BEFORE THE JOB FAIR
Select and Send the Right Representatives
Seriously consider sending at least two recruiters to avoid being overwhelmed at especially busy times of the event (normally at the beginning). Reps should be personable, outgoing, knowledgeable and passionate about your company and its job openings. Select reps who will work the crowd and not hide behind smart phones or the table. Reps should be willing to seek out and engage job seekers, not wait passively to be approached.
Make Sure Your Table and Reps Stand Out
Make sure your reps are easily identifiable. Consider having reps wear a company badge or a shirt with your logo on it. Make your table stand out and be memorable. Plan to use table top display and pop up banners, that accommodate an 8’ wide x 7’ deep, to attract job seekers to your booth.
Identify and Know Your Job Opportunities
We collect up to 3 job opportunities at registration to promote inside the Job Fair Conley Publication and on our website for the public's knowledge. Take that a step further and ensure that your reps know what positions you listed to talk knowledgeably about those positions.
Advertise Your Participation in the Job Fair
Tap into your company’s marketing resources to get the word out that you will be at the job fair with immediate career opportunities. Draw more job seekers to your booth by letting the public know that you will be there. Make use of your company’s social networking platforms (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.) to announce your participation in the job fair.
Build Your Brand and Reputation
"No one took my resume." "They told me to apply online." "Why did I bother to come?"
These are sentiments we often hear from job seekers. Change that perception and make your company stand out at the same time by considering ways to make job seekers feel valued. Don’t just send job seekers to your website! Ultimately, they may have to apply online, but consider taking some of the following steps to ensure job seekers feel they made good use of their time by visiting your booth:
If you must require candidates to apply online, provide instructions on how to most effectively submit their resume.
If you absolutely can’t accept their resume, consider printing up business cards or half-sheets with a special Job Fair code that your online application system will recognize to indicate the job seeker came into the system through their participation in the Job Fair. Job seekers will feel they have a leg up on the competition when they apply. This could also help you track the number of job seekers applying through your investment in the Job Fair.
Another effective method is to simply have your rep collect job seekers' contact information so that hiring managers can look after they’ve applied online. They’ll still need to apply online, but it’s not as impersonal.
Credit to Hyland for a great example of a booth with job openings, a game, friendly staff and display of their culture. Source: https://deskgram.net/explore/tags/JoinHylandLife
At The Expo
Break the Ice
To help make candidates comfortable and to gather valuable information from job seekers, ask questions like:
"What is your area of expertise?"
"What types of careers are you interested in?"
"What program did you graduate from?"
Make Job Seekers Feel Welcomed
The key is to make job seekers feel welcomed. Get in front of your table. Greet job seekers, shake their hands, smile and greet them. Do what you can to make them feel at ease. Much like job seekers, you have a short time to make an impression on them. Keep the smart phone in your pocket and listen to what they can offer you.
Work the Crowd
Don’t wait for job seekers to come to you. Stand in front of your table and draw them into conversation as they walk by. They may be on their way to another table and you’ll miss them if you’re behind your own. This is critical for new businesses or if your company is not that well known. Approach job seekers and ask what sort of positions they are looking for.
Know Your Talent Pool
Our Job Fairs are open to the public and job seekers are a diverse bunch. Expect entry, mid- to skilled level professionals, including students and veterans.
Resumes
If you are able to accept them, DO. This alone makes many job seekers feel their participation in the Job Fair was worth the trip. Getting their resumes into the hands of an employer is much more personal and satisfying than applying anonymously online. If you can’t accept resumes, take a few minutes to explain why. You do not want excellent prospects to think you are not interested in them.
Don’t Leave Early
The number of job seekers may be dwindling as it approaches 3:00 PM, but unless you absolutely have to, don’t be tempted to leave early. It is very disappointing for job seekers to arrive as employers are packing up or already gone. Some make a tremendous effort to attend from traveling from a far to leaving early from their current job to get in within the last 20 or so minutes.
Aggressively Schedule Interviews
Its a job seekers market and they are eager to get the hiring process going. Don't miss an opportunity to have your pick of top candidates, schedule those interviews ASAP. Even better, conduct on-site interviews at the Job Fair! Use the Interview Room located on the northwest side of the building.
POST JOB FAIR
Schedule Interviews ASAP
It’s no surprise that the labor pool is tight; follow-up with job seekers immediately to not lose potential candidates. Connect with Forward Careers' Business Solutions Representatives for ideas or to find out about job training funding opportunities.