Many employers have experienced the frustration of presenting at an overcrowded job fair and not finding the high quality employees they are looking for despite their best intentions. There are certainly great opportunities for recruiters who are able to seek out talent in a job fair environment, but in order to avoid disappointment and unnecessary work there are a few things you need to do. Today’s article presents a number of tips to help employers make the most of job fairs.
Prepare Well
Before you even arrive at the venue, the success of your recruiting efforts depend on your preparation. Make sure you coordinate closely with the event planners. Know who the target audience is, who your competition is, and what resources are available to you during, before, and after the fair. Do what you can to advertise your attendance at the fair prior to the event, and make sure you have the right amount of people on hand to staff your booth as well as the right materials available to encourage a continued conversation with job applicants.
Plan your Presentation
Presentation is everything, especially in an overcrowded recruiting event. Employers need to present an interesting and consistent message or brand in order to attract top candidates. Consider the overall look that you and your company want to present at the fair. This includes your booth, any signage or handouts you plan to have available, as well as the attire of booth attendants and recruiters. Just as candidates dress for interviews when attending a job fair, employers should give careful consideration to their professionalism and presentation in order to attract the most talented and serious candidates.
Engage Visitors
Once you are confident that your team is prepared and your presentation is on point, the most important element of job fair success is your ability to engage potential applicants. It is not enough to simply sit back and allow visitors to take a pamphlet. Speaking with each candidate directly about their interests, their career goals, and how their experience might align with job opportunities with your company is critical. Consider a booth at a job fair to be a very direct form of marketing for your company. But rather than trying to attract customers, you are attracting employees. Speak openly and honestly about the type of work you have available and what sorts of candidates you are looking for, and do your best to engage visitors in a friendly and appealing way.
Follow Up Quickly
Once you have the resumes and contact information of a few key candidates, it is critical that you follow up with the ones you would like to pursue further. If possible, initiate an interview at the job fair itself. Do not take a passive approach as the number of opportunities at a job fair are plentiful and high quality candidates are likely to be snapped up by proactive employers. If you can’t book an interview right away, at the very least send a follow up email with a specific call to action for the applicants you are most interested in pursuing.
For more helpful insights into effective recruiting and hiring practices, consider working with the team at BOS Staffing. We help our customers find high quality talent to fill a wide variety of project and long-term needs. Call today!
