Communications Coordinator Matt Deutsch and Membership Development Coordinator Drea Codispoti announce the winner of “Top Echelon Network’s Craziest Recruiting Story of 2010” contest.  And the winner is . . . Coleen Balogh-Walther of The Provident Search Group, Inc.  But her story isn’t the only one we highlight in this episode of “Top Echelon TV.”  We also give honorable mention status to a story submitted by Joe Noto of the Regency Search Group, one that’s crazy in two languages (but alas, happened in 2009).

For those of you who submitted stories, but didn’t win . . . don’t worry.  We might mention your story in a future episode, anyway.  Because we’re fun like that.  In the meantime, we want YOUR craziest recruiting story, not just from 2010, but of all-time.  You can email your stories to marketing@TopEchelon.com.  Or mail them in.  Or send them via pigeon.  We’re flexible.

We received the stories, we went through them, and we enjoyed reading them.  Just like we said we would.  And at the end of the day . . . we went to sleep.  But before we did that, we chose a winner, the “Craziest Recruiting Story of 2010.”

The story is a simple one, and the reason that we chose it is this one: it met the number-one criteria, the fact that it teetered on the edge of believability.  It wasn’t unbelievable, but we found it difficult to believe that a candidate would actually do this, especially one who was interviewing for the position of Employee Relations Manager.

The recruiter who submitted the story was Top Echelon Network Preferred Member Coleen Balogh-Walther of The Provident Search Group, Inc.  That story, in her own words, is below:

“I had a candidate interviewing for an Employee Relations Manager (Human Resources) position.  He had made it through several stages of the interview process and was interviewing with the General Manager and two Assistant General Managers, and throughout the interview, he repeatedly used the f-word!  Needless to say, they were offended and did not hire him.

“When I spoke to the candidate and told him WHY he was not getting the offer, his response was that he was not using the word to be offensive, but he was using it for effect.  I told him that if the effect was to NOT get the job, he succeeded!”

Congratulations, Coleen!  As promised, your story is being highlighted in The Pinnacle Newsletter Blog and will also receive mention in this week’s episode of “Top Echelon TV.”  I’d like to thank all of the recruiters who submitted stories to us.  They were all rather crazy, in their own individual ways, but unfortunately . . . there can be only one winner.

However, there was one submission that caught our eye in particular.  That’s because it would have won this year’s award IF it had happened this year.  But alas, it happened in 2009.  It was so crazy and so outrageous, though, that we decided to bestow it with an honorable mention status and also include it in The Pinnacle Newsletter Blog and “Top Echelon TV.”

The recruiter involved is Joe Noto of Regency Search Group.  And the story?  Well, we’ll let Joe tell you how it went down.

“A candidate I placed did not show up to start work as a General Manager of Mexican Operations in Juarez, Mexico.  It was four days before he contacted the client and me because he had been abducted by Mexican drug cartel/gang members and held captive.

“They stole his laptop, credit cards, cell phone and other personal items and threatened to kill his family.  They then cleaned out his bank accounts and later released him.  As unbelievable as all this is, it really happened, and the most unbelievable part is he still took the job, starting a couple of weeks later.”

We enjoyed some of the submitted stories so much that we might include them in selected future issues of The Pinnacle Newsletter Blog and episodes of “Top Echelon TV.”  In fact, we’ve had so much fun with this that I’d like to encourage you to send in your craziest recruiting stories of all-time.  Let’s open the floodgates.  I know the stories are out there.  They have to be.  This is recruiting we’re talking about!

So write them down and send them in.  The email address is marketing@TopEchelon.com.  We’ll be waiting.

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

Okay . . . the New Year is here.  No more screwing around (not that you’ve been screwing around; that’s just a figure of speech.)  What I mean is that despite all that’s happened during the past two years and the seemingly endless beating that recruiters have endured, the industry—as well as the economy—is poised on the edge of recovery.  Optimism is high, and confidence is commonplace.  As a Preferred Member of Top Echelon Network, that means, among other things, more split placements.

We have been and will continue to put an emphasis on the 2011 National Convention, and that’s because events like this help recruiters make split placements.  If I could double-bold that last sentence, I would.  When you meet other recruiters, you find out more about them, and when you find out more about them, you find it easier to work with them.  You want to work with them.  You look for ways to work with them, and desire precedes everything.  If you have a desire to make split placements, you WILL make split placements.

What we have at Top Echelon Network is a desire to help you make split placements.  We believe that attending the National Convention will help you make splits, and that’s why we’re offering a “Super Early Bird” Registration period until Friday, January 14.  The price for “Super Early Bird” is the lowest that we’ve ever offered for a National Convention: $275 per person.  But just as important as the affordable price are the recruiters in attendance, and I want to highlight those recruiters in this article by listing their names and agencies below.  Attend the convention, meet these recruiters, and make more split placements.  (WHERE is the double-bolding key?)

Jay Canowitz of Ives & Associates, Inc.
Vicki Marino of Recruiting Excellence
Marla C. Ray of Scientific Resources, Inc.
Cindy Stephens, CPC/CTS of Stephens International Recruiting, Inc.
Douglas Stephens of Stephens International Recruiting, Inc.
Tim Hopkins, CPC/CTS of Stephens International Recruiting, Inc.
Tamra Rhodes of TR Associates
Sean Napoles, CPC of Career Brokers, Inc.
Daniel Simmons, CPC of Continental Search and Outplacement, Inc.
Bob Wylan of R.A. Wylan and Company, Inc.
Cindy Andrew Cordell, CPC of Corporate Resources, LLC
Chris Ramsay of Corporate Resources, LLC
David M. Sgro of True North Consultants, LLC
Joe Noto of Regency Search Group
Dave N. David of Executive Research Associates
Melinda O’Neil of Enterprise Search Associates, LLC
Mike Aquino, CPC of MPA Companies, Inc.
David J. Sgro of True North Consultants, Inc.
Bob Small of Carroll Technology Services, Inc.
Bill Quackenbush, CPC/CTS of QCI Technical Staffing
Steve Brody of Executive Resource Systems
Cynthia Woods of Woods & Paolino Recruiting Solutions
Maria Hemminger of MJ Recruiters, LLC
Joanna Spaun of MJ Recruiters, LLC
John Paolino of Woods & Paolino Recruiting Solutions
Jim Folger of ONESource Technical, Inc.
Eric Berg of JN Adams & Associates, Inc.

View the preliminary agenda.
See who’s already registered.
Sign up for the convention.

— — —

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

At Top Echelon Network, we’re a flexible bunch.  We try to give people the benefit of the doubt . . . which is one of the reasons that we’re extending the deadline for submitting your craziest recruiting story of 2010 another few days.  Specifically, the new deadline is Friday, December 31, which makes sense, if you think about it.  The previous deadline was today—Wednesday, December 29.  What the heck.  What’s another couple of days?

After all, it’s the holidays, and things might just be hectic for some recruiters, both on their desk and within their firm, and there’s no downside to providing some flexibility.  Providing that flexibility also means that we’ll receive more submissions, and judging by the ones that we’ve already received, that can’t be a bad thing.  The ones we have so far are real doozies (to be expected), but I’m sure there are still some gems out there that have yet to be submitted.  So submit them!

As I’ve mentioned on more than one occasion, there are three ways you can submit your “Craziest Recruiting Story.”  Those three ways are listed below:

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

If your story is selected as the winner of the contest, then your story will be published (with your permission) in The Pinnacle Newsletter Blog, along with your name and your firm’s name (once again, with your permission; you can choose to be anonymous).  We’ll also announce the winning story on a future episode of “Top Echelon TV.”

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everybody who’s submitted stories to us thus far.  Your entries are appreciated, but more importantly, they’re crazy . . . which, of course, is the most important criteria for this contest.  If you haven’t submitted your story yet—and quite a few of you have not—then I encourage you to do so.  Take five minutes, dig deep into the recesses of your mind and track down those stories from this past year that made you scratch your head.  Or want to scream, for that matter.

So remember, the deadline has been pushed back to Friday, December 31. The exact deadline?  Midnight.  Why not?  Craziest recruiting stories of the year . . . the end of the year . . . it’s all good.

Exorcise the 2010 demons before 2011 starts.  It’ll be good for you.

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

This is more of a reminder blog post than anything else, because . . . well, there are some things I want to remind you about.

First and foremost are our holiday hours.  The Top Echelon Network offices will be closed on Friday, December 24 (this Friday), and Friday, December 31 (next Friday) in observance of the Christmas and New Year’s holidays.  The offices will re-open for business as usual at 8 a.m., Eastern Standard Time, on Monday, December 27, and Monday, January 3.

Okay, now that’s out of the way, on to “The Craziest Recruiting Story of 2010.”

As I mentioned last week, the deadline for submitting your craziest recruiting story of 2010 has been pushed back, to next Wednesday, December 29, as a matter of fact.  Also, as I’ve mentioned in the past, there are three ways you can submit your “Craziest Recruiting Story”:

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

Once again, the deadline for submitting your “Craziest Recruiting Story of 2010” is Wednesday, December 29.  We’ll announce the winner during the first part of January in the Recruiter Training Blog and also on “Top Echelon TV.”

Recruiters have already submitted their stories to us, and they’ve been pretty outrageous.  So think back to everything that’s happened during the past year and submit your “Craziest Recruiting Story of 2010.”

Consider yourself reminded.

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

Although we strive to fill The Pinnacle Newsletter Blog chock full of good stuff, we strive to do the same thing with the Top Echelon Recruiter Training Blog.  Some of the things we include in that blog are tips and strategies for success, trends in the industry, and golden nuggets of information that will help recruiters run their desks better and make more placements.

However, sometimes Preferred Members of Top Echelon’s recruiter network don’t always know what information is being published in the blog and when that information is available.  Consequently, I’ll be helping to fill the gaps by presenting some highlights from the Recruiter Training Blog in The Pinnacle Newsletter Blog (when time and space allow).

Below are some of the top posts from The Recruiter Training Blog this past week:

Recruiters, This is How You Make Sure Your Job Order is the Hottest—According to recruiting industry trainer and speaker Barb Bruno, CPC/CTS of Good as Gold Training, there are six pieces of information that you MUST get with every job order to ensure that the job order is the hottest.  If you don’t get these six pieces of information, then your job order isn’t hot . . . period.  Click here to read the blog post.

Companies’ Attitudes About Hiring: ‘Feast or Famine’ for Recruiters—Yours truly reveals the results of the latest Top Echelon Network Members’ Area Poll, which indicates that when it comes to companies’ attitudes toward hiring, it’s either “feast or famine” for recruiters.  Click here to read the blog post.

Making More Placements: Expectations are Everything, Part 1—We consulted Dave Knutson of The Knutson Group, LLC for this two-part series of blog posts that deal with managing the expectations of clients and candidates throughout the hiring process.  In the first part of the series, Knutson addresses the client side of the equation.

Making More Placements: Expectations are Everything, Part 2—First, it was clients.  In this post, Knutson breaks down what recruiters can do to manage the expectations of candidates.  By managing the expectations up front, you can avoid (unpleasant) surprises down the road.

Remember, the Recruiter Training Blog is updated on a consistent basis.  Be sure to check the blog regularly for news and information regarding general recruiting topics and trends.  As always, we want to know what YOU want to see, so . . . what do you want to see?  What areas of recruiting should we explore?  What topics should we address?  How can we make the blog better?  Hit us with your best shot.

— — —

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

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Last week, I announced our contest for “The Top Echelon Network Craziest Recruiting Story of 2010,” and now I have some additional news regarding that contest: we’ve moved back the deadline for submitting entries!

Originally, the deadline was next Wednesday, December 22.  However, since we won’t be announcing the winner until after the beginning of the new year, we decided that we could provide some additional time for recruiters to submit their craziest story of 2010.

That means the new deadline is two weeks from today—Wednesday, December 29.  And remember the rules for the contest (and really, there aren’t that many rules).  It could be a story about clients.  It could be a story about candidates.  It could be a story about another recruiter.  It doesn’t matter.  It just has to be something wild, outrageous, and if possible, unbelievable.

Actually, the more unbelievable, the better (as long as it’s true . . . don’t be a fibber).  And since we’re talking about the world of recruiting, I’m sure that plenty of unbelievable stories have occurred during the past year.

There are three ways you can submit your “Craziest Recruiting Story”:

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

Once again, the deadline for submitting your “Craziest Recruiting Story of 2010” is Wednesday, December 29.  We’ll announce the winner during the first part of January in the Recruiter Training Blog and also on “Top Echelon TV.”

We’ve already had recruiters submit their stories, not just for 2010, but from other years, as well.  And you know what?  That’s a-okay.  If you’d like to submit stories that didn’t happen this year, we’ll be happy to accept them and publish them in The Pinnacle Newsletter Blog at some point in the future.  After all, we’re not unreasonable.

So . . . what crazy things have happened to you this past year?  Does your story involve a candidate, a client, or another recruiter—or all three?  Did it cause you to lose a placement?  Did it cause you to lose hair?  Or consider retirement?  Move to Florida and play shuffleboard?  What?  Spill the beans.

Submit your story . . . and it might just be “The Top Echelon Network Craziest Recruiting Story of 2010.”

— — —

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

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ANY time is a crazy time to be a recruiter.  Let’s face it . . . with people on both ends of the sale, ridiculous things can and do happen.  Not only that, but 2010 could qualify as a unique year.  With a slow recovery, desperate candidates, and quirky clients, the year was rife with “craziness potential.”

And of course, we’d like to take advantage of it.

Well, not just take advantage of it, but also bring some levity to 2010 at the end of the year.  After all, if we can’t laugh at ourselves, what can we laugh at?  (Well, technically, we’re laughing at you and you’re laughing at yourself, but let’s not be technical.)

With all of that in mind, we’d like you to submit your craziest recruiting story of 2010.  It could be a story about clients.  It could be a story about candidates.  It could be a story about another recruiter.  It doesn’t matter.  It just has to be something wild, outrageous, and if possible, unbelievable.  Because after all, no matter how unbelievable it might be, if it happened in the world of recruiting, it’s much more plausible.

The deadline for submitting your craziest recruiting story of the year is Wednesday, December 22—two weeks from today.  After collecting the stories submitted to us by Preferred Members, Top Echelon Network officials will select a winner, “The Top Echelon Network Craziest Recruiting Story of the Year,” and announce the winner in both The Pinnacle Blog and also on “Top Echelon TV.”

Will there be a prize given to the recruiter who provides the craziest story?  Perhaps.  (We have to include some element of suspense, don’t we?)  Regardless, you can email your crazy story to marketing@TopEchelon.com.  And I know what you’re going to ask: can you submit more than one story?  Absolutely.  But of course, in the end, when all is said and done, only one story is going to win.

So go back through the year and think about all the crazy stuff that’s happened.  I’m sure there’s plenty.  Pick out your best story and send it to us.

It could be “Top Echelon Network’s Craziest Recruiting Story of the Year.”

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

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Would you like to attend the 2011 Top Echelon Network National Convention for FREE?

Well, here’s your chance . . . as well as your chance to find out why 2010 has been a good year for Preferred Member recruiter Bob Small of Carroll Technology Services, Inc.  Oh, and let’s not forget that the deadline for signing the new Top Echelon user agreement has been pushed back to Monday, December 6.  That being said, you may proceed . . .

Has 2010 been a tough year for recruiters?  You’d better believe it . . . but many recruiters have enjoyed better than average years. And some have enjoyed good years.

Not great years, but good years.  However, in this economy, good is sometimes plenty good enough.

Preferred Member recruiter Bob Small of Carroll Technology Services, Inc., is one of those recruiters who’s enjoyed a good year in 2010.  How has he done it?  In large part, by relying on his Trading Partners.

“It’s been a good year,” said Small.  “Not anything like the record levels in 2003 through 2007, but it’s definitely been a good year.”

Small is currently ranked 15^th in the Network in terms of overall production.  This year, though, not all of that production has been from direct-hire placements.

“I’ve had more contractors out there, which has been good,” said Small.  “I haven’t done much contracting in the past, but it’s been working out for me.”

A couple of the Trading Partners with which Small has worked extensively are Philip Bartfield of Bartfield Search, Inc., and Dave Sgro, Jr. of True North Consultants, LLC.  However, it was a conversation that Small had with Dave Sgro, Sr. of True North Consultants, LLC that helped change his perspective—and improve his Network production—this year.

“Dave told me that he tries to have a certain number of Top Echelon touches every week,” said Small.  “I thought to myself, ‘He’s right, I’ve become too content with the Maryland [Regional] Core Group and the Trading Partners I’m comfortable with.’  I decided I needed to reach out to other recruiters.”

Among the different recruiters that Small contacted were Ed Nathan of Systems Search and Linda Gutekunst of LR Solutions, LLC.

Bob Small

“I’m looking to do more things in Top Echelon and to expand my networking space,” said Small.  “I’ve been busy trying to find people for these recruiters’ job orders.”

Making the decision to move out of his comfort zone and have a certain number of “Top Echelon touches” every week has translated into more job orders for Small.  He has not only his own, but also those of other Network Members.  No matter how busy Small is, though, he still finds time to communicate consistently.

“I have a lot of job orders on my desk, but I’m still trying to keep in contact with other recruiters,” said Small.  “I like to let my Trading Partners know what’s going on, either through email or over the phone, but I also like to call other recruiters who have job orders and say, ‘Hey, I might be able to help you with that.’  I like to stay in touch with people, so they think of me and keep me in mind.”

Small started in the recruiting industry in 1988 and Carroll Technology Services, Inc., joined Top Echelon Network in 2004.  During the past six years, Small has made a total of 47 Network placements, ALL of them split placements.

Small has some advice for those Preferred Members who want to enjoy more success within Top Echelon Network.

“You’re not going to have success with every recruiter in the Network,” said Small.  “But if you don’t reach out and try, you’re not going to get anywhere.  You have to participate and you have to put forth the effort.”

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

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