It’s back!

The Top Echelon Network Annual Ohio Golf Outing will be held on Thursday, July 14, at Windmill Lakes Golf Club in Ravenna, Ohio.

Believe it or not, this is the ninth time that the golf outing has been held (there were two events the first year).  Each year, between 20 and 30 Preferred Member recruiters attend the event, and they enjoy a day filled with fun, camaraderie, food and drink, and of course, golf.  (For some people, golf doesn’t often equate to fun . . . at least not on every hole.)

As has been a common practice at the event, guests of Preferred Member recruiters are invited to attend, and Members are also encouraged to invite clients or candidates, as well.  These types of guests have attended in the past, and the experience has always been a positive one.

In addition, Jim Fitzpatrick of Fitzpatrick & Associates, Inc. (who, coincidentally, is “The Recruiter of the Month” in the Network for the month of May) has something special planned for those in attendance.  What is it?  Details are confidential, but if Fitz is involved, it must be fun.

If you’d like to attend the golf outing, please contact Debra L. Stitt, CPC of Quality Source, Inc. of Ohio at Debra@QualitySourceInc.com.

The recruiters below obviously had fun at last year’s golf outing, and there’s more fun to be had this year.  So if you’ll be in the area and want to mix business and fun, make plans to attend this year’s event!

The next meeting of the Northeast Ohio Regional Core Group is scheduled for 7:30 a.m. on Thursday, June 16, at Shula’s Steak House II in Independence, Ohio.  It’s recommended that attendees arrive at 7:15 a.m. if they’d like to engage in some pre-meeting networking prior to breakfast.

If you plan to attend, please bring your hot job orders and/or candidates to share, along with any other topic you wish to discuss.  This is an open discussion meeting.

As a reminder, there’s no meeting scheduled in July because of the Annual Ohio Golf Outing.  Recruiters are encouraged to sign up for the golf outing, if they haven’t done so already.  It’s a great event for networking and fun that has led to many split placements down through the years.

Below is the address and phone number for Shula’s Steak House II:

6200 Quarry Lane
Independence, Ohio 44131
216.901.7852

If you’d like to promote your Regional Core Group meetings in The Pinnacle Newsletter Blog, send an email to marketing@TopEchelon.com.

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

We at Top Echelon Network are continually emphasizing that Preferred Member recruiters should meet one another on a face-to-face basis.  That’s one of the many reasons we hold a National Convention and Fall Conference every year.  (Because it all leads to split placements!)

But we also like to encourage Preferred Members to meet outside of those events, and as often as possible.  If you have information and/or a photo of your latest face-to-face meeting with another Member, please send that information to marketing@TopEchelon.com.

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Bob Gabor of The Gabor Group in Akron, Ohio, and John Snyder of CareersPro, Inc. in Fort Wayne, Ind., met each other face-to-face recently at the Acapulco Grill in Angola, Ind.  Bob emailed the picture below, as well as the accompanying information, to Membership Development Coordinator Drea Codispoti.

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“Drea, I know Snyder already sent you the picture, but here is the rest of the story.  And the food was well worth the side trip to Angola.  The company, too.

I liked having lunch with Snyds.  It was one of the best (most authentic) Mexican restaurants I’ve been to this side of the border.
 
Five things I learned at lunch.
 
1.) His Spanish is excellent . . . shocked the waitress . . . English, not so much.
2.) Snyds does not look Mexican . . . see #1 and the picture (editor’s note: Snyder is on the left).
3.) Focker knows his Mexican food.
4.) I could play center on his basketball team!  (I did ask him to stand up for the picture.)
5.) Shaved heads need sun screen before you go outside.
 
Thanks again, Snyds.  Who knew Angola, Indiana, had such a pretty lake community just a few miles off the turnpike?”

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Remember, if you have information and/or a photo of your latest face-to-face meeting with another Member, please send that information to marketing@TopEchelon.com.  You’ll receive Frequent Placer Program (FPP) points, like Bob and John did.  And you might make more split placements!  (Editor’s Note: Bob has made 45 placements in Top Echelon Network, and John has made 12 Network placements.)

We at Top Echelon Network are continually emphasizing that Preferred Member recruiters should meet one another on a face-to-face basis.  That’s one of the many reasons we hold a National Convention and Fall Conference every year.  (Because it all leads to split placements!)  But we also like to encourage Members to meet outside of those events, and as often as possible.  If you have information and/or a photo of your latest face-to-face meeting with another Member, please send that information to marketing@TopEchelon.com.

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Debra Stitt, CPC of Quality Source Inc. of Ohio in Lakewood, Ohio, and John Zurek of Zurek Professional Resources, LLC in St. Petersburg, Fla., met each other face-to-face on Friday, February 11.  Debra emailed the picture below, as well as the accompanying information, to Top Echelon Network.

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“Well, today was a good day!  Zurek and Stitt finally meet face-to-face.  JZ lives in St. Petersburg, Fla., and I now spend the winters in Boynton Beach, Fla.  John and I (my John) had our annual golf trip with friends from Ohio, and this year it was in Tampa.  So, we made the trip up from southern Florida.  Since Tampa and St. Petersburg are neighbors, it was a perfect opportunity for two veteran Top Echelon Network Members to meet . . . so we made it happen.  JZ also brought his lovely wife, Pat, who I really enjoyed!  What a nice person!  Unfortunately, she doesn’t appear in the photo we took.
 
“We broke bread, shared good conversation, and had a few laughs at Giordano’s—known for its authentic, stuffed, Chicago-style pizza.  Mmmm-mmmm-mmmm!
 
“Meeting in person is awesome!  I’m so glad we made it a priority!”

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Remember, if you have information and/or a photo of your latest face-to-face meeting with another Member, please send that information to marketing@TopEchelon.com.  You’ll receive Frequent Placer Program (FPP) points, like Debra and John did.  And you might make more split placements!  We’re not kidding . . . hey, come back here!  (Editor’s Note: John has made 59 placements in Top Echelon Network, and Debra has made 29 Network placements.)

The next meeting of the Northeast Ohio Regional Core Group is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Thursday, March 24, at Shula’s Steak II in Independence, Ohio.  It’s recommended that attendees arrive at 5:45 p.m. if they’d like to engage in some pre-meeting networking.

There will be a special guest speaker at this meeting.  That speaker is Greg Reynolds, Director of Client Development at Dise & Company, a regional HR consulting firm specializing in retained search, outplacement, and coaching.  Reynolds also runs the Chagrin Valley Job Seekers Group.

A Certified Personnel Consultant (CPC), Reynolds worked as a recruiter for Aim Executive, where he was consistently in the top 20% of the recruiting team in billings.  He then transitioned into the delivery of outplacement services at Aim as that practice area grew.

Prior to joining Dise & Company, Reynolds worked for two of the national outplacement firms.  His work has taken him all over the United States, portions of Canada, and even to Panama to assist employees affected by the handoff of the canal to the Panamanian government.

“Greg is a self-described recovering HR Weenie who came to the other side 25 years ago,” said Core Group member David M. Sgro of True North Consultants, Inc.  “He says he still goes to WA (Weenies Anonymous) meetings one night a week to maintain his Weenie Sobriety and his sanity.”

What meeting attendees can expect to gain from Reynolds’s 30-minute presentation:

• Why outplacement is a valuable service for your clients
• How being connected to job search support groups and outplacement firms can shorten the time to placement
• How to grow your business by setting more sales meetings

Following the presentation, those in attendance will share hot job orders and candidates.  There is no need to RSVP for this meeting.  If you’d like attend, just show up!

Below is the address and phone number for Shula’s Steak II:

6200 Quarry Lane
Independence, Ohio 44131
216.901.7852

If you’d like to promote your Regional Core Group meetings in The Pinnacle Newsletter Blog, send an email to marketing@TopEchelon.com.

If there’s one thing that we know about our conferences and conventions, it’s that they hold value for those Preferred Member recruiters who choose to attend.  And the recruiters who attend these events know that they hold value, as well.  In fact, a few of those recruiters agreed to talk about that value.  Incidentally, all of these recruiters are currently registered for the upcoming 2011 National Convention.  So, without further adieu . . .
“I would like to thank TE for their continuing efforts to host conferences that relevant, educational and fun!

After having worked for one of the top recruiting firms in the country for the first five years of my career; I took a chance on myself and started my own firm fifteen years ago.  I am not sure how far I would have gotten if I had not been lucky enough to have discovered TE.  My business is intricately connected with most of TE’s services but one of the most useful services TE has to offer is the yearly conferences.

In the fifteen years that  I have been attending TE conferences I have never failed to come away with valuable tools and a fresh insight into our industry.  The TE staff and TE membership are among the most helpful, honest and talented people in our industry today.   I highly recommend every one of the TE membership make the investment in themselves and attend the2011 National Conference this year.

Jill Kohler-Easley of the Easley Resource Group

“It’s always good to get away from the day to day  business grind and  meet Peers who you have worked with over the past year.I think these face discussions whether they are in a social or business setting go a long way to building better business relationships. It does help to recharge your batteries. The exchange of new ideas and approaches is another positive reason to attend. Looking at your business in a different way can be beneficial.”

Eric Berg of JN Adams & Associates, Inc.

“Every time I go to a TE convention I meet someone new and as a result we have been able to make splits.  The most stupid example is  – Lloyd Shoemaker and I, he’s about an hour up I-75 from me, never even knew each other existed, sat at a TE Saturday night dinner together and now I am one of his  go-to person for IT and Accounting positions.  Whenever a  I have an ERP related IT position I will always make Sean Napoles aware of it and of course I have met Sean numerous times at conventions.  I have been a member of a number of networks over the 30+ years I have been recruiting and although this job might  be done by email and over the phone – I think we all know that face-to-face the only way we can make a placement!”

Cindy Andrew Cordell of Corporate Resources, LLC

As you can see, the value that Top Echelon conferences and conventions hold can take a number of different forms.  However, there is value in attending, and you can attend the National Convention at the low price of just $345 per person during the Early Bird Registration period.  Don’t let this opportunity pass you by.  Login to the Members’ Area today and sign up for the convention.  We hope to see you there!

Five Network placements in the past two years . . .  a “Success Story” profile in The Pinnacle Newsletter Blog . . . part of one of the most successful recruiting firms in Top Echelon Network.  However, that all might pale in comparison to what Betsy Vincent of The Williams Company accomplished recently.

That’s right . . . Betsy won the Top Echelon Network Fantasy Football League!  Below is confirmation of that fact, in the form of an email sent to the Top Echelon Network offices by Jed Davis of Carroll Technology Services, Inc.

“Well, gang, the Top Echelon Network Fantasy Football League wrapped up last week with a new champion—Betsy Vincent of the Williams Company.  Her team, Beezer, was one of the top teams all season long, and she really turned it on during the playoffs beating yours truly (Birdland Bums) soundly, 142-101.  For the bronze medal, Steve Hillman’s Spoilermakers overcame an 0-4 start to finish the season on a high note, beating last year’s champion, Don Walker’s Eagles, for third place.

“Thanks to all who played and managed their teams for the entire season, regardless of record.  Hope to see you all back next year!”

Congratulations, Betsy, from everybody at Top Echelon Network!  (Except maybe those people who have played fantasy football year after year after year and never won anything . . . not that we’re jealous or anything . . . just sayin’.)

The Fort Wayne Regional Core Group recently held its annual holiday party, and those in attendance were good enough to snap a photo and email it to the Top Echelon Network offices.  (Actually, they sent two photos . . . the second is just a variation of the first, as you shall see).

Back row, left to right—Don Walker, CPC of Search Team One; Bill Quackenbush, CPC/CTS of QCI Technical Staffing; Steve Hillman of The Summit Group, LLC; and Susie Carr of KB Search Team, LLC

Middle row, left to right—Tom Havey of Corporate Management Solutions, Inc.; Pat McCombs of KB Search Team, LLC; Jessica Diemer of KB Search Team, LLC; and Kathy Bruns of KB Search Team, LLC

Front row, left to right—Brenda Wylie-Biggs of KB Search Team, LLC; Maria Hemminger of MJ Recruiters, LLC; Joanna Spaun of MJ Recruiters, LLC; and Rhonda Dove of KB Search Team, LLC

What were the recruiters told to do for this photo?  We’d like to know . . . we’d truly like to know.  It’s entertaining, in any event.

Remember, if you have photos from a recent Regional Core Group meeting, be sure to email them to marketing@TopEchelon.com.  And yes, you can make them as entertaining as you would like.

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.

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