Job festivals for employers: Methods to recruit your subsequent famous person

Your small business is rising, which suggests you’re most likely seeking to fill new roles and develop your workforce. And also you’re wanting to do that in a singular and efficient method. Enter: job festivals for employers.

A examine by Linkedin discovered that 60% of job candidates search for new jobs on-line—that leaves one other 40% of the workforce on the lookout for alternatives elsewhere, largely at in-person networking occasions like job festivals. Although job festivals is usually a giant funding upfront for enterprise homeowners simply beginning out, they’re an effective way to attach with potential candidates and put your organization in entrance of a lot of keen expertise trying to find work.

However first, you’ll must study the ropes. On this article, you’ll study all about job festivals for employers: why you need to take into account them in your hiring course of, tips on how to put together for a job truthful, tips on how to take advantage of out of a job truthful occasion, and a guidelines you may take with you once you’re able to dive in.

What’s a job truthful?

A job truthful is an organized in-person occasion for firms and companies to promote open roles to potential candidates. Job seekers attend job festivals to distribute their resumes to hiring firms, community, and probably safe new employment on the spot. 

Usually, your corporation would pay a payment to take part in a job truthful. You’d arrange a sales space or desk for a day or longer, relying on the size of the job truthful. It’s a preferred method of discovering and hiring nice candidates which may have gotten misplaced within the pile of on-line functions, and in addition provides you an opportunity to satisfy folks nose to nose.

What’s job truthful recruitment?

Job truthful recruitment is when firms or companies take part in job festivals to establish and entice potential candidates to fill their job openings. It entails establishing cubicles or tables on the job truthful for recruiters or hiring managers to interact with job seekers, acquire resumes, consider their suitability for out there positions and arrange follow-up interviews with the most effective candidates.

Actively taking part in job festivals for employers may show you how to community with different native companies you would associate with, and foster future collaboration and talent-sharing alternatives. Job truthful recruiting works for all sorts of enterprise; whether or not you’re a small enterprise on the lookout for hourly hires, or a franchisee trying to find the subsequent assistant supervisor. It doesn’t matter what you’re on the lookout for in your future staff—there’s most likely a job truthful for employers that’s the appropriate match for you.

How job festivals for employers work

Because the hiring firm, try to be interested by job festivals as “recruitment velocity relationship”. You’re on the lookout for your dream workforce gamers in a brief span of time, and your job candidates are additionally attending to know you and what your organization has to supply. 

On the truthful, job seekers will method your sales space, so that you’ll must be prepared to interact them in significant conversations, reply their questions, and supply details about your corporation and out there positions. You don’t should essentially rent on the spot, and we advocate not making any instantaneous choices. As an alternative, acquire resumes and interact a few of your potential hires in dialog to get a way of their expertise and in the event that they’ll be the appropriate match in your workforce.

Job festivals for employers provide the alternative to showcase your organization and entice potential candidates. An interesting sales space is essential–you’ll desire a arrange with visually interesting shows, brochures, and job descriptions. However you don’t have to interrupt the financial institution. Go together with what : in the event you’re a native espresso store, have some free and contemporary espresso out there for candidates. Skateboard store? Have a couple of stickers to disclose to candidates. Landscaping enterprise? Have a couple of enterprise playing cards prepared handy out, however possibly depart the grass clippings at house.

If you chat with potential hires, you’ll must create a memorable first impression by actively listening to their aspirations. Make clear your job necessities, and spotlight the advantages of working in your firm. By gathering resumes and call info from candidates, you may observe up with them after the occasion to proceed the recruitment course of.

Sizzling tip: Use an all-in-one software program resolution like Homebase and have potential staff join on the spot utilizing a pill or smartphone proper at your sales space. Homebase makes it simple to trace your candidates and preserve every part organized in a single place, all the way in which from interview inquiries to your new rent’s first paycheck.

Following the job truthful, assess the collected resumes, shortlist certified candidates, and proceed with additional interviews or assessments. You’ll additionally must measure the ROI of taking part in a job truthful to find out if it’s one thing you’ll wish to do once more. By actively taking part in job festivals for employers, you may interact and get to know nice candidates face-to-face, promote your organization’s model, and probably discover appropriate candidates to fill your job openings.

Methods to be part of a job truthful as an employer

Discovering the right job truthful takes a little bit of analysis, organizing your assets, and timing. Earlier than even clicking on the applying button for a job truthful, be sure you’re clear on what you’re making an attempt to realize by attending and that you’ve got sufficient time to arrange. 

Right here’s tips on how to be part of a job truthful as an worker, from discovering the appropriate job truthful to sealing the deal on a sales space.

1. Do your analysis

Not all job festivals are the identical—and never all job festivals entice a expertise pool that’s a match in your explicit enterprise or {industry}. Begin by researching job festivals in your {industry} or location, specializing in respected job festivals that entice the kind of candidates you’re in search of. Listed below are some potential sources you may examine:

• Contact your native Chambers of Commerce: They typically manage or have details about job festivals occurring in your space. They will present particulars about industry-specific festivals, regional job festivals, or common profession occasions.
• Test on-line directories: There are on-line directories devoted to itemizing job festivals. Web sites like Eventbrite, JobFairing, or LocalJobNetwork present complete listings of job festivals occurring in many alternative cities. The Nationwide Profession Festivals web site lists all of the job festivals scheduled for the complete 12 months forward.
• For extra junior roles, try faculty and college profession facilities: Lots of post-secondary faculties host job festivals to assist their current grads land their first job. A few of these festivals can also be open to exterior employers. Contact the profession facilities of faculties and universities in your metropolis to see when their profession festivals happen and in the event you can apply.
• Ask {industry} associations and networks: You’ll be able to check out industry-specific associations, skilled networks, or commerce organizations associated to your corporation. You’ll be able to examine their web sites, newsletters, or attain out to them straight for particulars.
• Ask your community: Attain out to professionals in your community by way of LinkedIn or electronic mail. On social media platforms like Fb and Twitter, you may be part of industry-specific teams or observe related hashtags to remain up to date on job festivals and profession occasions.

When you’ve recognized the job festivals you’re taken with, consider them primarily based on their relevance to your organization and the provision of appropriate candidates. Take into account components like {industry} focus, location, dimension, and the truthful’s observe report of attracting certified candidates. If the job truthful’s geared extra in the direction of tech companies and also you’re an area vet clinic, nicely, it won’t be the appropriate match.

2. Apply to the job truthful

Say you’ve picked the job truthful you wish to attend. Now what? Listed below are a couple of tricks to get you heading in the right direction:

• Overview the applying course of: Go to the job truthful’s web site or contact the organizers to acquire details about the applying course of. Take note of software deadlines, required paperwork, and any charges related to reserving a sales space. Be aware of any extra supplies or promotional gadgets they could require you to spend money on.
• Put together the applying supplies: Put together your software supplies—and get all of the approvals you want—as early as attainable. This sometimes features a accomplished software kind, details about your organization, job descriptions, and another required paperwork. Craft a compelling and concise firm profile that highlights your distinctive promoting factors to the job truthful organizers and attracts potential candidates.
• Tailor your message to the job truthful: When speaking with the job truthful organizers, personalize your messages and show your real curiosity in taking part. Point out particular points of the job truthful that align together with your hiring wants and the way you consider your organization can contribute to the occasion’s success. 
• Observe-up: After submitting your software, proactively observe up with the job truthful organizers to substantiate receipt of your software and specific your enthusiasm to take part. This helps set up a connection and retains you on their radar.
• Be responsive: All through the communication course of, be conscious of any requests or inquiries from the job truthful organizers. Promptly present any extra info or supplies they could require. Well timed {and professional} communication demonstrates your dedication and responsiveness as a possible exhibitor.

3: Plan your assets (time, cash, effort)

When you’ve secured a sales space on the job truthful, it’s time to plan your spending. This contains how a lot you’ll spend on any journey or parking, sales space supplies, human effort, and time. 

Listed below are some tricks to benefit from your funding:

Set a finances 

Decide how a lot you’re prepared to spend on supplies, giveaways, journey, and parking. Make sure that it aligns together with your total advertising and hiring budgets. Take into consideration who can be internet hosting the occasion, and in the event you’ll must pay them a further hourly wage.

Plan your sales space

As soon as your sales space software is accepted, begin planning your sales space structure, promotional supplies, and staffing necessities. Take into account the way you’ll successfully characterize your organization and interact with potential candidates through the occasion.

Jack Underwood, CEO & Co-Founding father of Circuit, suggests including a self-serving station made up of 1 or two iPads you probably have a finances. 

“When you ought to meet and greet as many potential candidates in particular person as attainable, some candidates may favor to take a look at assets individually,” Jack says. “And in case your sales space is the hit you hope it to be, chances are you’ll find yourself with lengthy line-ups that deter candidates who don’t wish to wait. A self-serve station helps introverted candidates and people in a rush to make use of an iPad or different fast tech instrument to enter their contact info for a follow-up later.”

Jack additionally recommends going the additional mile and arising with inventive methods to get your sales space to face out. 

“Host a contest or giveaway to draw candidates to your sales space,” Jack instructed. “When the job truthful competitors is fierce, sweetening the pot might help guarantee extra candidates head your method, not less than for a couple of minutes.”

Practice your workforce

Whether or not you’re the one manning the sales space otherwise you’re hiring one in every of your workforce members to speak to potential hires, be sure you’re ready to reply questions, present info, and interact with potential candidates. Test that everybody is aware of a couple of key factors about your organization and why folks would wish to work there. Put together a short, compelling pitch that may be delivered in below a minute.

Making ready your workforce for the day additionally entails making certain they’ve every part they should carry out. “Your workforce is the face of your profession truthful efforts—it’s essential they keep contemporary and energized to allow them to give 100% to each candidate and make a robust impression,” Jack added. “Monitor your workforce efforts and ensure every worker takes breaks usually.”

Monitor and measure your ROI

Set objectives for the job truthful and observe your return on funding. Have a system in place to gather candidate info and observe new hires ensuing from the job truthful. Determine how a lot it prices to amass a brand new rent by the job truthful, and evaluate that to different sourcing methods. Some examples of KPIs you may measure are the variety of certified leads interviewed, candidate conversion charges, time to fill a job, and worker retention price.

To trace the success of taking part in a job truthful, Jon Hill, Chairman & CEO of The Energists, suggests including a query onto your software that asks how the candidate discovered in regards to the function or your organization. He suggested: “This may allow you to collect information about how nicely the job truthful labored by evaluating the quantity and high quality of candidates from the job truthful to your different recruitment methods, which could be helpful for refining your method sooner or later.”

5 advantages of job festivals for employers 

Some key advantages of job festivals for employers embrace:

1. You lower your expenses in your hiring finances

Collaborating in job festivals is usually a cost-effective recruitment technique for small companies. In response to a report by the Society for Human Useful resource Administration (SHRM), it prices employers a median of $4,129 and takes a median of 42 days to fill an open place. Fairly than investing important assets in third-party recruitment companies, a job truthful permits small companies to interact with a big pool of candidates in a single occasion. This consolidates recruitment efforts and may result in extra environment friendly use of time and assets. Earlier than the job truthful, just remember to’ve posted your job listings on an built-in web site like Homebase, so folks have someplace to return and assessment data as soon as the truthful is over.

2. You get entry to a big pool of “offline” expertise

Job festivals entice job seekers who’re actively in search of work. They’re additionally well-attended, so that you could be certain you’ll discover a big pool of doubtless certified candidates. A examine by the Nationwide Affiliation of Schools and Employers (NACE) discovered that over 91% of respondents mentioned they’d attended not less than one profession truthful the earlier 12 months. 

On high of that, job festivals entice high-quality candidates. One other NACE survey discovered that job festivals are ranked among the many high three best strategies for employers to attach with candidates actively in search of jobs.

3. You get to know candidates on the spot

In response to a examine printed within the Worldwide Journal of Choice and Evaluation, face-to-face interviews are typically essentially the most correct strategy to assess a candidate’s abilities, {qualifications}, and cultural match. By attending a job truthful, you’re bypassing the hassle of sifting by tons of of faceless functions. You additionally get a singular alternative to get a way of an applicant’s persona and tradition match.

For Daybreak Boyer, Ph.D., an skilled profession advisor figuring out of Virginia, job festivals additionally add a private contact to the hiring course of: “I like assembly of us ‘out within the wild’, so to talk.”

4. You get model publicity

There’s a chance you received’t discover and rent candidates on the job festivals you attend. Nevertheless it’s not a complete loss. If you attend a job truthful, you’re additionally promoting your corporation to future job seekers. Some folks won’t be prepared to use to your organization instantly, but when they’d a constructive interplay with you at a job truthful, they’ll preserve your organization’s title in thoughts the subsequent time they’re on the lookout for work.

Job festivals aren’t only a supply of potential expertise prepared so that you can rent. They’re additionally the right time to showcase your organization tradition, values, and future progress alternatives. 

5. You get to community

Job festivals present networking alternatives for small companies to attach with different employers, {industry} professionals, and native assets. Constructing relationships with different exhibitors and {industry} contacts can result in collaborations, partnerships, and potential referrals for future hiring.

Methods to put together for a job truthful as an employer

Job festivals for employers appear to be a hassle-free, grassroots technique for hiring thus far, however there’s so much to do earlier than, throughout, and after if you wish to get the most effective outcomes attainable. It takes plenty of planning, organizing, budgeting, and committing time. 

Create a job truthful recruitment technique

Earlier than going to the job truthful, you’ll must create a recruitment technique. This may set you up for achievement by supplying you with numerous particular objectives and outcomes you’ll wish to obtain through the job truthful. A recruitment technique might help you craft an important pitch for potential hires, allocate assets successfully, preserve model consistency, and consider candidates towards a set of particular standards.

• Have clearly outlined roles you’re hiring for. Corporations ought to have clear and outlined job openings once they’re actively in search of candidates. It’s necessary to have particular roles out there and a superb understanding of the talents and {qualifications} required for every place. Plan not just for the outline of the function, however so you may actively talk about and reply the questions of job truthful attendees.
• Arrange your recruitment supplies. This entails a little bit of planning and budgeting. It’s a good suggestion to have brochures or flyers about your corporation, enterprise playing cards, and job descriptions both printed out or on-line the place folks can simply view them.In the event you’ve acquired the finances, you can too take into account some “enjoyable” merchandise like keychains, water bottles, or espresso mugs.
• Choose who will characterize your organization on the job truthful. Select educated and interesting workers members who can successfully talk your organization’s values, job alternatives, and reply questions from job seekers. Ideally, you could be there your self to assist prepare somebody for future job festivals, to allow them to see in motion the way you current your corporation.
• Determine on the applying course of for candidates. Skip the paper resumes in the event you can (although you may nonetheless settle for them after all), and have an easy-to-use on-line software system. Significantly for Gen Z staff, conserving issues on-line will make issues simpler in your future hires, and in addition for your self on the subject of group. 
• Don’t overlook to do advertising. Earlier than you attend, take into account promoting that you just’ll be attending the job truthful onn social media. Marnix Broer, co-founder and CEO of Studocu, did this as a part of his job truthful recruitment technique. “Let candidates, staff, and employers alike know that you just’re attending not less than 2 weeks forward of time,” he suggested. “You’ll be able to create a social marketing campaign to lift native consciousness and ask staff to share the information with any related candidates of their community.”

What to do on the job truthful

After you have a gameplan, finances, and assets deliberate, it’s time to attend the job truthful. Listed below are a couple of dos and don’ts that you just’ll wish to put together for. 

Do: Arrive on the job truthful early

Relying on the kind of truthful, arriving early may assist you make sure that you get a great place in your sales space (if it wasn’t assigned beforehand). It’ll additionally show you how to interact candidates earlier than the frenzy and lengthy traces pile up later within the day.

Do: Arrange a sales space that stands out

You are able to do this by utilizing brilliant colours, distinctive shows, freebies, contests and giveaways, or interactive components to be a focus for job seekers. Make sure that your corporation title and emblem are extremely seen, together with any key details about the positions you’re hiring for.

Do: Have interaction job seekers in pleasant dialog

Smile, make eye contact, and don’t be afraid to strike up a dialog with job seekers who stroll by your sales space. Present that you just’re inquisitive about who they’re, their background, expertise and pursuits, and share details about your organization and out there positions.

Do: Have sufficient materials to offer away

Be certain that you carry sufficient brochures, flyers, and different advertising supplies to offer out to candidates. Carry sufficient enterprise playing cards in your workforce in order that they’ll hand them out to potential candidates. This may assist job seekers bear in mind your organization and call you later if they’ve any questions or are taken with making use of. 

Don’t: Spend an excessive amount of time speaking to job seekers who aren’t a superb match 

Whereas it’s necessary to interact job seekers in dialog, you don’t wish to waste an excessive amount of time with somebody who isn’t a superb match in your firm or the positions you’re hiring for.

Don’t: Be too aggressive

Job seekers don’t wish to really feel pressured or uncomfortable. Ensure you preserve a pleasant and approachable demeanor with out being pushy or overbearing. Keep in mind to respect their private house and provides them time to browse your sales space and ask questions at their very own tempo.

Don’t: Neglect to take notes 

Taking notes will show you how to establish developments and customary questions or considerations that job seekers have in an effort to modify your recruitment technique sooner or later. 

Josh Snead, CEO of Rainwalk Pet Insurance coverage, is an enormous believer of taking good notes on every candidate you speak to: “This manner you will get a greater look of everybody you interviewed after the truthful is over. The perfect half about interviewing at job festivals is that you just get a superb take a look at who’s who. You’ll be able to see who thinks on their toes greatest, who’s critical in regards to the job, and who comes ready. All qualities you need from staff.”

Don’t: Neglect to be inclusive 

It’s necessary to create an setting that’s welcoming to job seekers from all backgrounds and experiences. Keep away from utilizing unique language and ensure your sales space is accessible to all. Moreover, take into account reaching out to organizations that help underrepresented teams to advertise the job truthful and encourage their members to attend. By being inclusive, you may entice a wider pool of candidates and present that your organization values variety and inclusion.

Lastly, don’t be afraid to assume exterior the field and have enjoyable! Job festivals for employers could be crowded and overwhelming, however don’t let that discourage you from making an attempt one thing new and artistic. You would provide a singular giveaway or exercise at your sales space to draw extra job seekers and stand out from the group. You would additionally attempt internet hosting a mini workshop or informational session about your organization or {industry} to interact job seekers in a extra significant method. 

3. What to do after the job truthful

After the job truthful, there are a couple of necessary steps you’ll wish to take to maintain the momentum going. 

• Debrief together with your workforce. Talk about what labored nicely, what didn’t, and any adjustments you wish to make to any future occasions. Evaluate notes on the totally different candidates you spoke to and establish any standouts that ought to transfer to the subsequent spherical of the recruitment course of.
• Overview resumes and functions. Slim down the record to the candidates who’re the most effective match for the positions you’re hiring for. Then, Attain out to schedule interviews or cellphone screenings. Keep in mind to make use of these debrief notes we talked about earlier and prioritize the candidates who stood out or appeared like a robust match for the function. Lastly, you’ll want to replace your applicant monitoring system or another recruitment instruments you utilize to maintain every part organized and shifting ahead easily.
• Observe up with high candidates. Attain out to your high candidates inside per week of the job truthful to schedule interviews or present extra details about the open positions. Use the notes you took through the job truthful to personalize your follow-up and present that you just bear in mind the dialog you had with them.
• Consider your recruitment technique. Have a look at the success of your sales space, the advertising supplies you supplied, and the actions you carried out. Establish any areas the place you may enhance or attempt one thing new for future job festivals.

Need hassle-free hiring and onboarding? Get all of the instruments you could develop your workforce quick with Homebase—like free job publish templates, interview scheduling, new rent welcome packets, and extra.

Job truthful guidelines for employers

Job festivals for employers: a guidelines

Under you’ll discover this information in guidelines kind. Make your personal copy utilizing these prompts and use it to information your planning efforts, your recruitment technique and your post-event follow-ups.

Methods to be part of a job truthful 

• Do thorough analysis to establish job festivals that align together with your {industry} and entice appropriate candidates.
• Overview the applying course of and deadlines for the chosen job truthful.
• Put together software supplies, together with an organization profile, job descriptions, and any required paperwork.
• Personalize your communication with job truthful organizers and specific your real curiosity in taking part.
• Observe up with the job truthful organizers to substantiate receipt of your software and specific your enthusiasm.
• Be conscious of any requests or inquiries from the organizers through the communication course of.
• Plan your assets, together with budgeting for journey, lodging, sales space supplies, and staffing necessities.
• Set objectives and set up a system to trace and measure your return on funding.

Earlier than: What to do earlier than a job truthful

• Create a recruitment technique with particular objectives and outcomes for the job truthful.
• Outline the roles you’re hiring for and be ready to debate the talents and {qualifications} required.
• Arrange recruitment supplies, together with brochures, flyers, enterprise playing cards, and branded merchandise.
• Choose educated and interesting workers members to characterize your organization on the job truthful.
• Determine on the applying course of for candidates and put together mandatory kinds or on-line software portals.
• Promote your participation within the job truthful on social media and lift native consciousness.
• Guarantee you will have a finances and allocate assets successfully.

Throughout: What to do on the job truthful

• Arrive early to safe a great place and interact candidates earlier than the frenzy.
• Arrange a visually interesting and attention-grabbing sales space with your corporation title, emblem, and key info.
• Have interaction job seekers in pleasant dialog, present curiosity of their backgrounds, and share details about your organization.
• Have sufficient recruitment supplies to offer away, together with brochures, flyers, and enterprise playing cards.
• Take notes on candidates to establish developments and modify your recruitment technique.

After: What to do after the job truthful

• Debrief together with your workforce to debate successes, areas for enchancment, and any adjustments for future occasions.
• Overview resumes and functions, prioritizing candidates who stood out or are a robust match.
• Attain out to high candidates inside per week to schedule interviews or present extra info.
• Personalize your follow-up primarily based on the conversations you had with candidates on the job truthful.
• Consider the success of your sales space, advertising supplies, and actions to enhance for future job festivals.

Job festivals for employers FAQ

What’s job truthful recruitment?

Job truthful recruitment refers back to the technique of attracting and deciding on potential candidates for employment alternatives by job festivals. At job festivals, employers arrange cubicles or stands to showcase their firm and job openings. They’re an effective way to interact with job seekers who attend the occasion.

What are the advantages of a job truthful for employers?

Job festivals provide an a variety of benefits for employers:

• You lower your expenses in your hiring finances
• You get entry to a big pool of “offline” expertise
• You get to know candidates on the spot
• You get model publicity
• You get to community

Why do employers go to job festivals?

Employers go to job festivals for a number of causes. 

• Job festivals present a centralized platform to attach with numerous potential candidates in a brief time period. This permits employers to effectively fill their hiring wants. 
• Job festivals provide a possibility for face-to-face interplay, enabling employers to evaluate candidates’ communication abilities, professionalism, and cultural match. 
• Job festivals are a possibility for model visibility, selling the corporate tradition, and attracting high expertise. 
• Job festivals present networking alternatives, permitting employers to attach with {industry} professionals, discover collaborations, and collect market intelligence.