Career fairs are an invaluable tool for businesses looking to attract talent. Attending these events allows employers to present their respective companies professionally and alluringly, showcasing the benefits they can provide potential employees. Face-to-face conversations with potential candidates also give recruiters first-hand experience with how their skills may fit into the given position. With such an opportunity for direct interaction, employers have a greater chance of connecting with ideal candidates who may be perfect for their organizations.
However, career fairs can be competitive, and you’ll want your business to stand out. Here are a few tips to help you attract more applicants in your next career fair:
Utilize social media
Before the event, utilize social media to promote your business and the career fair. This will increase ticket sales and drive more interest in your booth, allowing you to engage with a larger pool of potential candidates.
You can do this by creating promotional posts on your company’s social media platforms. Make sure to include the date, location, and other important details about the event. You can also consider employing the help of a digital advertising agency to help you create additional promotional materials. They can help you run targeted ads to specific job seekers, allowing you to reach a more tailored audience.
Have an engaging display
Ensure that your booth is well-designed, eye-catching, and inviting. Invest in high-quality signage, brochures, and other materials that will draw people in and give them a taste of what your company offers. Hang up banners, print out postcards or flyers with company information, and ensure that you have plenty of staff on hand to answer questions.
And if it’s an outdoor career fair, get an outdoor booth tent with an angled canopy that can be easily spotted from a distance. Just make sure that the tent is new and looks professional. Otherwise, it won’t have the desired effect! So make sure you buy from a reliable tent manufacturer that can provide you with a quality and durable canopy tent.
Set up interviews on site
If you already have a good idea of who you want to interview for certain positions, invite them onsite for an impromptu interview during the career fair itself! This achieves two things: it allows you to quickly and easily narrow down your applicant pool while allowing those invited for interviews to skip any long lines they may have experienced had they waited until after the event was over.
Make sure your questionnaire is up-to-date and designed to assess a candidate’s qualifications in the most efficient manner. You’ll also need to have a trained interviewer on hand to conduct the interviews and make sure all of the questions are relevant. They should be prepared to ask follow-up questions and assess how the candidate’s skills fit into the position.
Make connections
In addition to interviewing candidates for open positions, use the time spent at the career fair as an opportunity to network with others in attendance-including other employers! You never know when these connections might lead, so be sure not to miss out on this chance for collaboration or even potential partnerships down the line!
And if you’re looking to recruit students, career fairs are an excellent way to connect with them as well. You’ll have the chance to introduce your business and explain any potential internship or job opportunities that may be available. This is a great way to find new interns or employees who may be passionate about what you do or just starting out in the industry.
Follow up
Finally, make sure to follow up with the candidates you interviewed or connected with after the career fair. Send them a personalized email thanking them for meeting with you and expressing your interest in continuing the conversation. Be sure to include all relevant company information as well as any questions that may have come about during the interview. And if you think you’ve found some candidates who can move on to the next level of recruitment, contact them as soon as possible.
Keep this process organized and timely by using an applicant tracking system to automate the task of reaching out to all potential candidates. You should also have a plan in place to ensure that you can schedule follow-up meetings, phone calls, and other communication as the recruitment process continues.
A well-planned career fair booth can go a long way towards attracting more applicants and getting noticed by top talent – even above larger competitors! With these essential tips kept in mind throughout your planning process, there’s no reason why this won’t be one of your most successful recruitment events yet! So get ready, and make sure to have everything set up to maximize your success.