Author: WAI Staff

Whitman Associates is a professional staffing agency serving businesses and job seekers in the Washington, D.C. area. Since 1972, we’ve been dedicated to matching highly qualified candidates with a wide variety of temporary, temp-to-hire and permanent positions. We prioritize the needs of both our clients and candidates to ensure successful, lasting relationships.

Recruiting Trends To Watch In 2019

WAI Staff

Each year, HR leaders anticipate learning about — and possibly adopting — a new crop of recruiting trends. It probably comes as no surprise that 2019 is brimming with its share of innovative hiring ideas and strategies.

Since recruiting has shifted so drastically over the past few years, it is more important than ever to keep up with all the latest industry inclinations to make sure you reach and attract the best talent to your organization.

Our recruiting specialists have discovered five trends to help you navigate and streamline your upcoming year in recruiting:

1. Employer Branding

There is no denying that hiring leaders are working in a candidate-driven market and must adjust accordingly. One way to meet this challenge is through the use of a focused marketing strategy to build your organization’s brand.

Forbes recommends working with a marketing team to come up with your ideal branding, using some of the following tactics:

  • Define how you want your company to be seen in the eyes of prospective employees — in terms of company culture and overall mission.
  • Make sure your reputation is in good condition, since 69 percent of jobseekers recently shared that they would decline a job with a company with a bad reputation, according to a recent survey.
  • Develop an employee value proposition that provides appropriate benefits in exchange for the education, skills and experience that a candidate can bring to the organization.

2. Inbound Talent Recruiting

Marketing strategies have evolved to tap into the vast resources available online. Since 45 percent of jobseekers check their mobile device at least once each day for a new job, this strategy continues to gain traction. With inbound marketing techniques such as search engine optimization and search engine marketing, you can effectively use various media to attract, convert and engage the talent needed for a given position.

3. Candidate User Experience

Candidate user experience refers to your prospective employees’ overall experience with the recruiting and hiring process — from filling out the application to orientation day. Your talent’s positive recruiting process will ultimately help your organization build its brand.

A positive candidate user experience might include the following features:

  • Simple and flexible application process: Provide a simple application process online and in your office.
  • Allow for initial phone or Skype interviews: Offer to perform the first round of interviews via telephone or Skype for added convenience.
  • Follow up with the candidate: A short note or form letter informing candidates of your choice of another candidate can spare your organization poor online reviews.

4. Text-Based Recruiting

Decades into texting, and many hiring managers have left text-based recruiting as one of the last media holdouts. However, given the employee shortage and the fact that today’s younger workers are texting devotees, it seems that HR representatives and recruiting specialists are ready to fully embrace this communications medium.

Here are a few reasons that text-based recruiting is highly likely to be a trend in 2019:

  • Texting has become the top form of communication among generations actively seeking employment.
  • Texting is quick and convenient while still personal and confidential.
  • The Society for Human Resource Management reports that recruiters receive relatively high response rates when using texting as the prime communication mode with talent.

5. Collaborative Hiring

Collaborative hiring may involve your HR department, managers from other departments and a trusted recruiting team. Together, you can all work to find excellent hires and avoid high-turnover rates.

Are You Interested in Learning More About These Recruiting Trends?

At Whitman Associates, we understand that it can be challenging for busy organizations and their HR teams when it comes to keeping up with the latest hiring trends. We are here and happy to help you navigate how to find the talent you need for your vital temporary, permanent and temp-to-perm positions.

Contact us to discuss your candidate needs today.

How To Write The Perfect Job Description To Attract The Most-Qualified Candidates

WAI Staff

Is it once again time to write a job description for a recently vacated or created position in your organization? Regardless, you may be exploring ways to maximize your job posting to attract the most-qualified candidate as effectively and quickly as possible.

By blending the facts you know about the position with some new strategies for conveying that information to awaiting candidates, you can certainly streamline the job description writing process.

First, Determine What You Want Your Job Posting to Accomplish

Following are five key points that you want your job post to accomplish, regardless of the nature of the position:

  1. It sells the position and your organization by sharing key information about both.
  2. It provides a list of technical requirements, soft skills and personality traits candidates need to prove they obtain.
  3. It homes in on candidates who will quickly adjust to their position and corporate culture by providing details about their respective nature. For example, more introverted job candidates may skip applying for the position if they see your company prides itself on its highly interactive culture.
  4. It is friendly and welcoming to anyone considering the role, whether a particular ad reader is ultimately the right candidate or not.
  5. It offers clear instructions on how and where to apply, along with the application deadline.

4 Steps to Writing an Effective Job Description

Review these four tips to see if they might help you enhance, debug or fully revamp your job description writing process to get the results you want:

  1. Define and summarize the position. In this step, you will gather the most vital information about the position. Set up a meeting with the department manager, requesting that he or she provides as much overarching information about the job as possible, as well as five or six day-to-day functions of the role. Here, you have the chance to paint a vivid portrait of the position for prospective candidates.
  2. List and clarify all experience and qualifications needed. It is important to let candidates know your requirements for a position early in the description, so they can either move on to the next posting or settle in to learn more about your organization and the job. List necessary qualifications — which may include the level of education completed, previous experience in the field, required certifications obtained and maintained, computer languages, data entry proficiency, writing and editing, and anything else crucial to performing the position and adding value to your business.
  3. Provide a detailed list of responsibilities and duties. Expanding on the overview of daily functions you provided in the summary, give potential candidates a more precise idea of what the job entails. For example, let candidates know whether their job is more teamwork-focused, or if they will regularly work independently. Additionally, let readers know how their position works within the larger framework of their department and the organization. This context informs prospects of the value that your organization places on their responsibilities.
  4. Use bullet points, numerical lists and strategic keywords for easy eye-scanning. Just like you end up reviewing multiple resumes and applications, your potential candidates spend countless hours reading through job boards, social media posts and employment forums. Putting the same volume of information into a tidy list is easier on the eyes for you and candidates. Also, make sure to use keywords germane to the position and the prospective candidates’ possible qualifications. For example, if you are a recruiter with an accounting firm and need a new accounting professional, season your job description with keywords such as “CPA”, “financial professional”, “certified public accountant” and “auditor”.

Would you like additional tips to tackle a particularly tricky job description in your queue? No matter what you need, our recruiting team at Whitman Associates features nearly five decades of collective recruiting success to help streamline your process and connect you with well-suited candidates.

Take the next step by calling (202) 659-2111 or filling out our staffing request form.

Referral Bonus!

WAI Staff

Whitman Associates, Inc. (WAI) would like to thank you for all of your hard work and continued support. With that being said, if you know of anyone who is looking for work, please let them know about Whitman! Whether they are between jobs, trying to get their foot in the door, new to the area or wanting to try out a company before committing, WAI would love to help them find that perfect job!

To show our appreciation for your thinking of us and referring your friend, WAI will treat you and your referral to a free coffee from Starbucks once your referral starts working! In addition, you have the opportunity to receive a $50 Amazon Gift Card!

The entire WAI team is immensely grateful for your outstanding efforts and we look forward to meeting your referrals!

Strategies For Getting Employees To Buy Into Their Jobs

WAI Staff

According to some estimates, the cost of disengaged employees can be as much as $550 billion a year. It’s no wonder, therefore, that U.S. businesses are urgently committed to finding ways to get employees to buy into their jobs and to reap the benefits of full-on employee engagement.
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Top 8 Reasons Seasonal Staffing Works

WAI Staff

Many occasions require human resource teams to look outside the confines of traditional staffing to fulfill optimal productivity. Thanks to plenty of ingenuity in the employment staffing arena, there are unique and adaptable solutions for just about any need, such as seasonal staffing.

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An Unexpected Transformation: How To Move From Temp To Full-Time

WAI Staff

In 2018, employers have greater access than ever before to an incredibly large pool of candidates. As a result, an increasing number of employers are embracing the luxury of taking their time to find the perfect new team member via hiring people on a temporary basis prior to offering permanent, full-time employment. While this may seem disappointing for those seeking full-time employment, that doesn’t have to be the case. As David Shindler, an employability specialist, explains: “It’s a two-way street, as employers can see how you perform and how you fit in. I know of people who have had jobs created for them as a result of the impact they have made.”

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Building Authentic Relationships With Employees, And Why It Matters

WAI Staff

Every business depends on fresh ideas and innovation to grow. Where does innovation come from, if not a team of dedicated, trusted employees? But trust and dedication aren’t built into the workplace. These qualities must be earned by every employer, and that’s only possible by building authentic relationships with the people who comprise your team.

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Transitioning Your Work Wardrobe for Spring

WAI Staff

As the weather gets warmer, professionals are ditching their winter wardrobes in favor of cooler clothing. While it’s important to dress appropriately for the season, you also need to adhere to your workplace’s dress code. If your office adheres to a business casual dress code, we have made lists of what is and is not appropriate to wear to help you prepare your spring wardrobe:

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Why Your First Post-Graduate Job is Important

WAI Staff

When college graduates receive their diploma and start their job hunt, they typically assume that the “education” phase of their life is over, but they couldn’t be more wrong. Your first job out of college will teach you innumerable, valuable lessons that you will carry with you through the rest of your career. Find out exactly how important your first “real” job is by reading on below:

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