Attending job fairs allows you to promote your company and get noticed without spending huge bucks. At a regional or industry-specific career fair, you can establish yourself as the local expert on job placements.
Career fairs enable you to check out your staffing competition. If candidates flock toward another booth, figure out why and see if you can emulate that company’s strategy. Maybe another company’s brand identity attracts you; how can you make your own more interesting and appealing?
Your brand identity is part of making a good impression. Keep reading for five tips on making that impression and finding candidates for your clients.
- Be prepared—to interview candidates, that is. How would a client react if you told them the perfect employee got away while you fumbled with your interview notes?
- Know that you won’t be the only one asking the questions. Candidates will want to hear why they should come to you instead of another staffing firm. They’ll want detailed descriptions of the jobs you have available. And you have to tell them what information you need from them now: stick to the basics at the fair, and you can follow up with promising candidates later.
- Look inviting. Your booth may be the first thing people see, so make it good. One site warns, “Don’t use the table as a wall between you and the candidates;” instead, put the table at the back of your booth, so candidates feel welcome to approach and talk with you. And hey—don’t talk on your phone, text, update your Pinterest board, or chat with your other recruiters. If you look busy and uninterested, candidates will get busy talking to other companies.
- Encourage involvement. Have candidates play a game at your booth to win prizes. Urge them to like and follow your social media boards, pages, profiles, feeds, and channels. Get creative. You should also have your paper collateral handy, so candidates can take home business cards, brochures, handouts, or postcards to remember you.
- You’re representing your company. You’re confident because you prepared well. You’re helping clients and candidates find what they need. You’re a decent human being. So be friendly, personable, enthusiastic, and responsive.
Hurting for those handy paper items someone told you were irrelevant? We can design those so you can take your place as a professional and be prepared at your next career fair. Need to keep up your social media campaign or update your website, so you don’t lose candidates after the fair? ASJ has website designers, marketing consultants, social media experts, and content writers, so contact us. We’ll help you recruit success.
