1) Arrive Early and Organized
To avoid chaos and get the most out of the event, make sure you arrive with plenty of time to set up, get familiar with your surroundings and deal with any last-minute mishaps. Have all the paperwork you need printed out ahead of time in bulk so you don’t run out of anything. One of the career fair tips for recruiters and employers that will make it easier for job seekers to remember you and get in touch is to have everyone on your team prepared with plenty of business cards. Encourage staff members to pass them out to anyone they encounter.
2) Go the Extra Mile to Sell Your Company
One of the career fair tips for employers that is sure to make you stand out to attendees is handing out materials that market your brand. You never know who you will meet at a job fair. Not everyone will turn into a job candidate but they could turn into customers, clients or business partners of yours in the future. Have at least one promotional material printed out that gives basic information about your company and the jobs you are looking to fill. Another one of the career fair tips for employers and recruiters that will promote your brand is handing out useful materials with your company logo such as T-shirts, staplers, mousepads, frisbees and pens.
3) Prepare your staff members
Make sure you prepare any staff members that will be assisting you at the career fair. They should be fully aware of the qualities you are looking for in candidates, the positions you are looking to fill and the recent successes your company has had. Also, one of the most crucial career fair tips for employers and recruiters is to make sure all employees speaking to job seekers are familiar with every step of the hiring process. This could make or break many job seekers’ opinion of your brand. If you are unclear to applicants about when they will hear from you and what they can expect out of the hiring process, it could leave a bad taste in their mouth. And as well all know, bad news travels faster than good news.
4) Stay Focused
Always have your head up to greet career fair attendees. If you are looking down texting or talking inappropriately with your co-workers it will send a bad vibe to job seekers about your company culture. Another one of the career fair tips for recruiters and employers that will help you stay focused is to stand beside your booth, instead of sitting. That way you can easily reach out your hand to potential job candidates. And of course, don’t forget to smile at all times.
5) Make Potential Candidates Feel Special
To show candidates you care, ask them questions about topics such as what they are studying in school, what kind of jobs they have had in the past and what skills they are most proud of. Get to the point with candidates so you don’t waste valuable time at the fair, but be sure to make the conversation interesting and engaging. One of the important college career fair tips for employers and recruiters is to bring along any employee alums of the school the fair is held at and have them use that as a conversation starter. Remember names of as many candidates as possible. This is especially important if you aren’t accepting resumes and are referring them to apply online. It will be a useless effort if you forget the names of the qualified candidates you meet and they just end up at the bottom of a pile of resumes.