As a key player in assembling the Golin team, director of creative and agency resourcing Tiasha Stevnson has a close-up view of how both employers and potential employees can ensure the success of the recruiting process.

For job hunters, she says, the first big step is self-exploration. Among the questions to ask yourself: "What do I like to do, what am I good at, and what will people pay me to do?"

Once they've answered those questions, job seekers should "start to put together a list or a Venn diagram and see, are there any synergies with these things? And then you keep your eyes open for those types of opportunities."

She also says that looking for a new job does not necessarily mean leaving your present company.
"Companies want to keep people in the company or in the network, and they want people who are happy. And so, I think it's important to one, know what you want to do or have some inkling, and then be honest with the team, talk to HR, talk to your manager, talk to people who do the job you think you want to do."

And while a career path may lead an employee out of a company, that does not have to be a one-way street. "To let people know what you want to do, you may have to leave the company, and then a lot of people boomerang back."

She also says that sometimes job seekers have to take a role not just in seeking a new position, but in creating one. When Stevenson was job hunting herself, "I went through my resume and crossed out everything I didn't want to be doing, and really had a resume that looked forward to what I wanted to do, and the team was open to speaking with me."

When it comes to what employers should be looking for, Stevenson stresses the need to bring in employees that add to the conversation. "We're looking for people who can bring something different to the table as well as learning the skill set that we all are already experts at."

Experience in working with diverse teams is another big plus. "We're reaching out to an American population that's more diverse than it's ever been before. And so, it's important to show that you can work on a team with people who are different from you. I think that's something that hiring managers are definitely looking for right now."

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