profile updated Mar 6, 2008, 11:48 PM
If you've never heard of Top Echelon, you must be new to the business or have worked only in a corporate environment. (Or you just don't get out much!)
You can bet, though, that every independent, every headhunter and 3rd party recruiter has heard of this splits network, even if they don't know about the software development and back-office contracting companies that are part of the Top Echelon family.
It's the subscription membership that made Top Echelon famous, not to mention one of the most economically successful recruiter networks in the world. There are multiple services that subscribing recruiters receive, but at the heart is the splits board where recruiters with assignments and those with candidates make matches and split the fee. Top Echelon makes 6% for making the match. Not everyone gets to participate; splits placements are limited to preferred members and becoming a preferred member is not just a matter of filling out the application and paying the fee. The company keeps a tight rein on who it lets in, which is part of the reason why the system works. Affiliate members, who pay $69 a month, about half the preferred member fee, may envy their preferred colleagues, but they do get access to a database of 1 million submitted and spidered resumes as well as job posting privileges and an automated job posting tool. There's more: There's BigBiller, an online ATS designed for small offices and independents that performs the basic functions of parsing, storing, and searching, and Top Echelon Contracting, a back-office service for recruiters who want to handle temp and contract assignments but don't want the headache of managing employees.
One last note. There's an unabashed declaration of religious faith on the site by founder and president Mike Kappel. He prefaces it with a warning in red type not to read it if such things offend.
News & Updates 
Products & Services
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Top Echelon Network
The subscription membership network for independent recruiters. Two levels of membership with preferred members required to provide references as well as splits history in order to gain access to the splits board. All members get access to a job post distribution tool, online resources and a database of 1 million new and passive candidate resumes. -
BigBiller
An online, over the web ATS useful for small offices. It automates resume storage parsing standard resume to create individual searchable records. It integrates with an existing web site to accept resumes and applications. There's also a planner and a basic CRM capability. -
Top Echelon Contracting
A full service back office for temp and contract workers. You source and place the workers, Top Echelon Contracting does the rest, including the accounting, payroll, billing, employee benefits and legal issues.