Why do we hold events like the recent National Convention in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.?  Because they bring recruiters together to network with one another, to form relationships and friendships, and ultimately, to make split placements.

In this episode of “Top Echelon TV,” Membership Development Coordinator Drea Codispoti and Membership Development Coordinator Matt Deutsch discuss the National convention, specifically the human scavenger hunt that served as the gala event.  Nothing brings recruiters together quite like fun, and that’s exactly what this year’s event did.

Don’t forget—the Top Echelon Network Fall Conference is scheduled for Thursday, October 20, and Friday, October 21, and the location will be Chicago.  We look forward to seeing you there!

Just how do you get your job postings to stand out and get attention?

Well, one key to accomplishing that is the job title.  The job title is often overlooked and sometimes used in the wrong way.  However, in this episode of “Top Echelon TV,” President Mark Demaree and Communications Coordinator Matt Deutsch share six ways in which recruiters can ensure that their job title can help their job posting garner the attention they want.

What are your thoughts regarding the job title in job postings?  How important is it?  Do you agree with the six methods we’ve advocated in this episode of “Top Echelon TV”?

You might remember that I blogged about short, informational Network videos that were in the works.  (Click here to read the original blog post regarding these videos.)

They’re here!  Well, a few of them are here, anyway, and more are on the way.

As I mentioned before, these videos are 30 seconds to 60 seconds in duration, and the majority of them are located within the Top Echelon Network recruiter database software.  Specifically, they’ll be located right next to the written part of the website that also deals with that topic.

However, instead of a small video icon, there’s an embedded YouTube video.  All you have to do in order to start playing the video is to click on it.

So far, we’ve completed three videos.  Those videos deal with the following topics:

• The Frequent Placer Program
• The Golden Rules of Top Echelon Network
• Top Echelon Network’s Four-Step Screening Process

The first two videos on the list are located behind the Top Echelon Network software login.  The third one, which deals with the screening process, is on the outside of the Network website.

Are these comprehensive videos?  They are not.  They’re designed to provide enough information so that the person watching will have a working knowledge of the topics covered.

What we’re really interested in is your opinions and your feedback.  What other topics should be included in this series of training videos?  What else do you believe we should include in our training for Top Echelon Network, video-related or not?  You can either leave a comment on this blog post, give us a call, or send us an email.

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

There’s no doubt that this is the age of social media—LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, etc.  Social media and social networking is used in all sorts of ways, by all sorts of different people, including recruiters, of course.  And once again, we’re going to use it for one of our conventions.  Last November, it was the regional conference in Columbus, and very soon it will be the 2011 National Convention.

The convention is occurring this week at The Westin Beach Resort in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.  Specifically, the dates of the event are Thursday through Saturday.  Click here to view the preliminary agenda for the convention.

What does it mean that we’re going to use social media for the National Convention?  Well, it means a number of things, both for those Preferred Member recruiters who will be in attendance, as well as those who won’t be (but would like to follow the action, so to speak).  Below are some of the things that will be happening over the course of the next couple of days.

I’ll be blogging about the convention.  However, these blog posts won’t be included in The Pinnacle Newsletter Blog, but in our separate Network Conventions Blog.

We’ll be posting digital photos from the convention on the Top Echelon Network Facebook fan page.  You can access the Network’s fan page by clicking here.

I’ll be tweeting about the convention.  If you have a Twitter account and would like to start following me, click here to do so.

However, social media’s involvement in the National Convention extends beyond us . . . it also includes those recruiters who will be in attendance.  If you’re planning to attend the convention, we whole-heartedly encourage you to use social media to chronicle your experiences at the event.  Tweet about it, post to Facebook about it, do both, do more, whatever you’d like to do.

If you want, take pictures and email them to marketing@TopEchelon.com, and we’ll post them to our Facebook fan page.  Events like our National Convention are ALL about networking—traditional networking first and foremost, of course, but also social networking.  It’s a great way to share information and ideas and also to follow what’s happening at an event like the National Convention, even if you’re not actually in attendance.

So stay turned later this week, and follow the 2011 National Convention through social media . . . and make plans to join us for the Fall Conference in Chicago later this year.

What?  You’ve never seen a shameless plug before?

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

Just where are the job orders in Top Echelon Network? We have the answer! In this episode of “Top Echelon TV,” President Mark Demaree and Communications Coordinator Matt Deutsch present the numbers and then analyze what they mean. The short version: more job orders in more industries than there was a year ago . . . and that’s good news.

If you have any questions about these job order numbers, feel free to contact Membership Development Coordinator Drea Codispoti at (330) 455-1433 or via email at Drea@TopEchelon.com.

With almost 1,000 recruiters, Top Echelon Network represents a veritable plethora of recruiting knowledge, experience, and know-how.  (When was the last time somebody worked “veritable plethora” into a blog post?  On purpose?)

One of the things that we strive to do here at Top Echelon Network is help Preferred Member recruiters share information with one another.  One of the ways in which we accomplish, of course, is through the Split Candidate Database and the Split Job Order Database, whereby recruiters are able to share their jobs and candidates.

But what about the other information?  In other words, how recruiters deal with the everyday issues they face on their desks.  And when we’re talking about the issues that they face every day, we’re talking about not just recruiting-related issues, but business-related issues, as well.

There are a few avenues through which we attempt to help recruiters share valuable recruiting-related and business-related information with one another.  One, of course, is in The Pinnacle Newsletter Blog.  An example of this was in last week’s issue of the newsletter, when we published an article regarding how Preferred Member recruiter Jim Strickland of BioSource International has used “Google Places” to help enhance the search engine optimization (SEO) of his recruiting firm’s website.  To read that article, click on the link below:

Using ‘Google Places’ to Boost Your Site’s Search Engine Ranking

We’ll be publishing articles such as these in the newsletter, sort of a “knowledge exchange” between recruiters.  We know how busy you are running your desks and your firms.  You don’t have all the time in the world to unearth this information, so we’re going to try to do it for you, as much as we can.

We’re also going to gather information in another way—through our poll questions and email surveys that we send out on a consistent basis.  The poll questions run in the Members’ Area every week; I’m sure you’ve probably seen them.  And we’ve been sending out our email surveys since the beginning of the year.  We’ll be continuing to send them out throughout the remainder of 2011.

You might be wondering where we got the ideas for our email surveys. The answer is we got them from you—through the use of an email survey. Ironic, huh?  These are the topics that you wanted to know about the most.  As a result, our goal is to find out about them, including by asking other recruiters.  Once we’ve compiled the results of these surveys, we’re going to package these results and make them available for everybody to see.

At the moment, we publish the results of the surveys as blog posts—as well as the Members’ Area polls— in the Recruiter Training Blog.  While that’s all fine and good, what we publish isn’t comprehensive.  These posts cover more of the highlights of the survey results, as opposed to the details.

What we would like are more ideas about what topics you’d like to see covered in our email surveys.  Is there a question (or questions) about a specific topic that you’d like for us to explore?  If so, let us know.  Just send an email to marketing@topechelon.com.

In the meantime, be on the lookout for the release of the complete results of our surveys, although we’ll certainly be announcing it in The Pinnacle, as well.  As always, thanks for being a Preferred Member of the Network.

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

Recruiters are always looking for an edge, especially when it comes to being found on the World Wide Web.

Top Echelon Network Preferred Member recruiter Jim Strickland of BioSource International appears to have found a way to do just that for his firm—using the power of the search engine Google.  Specifically, Strickland conducted some research regarding “Google Places,” and discovered that he could list his recruiting firm for free.  Not only that, but he could also upload pictures and videos for free, as well. This is a great form of SEO for recruiters.

“Google has pretty much taken the place of the Yellow Pages,” said Strickland. “They’re giving small businesses the opportunity to be on the first page of Google.”

The way it works is this.  Google is able to detect in which part of the country (or world) a user is conducting their Internet search.  When that user types in a certain phrase, such as “recruiting firm,” Google will return recruiting firms within that user’s geographic region first.  If your firm is listed in “Google Places,” you can receive preferential positioning on the results page.

“You can get a premier spot on the first page, whether you’re branding your company, you just want to be found, or both,” said Strickland.  “It’s all free from Google.  There are some SEO tactics you can use to get you on the first page, though, as opposed to the second or third page.”

According to Strickland, there are only seven premier spots on the first page for those businesses that register with “Google Places,” and there are certain steps you can take in order to make sure that you’re one of those seven.  These steps represent an investment of time and energy, but Strickland is more than satisfied with the results that he’s received.

“This gives the small guy an edge,” said Strickland, “especially recruiting firms that market locally for candidates.”

The good news is that most recruiting firm owners are unaware that such free resources exist.  As a result, they’re not taking advantage of them.  Owners who research and employ this resource will gain a decided advantage when it comes to search engine optimization and their ability to drive local visitors to their recruiting website.

According to Strickland’s estimates, it took him 60 days to get on the first page of the search results and 90 days to get to the top of the list.

Strickland provides free information to recruiters about this resource, but he’s also available as a consultant for those recruiters who want to delve deeper into it and maximize the benefits that it can provide for their firm’s website.

“It’s just a geeky thing that I enjoy doing,” said Strickland.  “I love that side of recruiting.”

You can contact Strickland at (910) 452-1855 or via email at jim@wilmingtonlocalmobile.com.

The Pinnacle has undergone several transformations in recent years, and it continues to evolve—namely because we want to produce content that Preferred Members of the Network want to read.  With that in mind, we recently solicited feedback from Network recruiters about the type of information that they would like to see presented in what is now called The Pinnacle Newsletter Blog.

What Network recruiters want

To understand what a Preferred Member of Top Echelon Network wants in a newsletter, one must understand what a Preferred Member wants in general as a recruiter.  After reviewing the feedback that was sent to us, those things appear to be the following (more or less):

• General recruiter training
• Training on Top Echelon Network’s software and tools
• Training on Top Echelon’s other services, such as the Big Biller recruiting software and the Hiring Hook recruitment website design
• Information about new advances and trends in recruiting
• Information about how to use social networking (effectively) in recruiting
• Updates about how the Network is improving its software and systems
• Updates about how the Network is working to help its Members make more split placements, including through The Four Pillars of Quality, Communication, Trust, and Active Participation

I’m sure there are probably more, but these represent the major wants of Preferred Members in terms of newsletter content.  As you can see, these wants are numerous and diverse.  There’s not just one—or a couple of things—that Preferred Members are seeking.

Sayonara . . . and success stories

Before we continue, a quick word about what you won’t be finding in The Pinnacle Newsletter Blog in the future.  Although the items below have appeared in the newsletter in the past, they also appear in the Members’ Area . . . so sayonara, so to speak.

• Applying for Membership
• New Preferred Members
• Recent split placements

Okay, now in addition to articles pertaining to the first list presented above—the one detailing the wants of the Preferred Membership in terms of newsletter content—there will be one additional element in The Pinnacle Newsletter Blog.  That element involves success stories of the Network, articles that focus on recruiters who have made the Network work for them and are making split placements because of it.

“‘Comments’ and Compliments,” one of our most popular features, will be part of these success stories, as will recruiter profiles and focus pieces on specific Trading Partner relationships.  The reason we believe that articles about Network success are important is because they show, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that the Top Echelon Network split placement system works and they also show exactly how some recruiters making that system work for them.  Think of it as Network training articles by other Network recruiters.

All of that being said, we still want your feedback and your thoughts.  The Pinnacle is a constantly changing and evolving part of Top Echelon Network, and we want to make sure that it’s constantly evolving into exactly what Network recruiters want.  So give me a call or send me an email.  I promise I won’t bite.

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

At Top Echelon Network, we want to help you as much as possible.  Of course, what we want to help you the most with is making split placements.  After all, that’s the name of the game.

Making the Network work for you so that you can make those split placements involves many moving parts.  (Although if you want to simplify things drastically, focusing on The Four Pillars of Top Echelon Network is a great place to start.)  One of the moving parts of which I speak is the Network software, including the Members’ Area and also “Splitsville,” which is the social media aspect of the software.

Providing training that deals with these specific areas of the Network software is one way in which we want to help Preferred Member recruiters . . . and we’ll soon be providing just such training.  The training that I’d like to discuss in this blog post, though, deals not with full-fledged training videos or long articles, but instead with short informational videos.

These videos will be 30 seconds to 60 seconds in duration, and they’ll be located within the software.  Specifically, they’ll be located right next to the written part of the website that also deals with that topic.  For example, next to the section in the software titled “Golden Rules” or “Policies,” there will be a small video icon.  When you click on that icon, a window will automatically open containing a video overview of the “Golden Rules” or Policies.

Are these videos meant to be comprehensive in nature?  Obviously not, since they’ll be anywhere between 30 and 60 seconds long.  However, they are designed to provide enough information so that the person watching will have a working knowledge of the topics covered.

“The Golden Rules” and the Policies are just two of the subjects that we’ll be addressing with these videos.  Below is a short list of some other topics in the queue:

• The Frequent Placer Program (FPP)
• The four-stage application process
• The placement forms
• Alerts

What’s the timeframe for these videos?  In other words, when will they be made available?  Well, we’re not going to wait until they’re completely finished before releasing them.  First of all, we don’t know how many there are going to be.  We might think of others while we’re filming the ones from our initial list.  Second, why make you wait?  We’ll incorporate the videos into the software on an individual basis as soon as they’re ready.  And remember . . . these videos aren’t just for newer Members.  They’re for any Preferred Member recruiter who wants to know more about the Network.

What do you think?  What other topics should be included in this series of training videos?  What else do you believe we should include in our training for Top Echelon Network, video-related or not?  We welcome your feedback.  That’s how we make our systems better . . . and it’s also how we roll.

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

In this week’s episode of “Top Echelon TV,” Communications Coordinator Matt Deutsch and Membership Development Coordinator Drea Codispoti discuss how the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) affects what a recruiter does and how a recruiter works.

By following the guidelines set forth by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, recruiters can avoid trouble, legal or otherwise.  Because if the EEOC doesn’t get you . . . the “Karma Police” will.