There are many advantages to being a Preferred Member firm, and we at Top Echelon Network are continually seeking ways to add to those advantages.

We believe we’ve done so with our new agreement with one of the premier recruiter training organizations in the industry, Next Level Exchange (www.nextlevelexchange.com).  They offer a variety of high-quality, on-target training programs for recruiters.  The Exchange itself contains over 60 streaming training videos, a 20+ hour Foundation Training Program, and an ever-expanding NLE Library with scripts, recorded calls, video clips, articles, and more.

Under the terms of this agreement, the more Network firms that use Next Level Exchange, the deeper the discount will be for those firms.

For example, once there are 10 Network Member firms using Next Level, the monthly subscription rate will be reduced by 10%.  Once there are 15 firms signed up, the discount will be 15%, and when there are 20 firms, the discount will increase to 20%, and so on in that fashion. The maximum discount available under this agreement is 50% (if 50 Preferred Member firms sign up for Next Level’s monthly service).  Below are some other details of the agreement:

• There is no deadline; you can sign up at any time.
• For each additional five Member firms that sign up, your Next Level Exchange invoice will be automatically reduced by 5%.
• There’s nothing else you need to do to receive this discounted rate—besides encouraging other Members to take advantage of the program!

Below is a complete breakdown of this agreement:

Okay . . . so how do you get started?  In short, you get started with Next Level Exchange’s FREE two-week trial.  There are two ways to do this:

1. Send an email to orders@nextlevelexchange.com.  In the email, identify yourself as a Top Echelon Network Preferred Member recruiter and indicate your desire to start a free two-week trial.
2. Click here to sign up for your free trial right now. Keep in mind that you will have to enter a credit card number. After your trial starts, a Next Level representative will contact you.  At that time, you can identify yourself as a Preferred Member and ask questions about the training or this special deal.  If you decide you don’t want the service, then you must cancel it before the end of your trial period.

A testimonial from one of our own Preferred Member recruiters is below.  We’re pleased to be able to offer this deal to our Members, and we hope that it helps you increase the production of your firm, as well as the value that you provide to YOUR clients.

Sign up for a free two-week trial today to get started on this exclusive offer between Top Echelon Network and Next Level Exchange!

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“I am a strong believer in continuous process improvement and the need to remain sharp in our skills (even as experienced recruiters) is essential in this competitive recruiting marketplace.  Perhaps I should say, especially as experienced recruiters since those of us in the business for 5 or more years tend to get set in our ways.  Getting into a rut or a slump becomes easier with each passing year in the business without continuous training.

The foundation training modules with accompanying materials are top-shelf; it is the best training I have seen and I have tried others.  I use the NLE two ways: first as continued training for myself and my experienced recruiters and second, as material for our morning sales meetings.  I intend on using it for new recruiter training later this summer when we hire our third recruiter.  It is a no-brainer and anyone who takes a look at the training will quickly see the value.  The only way you can’t get a return on your investment is if you don’t use it.”

Juli Smith, President
The Smith Consulting Group LLC

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330.455.1433, Ext. 172
mdemaree@topechelon.com
Connect with Mark on LinkedIn.
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The Top Echelon Network offices will be closed on Wednesday, July 4, in observance of the Independence Day holiday. The offices will re-open at 8 a.m. the following day, Thursday, July 5.

I’d like to take this moment to wish everybody a fun and safe holiday.  With temperatures expected to be in the 90s (and even the 100s) all during the week throughout the country, be sure to take the proper precautions while celebrating the holiday.

I’d also like to mention the tremendous sacrifices that have been made by those serving in the military.  Many of you have served this country in one capacity or another during your lives, and I want to thank you for both your service and your commitment.

So be safe, have fun, and stay cool.  We’ll be back in the office with you on Thursday!

Have a great holiday!

This is the week for great announcements in Top Echelon Network’s Pinnacle Newsletter Blog.  (That’s what you’re reading . . . in case you were wondering.)

Not only are we pleased to announce that Preferred Member recruiter Denise Milano Sprung of JA Pharma, Inc. recently earned her Certified Personnel Consultant (CPC) designation from the National Association of Personnel Sercvies (NAPS), but we’re also happy to announce a promotion at a Preferred Member firm.

That firm is Corporate Resources, Inc., in Overland Park, Kansas and the promotion involves firm member Brandon Wofford.

Below is an email sent to the Top Echelon Network offices by Corporate Resources firm owner Tom Windsor containing details regarding the promotion:

“Effective June 1, 2012, Brandon was promoted and is now CRI’s Talent Acquisition Specialist.  He will continue to have some additional responsibilities, but his primary focus will be relative to developing source strategies, the e-marketing initiatives, conducting preliminary candidate interviews, and developing candidates (both new and revived from our database) predominantly in support of our internal searches, as well as those of our Trading Partners that we feel we can support.”

For more information about Corporate Resources, Inc., including the industries and specialties in which it works, check out the Preferred Member firm’s profile page in “Splitsville.”

If you have an announcement that you’d like to see published in The Pinnacle Newsletter Blog, send your information to marketing@topechelon.com.

Top Echelon has long been a proponent of continuous training and education.  That’s why we’re pleased to announce that Preferred Member recruiter Denise Milano Sprung of JA Pharma, Inc. recently earned her Certified Personnel Consultant (CPC) designation!

The National Association of Personnel Services (NAPS) awards the designation to recruiters who pass the CPC exam.  Below is information from the NAPS website that describes the various designations that are available to recruiters who wish to pursue them:

“Since 1961, NAPS has awarded more than 10,000 professional credentials to recruiting and staffing professionals.  Today, NAPS awards five different professional credentials.

Credentialing began with the Certified Personnel Consultant (CPC) in 1961.  The Certified Temporary-Staffing Specialist (CTS) was added in 1989.  We now have over 300 professionals who are dually certified as CPC and CTS.

The NAPS commitment to credentialing continues with its two most recent credentialing programs, Certified Employee Retention Specialist (CERS) introduced in 2006, and our first credentialing program specifically designed for staffing and recruiting companies.

The NAPS Accredited Firm credential (NAF) was introduced in 2007.  NAPS also offers the first staffing specialty certification designation, the Physician Recruiting Consultant (PRC).”

For more information about NAPS and its certification program, visit the NAPS website.

Everybody at Top Echelon would like to congratulate Denise on earning her CPC designation and for continuing to pursue a high standard of excellence in the recruiting profession.

If you’ve earned a certification—either from NAPS or another organization—we want to know about it!  Send your information to marketing@topechelon.com, and we’ll publish it in a future issue of The Pinnacle Newsletter Blog!

Top Echelon Network celebrated its 24th anniversary last month.  What does that mean?

That we’re currently in our 25th year of existence!

Well, it means more than that, too.  It also means that we’ll be celebrating our 25th anniversary next year!

Top Echelon Network was founded by Mike Kappel in 1988.  As a result, we plan to celebrate 25 years of helping recruiters make placements (and split placements) throughout the rest of this year—and next year, too!

The first step: announcing that we’re going back to the TradeWinds Hotel in St. Petersburg, Fla., for the 2013 National Convention.

The TradeWinds was the site of our very first convention, which was held in 1990.  (It took a couple of years for the Network to grow to the point where holding a convention was necessary.)

There are many other details that we’ll be releasing in the weeks and months ahead, so be on the lookout for those.  In the meantime, make plans RIGHT NOW to join us for the 2013 National Convention.

You have the dates . . . you have the location . . . and it’s our 25th anniversary.

We don’t hope to see you there.  We expect to.

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330.455.1433, Ext. 172
MDemaree@TopEchelon.com
Connect with Mark on LinkedIn.
Follow Mark on Twitter.

Well, it’s that time of year again.  It’s actually that time of year again for a lot of things, but one of them is recognizing the Top Producers in Top Echelon Network during the previous calendar year.

Of course, we’ll be formally recognizing these Preferred Member recruiters at the upcoming 2012 National Convention at the Gaylord Opryland Resort in Nashville, Tenn., next month, but in the meantime, we’d also like to recognize them in The Pinnacle Newsletter Blog.

We’re going to start with the Top 10 Producers Overall in the Network during the 2011 calendar year.  The number-one recruiter for 2011 was Trey Cameron of the Cameron Craig Group.  Cameron was fourth in 2010, and he made the leap to the top spot last year.

Sean Napoles, CPC of Career Brokers, Inc., who was number-one in 2010, was second last year.  Jim Strickland of BioSource International broke into the Top 10 by finishing in third place.

Below is the complete list of the Top 10 Producers Overall for 2011:

1st—Trey Cameron of the Cameron Craig Group

2nd—Sean Napoles, CPC of Career Brokers, Inc.

3rd—Jim Strickland of BioSource International

4th—Denise Milano Sprung of JA Pharma, Inc.

5th—Russell Schutt, CSP of Progressive Executive, Inc.

6th—Angela Marasco of A. Marasco Recruiting, LLC

7th—Judy Kaplan of Prof’l Recruiting Consultants

8th—David M. Sgro, CPC of True North Consultants, Inc.

9th—Steve Brody of Executive Resource Systems

10th—Jim Fitzpatrick of Fitzpatrick & Associates

We’d like to congratulate all of these recruiters and thank them for their hard work and dedication as Preferred Members of our Network.  Their efforts are greatly appreciated, and we certainly wish them even more success in the future.

We’ll be publishing the winners of other 2011 awards in future issues of The Pinnacle Newsletter Blog.

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330.455.1433, Ext. 172
MDemaree@TopEchelon.com
Connect with Mark on LinkedIn.
Follow Mark on Twitter.