Job fairs are an effective way to reach out to multiple candidates at once, but they aren’t the easiest event to run. Whether you’re hosting your first career fair or attending one as a job-seeker, it’s important to be prepared and take some time to consider these 8 job fair tips for employers so that your event goes smoothly. This free checklist will walk you through everything from deciding who should attend to setting up the booth to making sure you have all your paperwork in order, as well as provide some additional resources along the way.
1) Create an agenda
Schedule and Reserve the Space
- Preparing Handouts, Flyers, and Other Marketing Materials
- Decide How You Want to Staff Your Booth
- Anticipate and Prepare Your Attire
- Know What Questions You Want Answers To
- List of Suitable Candidates – Contact Info or Personal Statement of Interest in attending your booth (i.e.: recent graduate looking for full-time employment) – Specific Company Information about Job Openings, Salary Range, Benefits, and Opportunities
2) Create a Staging Area
Below are eight steps that can help you organize your booth and ensure you’re ready for any queries from fair attendees.
It’s always a good idea to have water, coffee, tea, snacks, and other assorted beverages on hand in case someone has a hankering (pun intended).
At the entrance of your area, put up one or two large posters outlining some of the great benefits that come with being an employee at your company.
If you don’t have space for both laptop and desktop computers available at your booth, try making posters highlighting various products/services offered by your company as digital downloads and place them near the laptops.
3) Advertise the event
Planning an event or interview can be tricky, but we’ve compiled these 8 job fair tips for employers so you don’t have to worry about doing it all yourself! Not sure if these tips will work with your company’s event? Download our checklist and give it a try.
Congratulations on getting into the job market! We’re confident that this guide will help you through one of the most exciting yet nerve-racking moments in your life.
4) Manage your expectations
1) Recognize that there will be more applicants than you can hire. This is one of the toughest things about hiring from fairs – knowing that many, if not all of the candidates you meet won’t work out, no matter how well they do during the hiring process. You might have had a great conversation with someone, but in the end, it just doesn’t feel like their skills are a good fit. Try not to take it personally if this happens!
2) Bring everything you need with you. Chances are, you’ll spend most of your time setting up and then tearing down your booth. Make sure you pack plenty of water and snacks so you don’t get hungry or lightheaded while running around trying to get set up.
3) Be prepared for heavy foot traffic and high noise levels – and make sure your booth has an inviting vibe so people don’t feel awkward standing around waiting to talk with someone or sitting down on the hard floor.
4) Bring something fun: whether it’s freebies or an activity such as tossing bean bags at balloons- your event will go much smoother when participants have something enjoyable to do while they’re waiting in line.
5) Communicate with attendees before, during, and after the fair
The event went smoothly and we had ample opportunity to interact with attendees. We even got the chance to attend some of the other booths, learn about new companies, and network with potential employers! We also left feeling hopeful – these 8 job fair tips ensured that our event was successful. If you’re considering holding an upcoming hiring event, consider these steps to make sure it’s a success: -Post-event follow-up: following up after the event is crucial because this is when your post-event survey can be completed
-Making connections: if someone has applied or interviewed with you at your last hiring event, take note of their information so you can follow up in order to gauge their interest
-Don’t be afraid to go outside your comfort zone!
6) Have a Plan B if necessary.
Planning can go wrong too, but here are seven steps you can take to prevent that from happening:
-Check your advertising strategy-Would it be more successful if you hand out flyers or hire a bus and a band? Find out beforehand.
-Attend job fairs regularly-Find out where the other companies who typically attend these events are located. This way you know where the competition is and when they will be at the next event. Set up meetings with them before so you’re prepared and make sure your schedules won’t conflict with each other on the day of the event.
7) Don’t forget these essential items.
1. Get there early! Arrive at least 15 minutes prior to the start time and leave an hour before the end of your shift. This will give you enough time to secure a place in line, set up your booth, interact with people who stop by, and clean up after the event is over.
2. Set-up location – if you are not allotted space on the floor, bring displays (i.e., podiums) or shelving that can be used during breaks or downtime.
3. Your pitch – have a great elevator speech ready to engage people walking by and answer any questions they might have about your company. Remember: sell yourself! If you don’t know what you’re selling, nobody else will either.
4. Be ready for anything! Prepare yourself for any type of question with samples or mock resumes in case someone wants one on the spot.
5. Dress professionally – even if it’s just running errands, dress as though you’re going out to lunch at an expensive restaurant; everyone else is dressed professionally too!
6. Comfortable shoes – you may be standing all day and need something supportive.
7. A good attitude! No matter how many people come to visit your table, treat each person like they’re the most important person you’ve ever met! 8. Good luck!
8) Follow up after the event.
By following these eight tips, you will be able to be successful at the job fair you are hosting.
Congratulations on hosting your very first job fair! You’re one step closer to finding great candidates and hopefully filling some open positions. Below is a list of things that you should prepare in order to have the best possible event -Give yourself plenty of time to prepare. Get as much information as you can from the location ahead of time so there are no surprises once you arrive. Ask about rules or restrictions they may have with regard to setup, parking, and access to restrooms.
-If parking is limited or not available onsite, contact local business owners in the area and ask if they will allow parking for attendees on their property (many times it’s free). If this isn’t an option, find other places where people can park around the building (like residential streets) so they can walk over.