t get help.”

Kaplan’s strategy for success sounds simple, and in actuality, it is.  But the steps she advocates requires a commitment and an investment of time.  Those Preferred Members who are willing to take the time and make the commitment dramatically increase the chances that they’ll enjoy more success and make more split placements in the Network.

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MDeutsch@TopEchelon.com
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It doesn’t matter how much social media takes over our lives.

It doesn’t matter how big the Internet grows and how much it influences all aspects of our lives.

It doesn’t matter how prevalent texting becomes, or sending instant messages, for that matter.

There is absolutely, positively no substitute for meeting somebody face-to-face.  This is also the case in the world of business . . . including when it comes to recruiting.  The instances are numerous, and the benefits can be endless.

For example, there’s conducting company visits, which can help recruiters to solidify their business relationship and the chances that hiring authorities will enlist your help in finding the very best candidates for their open positions.  Just ask Preferred Member firm MJ Recruiters, LLC.  That firm’s recruiters visit clients and prospective clients all the time, and they’ve enjoyed high levels of production despite the current economic malaise.

However, this article is not about company visits (although that’s a great topic).  It’s about another way that meeting face-to-face can help your business, and that’s by meeting other recruiters in person.  This is especially if split placements are part of your business model, which they obviously are, if you’re part of a split placement network like Top Echelon.

That’s why I want you to mark these dates on your calendar—Thursday, October 20, and Friday, October 21.  Why should you do that?  Because they’re the dates of the 2011 Top Echelon Network Fall Conference.  Why should you go?

Because Preferred Members who attend these events meet and talk with other recruiters in their industry, trade hot job orders and candidates, and eventually make split placements.

What proof?  I hope so, because we have plenty.  Split placements have resulted from every one the events that we’ve held down through the years, from the very first conference to our last National Convention, which was held last month in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

I’ll be publishing some of that proof in The Pinnacle Newsletter Blog over the next several weeks.  I’ll also be publishing the agenda for the Fall Conference over the summer, probably sometime in August.

In the meantime, though, mark these dates on your calendar—Thursday, October 20, and Friday, October 21—and make plans to join us at the Embassy Suites in Chicago.  (We’ll have more information about the hotel in future issues of the newsletter, as well).  Because, bottom line, this is what we want to happen:

1. We want you to attend the Fall Conference.
2. We want you to meet other recruiters in your industry and niche, preferably ones that you haven’t worked with before.
3. We want you to get to know these other recruiters and share hot job orders and information.
4. We want you to make more split placements.  Split after split after split . . . over and over again.

No matter how much the world changes, some things will always stay the same.  One of those things is the importance, not to mention the benefits, of meeting other people face-to-face.  Make the decision now.  Make the investment now.  Invest in your Preferred Membership and the future of your firm.  Join us in Chicago this fall.

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MDeutsch@TopEchelon.com
(330) 455-1433, Ext. 125