Why a Hall of Famer Keeps Attending TE Connect

You would think that once a recruiter has been inducted into the Top Echelon Hall of Fame, they wouldn’t bother attending any more TE Network events. I mean, after all, they probably know everything by now, right?

Matthew Deutsch

Ann has completed 76 split placements through TE Network and billed nearly $1 million in Network fees. Those numbers place her among the Network’s most accomplished recruiters, but they also reinforce a lesson she has learned over years of collaboration: the strongest recruiting relationships are often built face to face.

That belief is one of the biggest reasons she’ll be in Chicago in October for TE Connect Fall 2026.

“I usually make at least ONE placement every time I attend these in-person events,” said Ann. “I’ve been working with multiple recruiters who I met for the first time there and others I’ve met before. I’ve not made a placement since the last TE Conference in Tampa, but I know it’s just a matter of time. I still have 2½ months to close one.”

For Ann, the conference is an opportunity to strengthen existing relationships, establish new ones, and create opportunities that often translate into future split placements.

Relationships Lead to Results

One of the defining features of TE Connect is the opportunity to meet fellow recruiters from across the country in person. While recruiters communicate regularly throughout the year through phone calls, emails, and the TE Network platform, nothing replaces the trust that develops when people spend time together.

Ann has seen that firsthand.

Over the years, she has made it a priority to expand her network every time she attends a conference rather than simply spending time with recruiters she already knows. That approach has led to some of her most successful professional relationships.

“Drea [Codispoti] always encourages us to NOT sit with people we know,” Ann said. “I try to meet every single person at every conference I attend.”

That philosophy paid off during TE Connect Fall 2022 in Chicago.

“In Chicago in the fall of 2022, I invited a woman I’d never seen before to join our table for breakfast,” she recalled. “Christina Boudreaux and I completed a search before the spring 2023 conference in New Orleans and took our successful candidate out to dinner. We’ve split over $260K in fees in a total of six searches since then.”

It’s a remarkable example of how a simple conversation over breakfast can evolve into a highly productive recruiting relationship. Rather than viewing the conference as a series of educational sessions alone, Ann approaches every event as an opportunity to build meaningful connections that can continue generating results for years.

Her story illustrates a point that many successful TE Network recruiters understand well. Every person in the room represents the possibility of future collaboration. A recruiter you meet for the first time today may become someone with whom you complete multiple placements over the next several years.

Investing in New Recruiters Strengthens the Network

Although Ann has achieved impressive success within TE Network, she remains focused on helping others succeed, as well.

Ann Boland

As the Network continues to grow, each conference welcomes first-time attendees who are eager to learn how to maximize the value of their membership. Ann believes experienced recruiters have an opportunity to shorten that learning curve by sharing what they’ve learned.

“I hope to meet as many new people who’ve joined the Network as I can,” she said when asked what she hopes to gain from this year’s conference. “I’ve talked with a number of first-time attendees from the last conference, and you can save new members a lot of time just by investing time in them up front.”

That willingness to help newer members reflects one of the qualities that has long distinguished TE Network. While recruiters naturally compete in the marketplace, they also recognize that everyone benefits when members build stronger relationships, communicate openly, and learn from one another.

For new recruiters, a conversation with someone who has completed 76 split placements can provide insights that might otherwise take years to acquire. For experienced recruiters like Ann, sharing those lessons often leads to new relationships that benefit everyone involved.

The conference creates an environment where those conversations happen naturally, whether during educational sessions, networking breaks, meals, or informal discussions between presentations.

Trust Makes All the Difference

Ask Ann why recruiters should attend a TE Network event, and her answer centers on one word: trust. (Which, as you may or may not know, is one of The Four Pillars of TE Network.)

“You wouldn’t consider hiring an employee you’ve never met,” she said. “My membership in TE makes it possible for me to not have to manage people. I’ve met in person almost every recruiter with whom I’ve done a split in TE. It makes all the difference—trust, confidence, etc.”

Those relationships become especially important when recruiters are working together to fill critical positions. Split recruiting requires confidence in another recruiter’s professionalism, communication, and commitment to delivering exceptional candidates. Meeting in person provides a level of familiarity that simply can’t be replicated through emails or phone calls.

For Ann, those face-to-face interactions have helped create relationships that continue producing successful searches long after the conference has ended.

Her nearly $1 million in Network billings demonstrates what’s possible when recruiters consistently invest in building those relationships. While technology makes it easier than ever to communicate remotely, TE Connect continues to prove that personal interaction remains one of the most valuable business development tools available.

As recruiters gather in Chicago this October, many will arrive hoping to sharpen their recruiting skills, learn new strategies, and expand their professional networks. Ann’s experience suggests that they’ll likely leave with something even more valuable: relationships that can generate placements for years to come.

Join Us in Chicago This Fall

TE Connect Fall 2026 will take place Thursday and Friday, October 29 and 30, at the Sheraton Suites Chicago O’Hare in Chicago.

Early Bird Registration is just $375 per person and includes product insight and software training, recruiter-to-recruiter networking, and practical strategies that attendees can immediately apply to their recruiting businesses.

Whether you’re attending your first TE Connect or returning as a seasoned Network recruiter, the conference offers an opportunity to strengthen relationships, exchange ideas, and discover new opportunities for collaboration.

As Ann Boland’s experience demonstrates, one conversation, one introduction, or even one shared breakfast can become the beginning of a recruiting relationship that produces exceptional results well into the future.