When you engage in a career fair, you’re going to run into eager candidates of all styles, stripes, and banners. But the candidates that stand out are always sharp, informed, and engaging. If you’re going to get those candidates, you’ll need recruiters who are prepared to tackle any questions and problems presented to them. That’s when this planning guide comes in.
Check out this detailed planning checklist & career fair ideas for employers to make the most out of the campus recruiting event. Combined with solutions such as Rakuna’s Mobile Recruiting App, a modern recruiting team can quickly develop and execute their career fair recruitment strategy and attract suitable candidates without breaking a sweat.
Planning Guide & Career Fair Ideas for Employers: Pre-Event Checklist
- Early Registration is Key: Register for the career fair well in advance to secure your spot and take advantage of any early-bird rates the sponsoring organization offers. This ensures your presence and helps you save on costs.
- Confirm Attendees: Before the career fair, confirm the attendance of your recruitment team and support staff. Knowing who will be there allows you to ensure comprehensive representation, with everyone on the same page.
- Travel Arrangements: If your team needs to travel to the career fair location, make travel arrangements early. Booking flights, accommodations, and transportation in advance ensures a smooth and hassle-free experience.
- Order Essential Materials: Prepare by ordering all necessary company materials in advance. This includes brochures, pens, giveaways, and benefits brochures that will help convey your message to potential candidates.
- Marketing Materials: Order any company display or marketing items that will set your booth apart. Attracting attention with eye-catching materials and displays is essential for a successful career fair.
- Coordinate with the Organizer: Reach out to the sponsoring organization to coordinate any pre-fair events that come with your package. This may include advertising, meet-and-greets, sponsorship of giveaways, and on-site interviews.
- Special Invitations: Extend special invitations to pre-registered candidates or those with unique connections or interests. This personal touch can increase attendance and engagement, maximizing the value of your presence at the fair.
- Prepare Your Team: Gather your recruiters and brand ambassadors before the event. Brief them on their roles, discuss expectations, answer questions, and equip them with the tools and forms necessary for collecting critical data. Recruiters also need to prepare a post-career fair communication to guarantee positive candidate experience and give you an upper hand in winning top talents.
- Host a Seminar: Consider hosting a seminar for your recruitment team to address contemporary labor and job market topics. Cover issues such as hiring employees, retraining, and addressing the concerns of the current Gen Z workforce to stay ahead.
- Highlight Added Perks: Communicate any additional benefits or perks to pre-registered candidates, such as exclusive workshops for screened job seekers. These offerings can make your company stand out and attract top talent.
- Venue Readiness: Inspect the event venue ahead of time. Ensure it is clean, organized, and ready to welcome attendees. A well-prepared venue sets the stage for a professional and positive experience.
- Optimize Booth Placement: Fine-tune the placement and arrangement of your booths and tables. Strategic positioning ensures maximum visibility and access, making it easier for attendees to engage with your team.
- Interview Spaces: Optionally, designate quieter interview locations away from the noise and activity of the career fair. These private spaces facilitate focused discussions and interviews with potential candidates.
- Strategic Staff Placement: Determine strategic locations for your job fair staff. Placing them strategically allows them to efficiently assist job seekers and employers, enhancing the overall event experience.
- Recruitment Materials: Ensure that your recruitment team has all the necessary materials on hand, including name tags, merchandise, and informational pamphlets. Equipped with these tools, they can engage with candidates effectively.
- Staff Training: Provide clear instructions to your staff, covering tasks such as greeting attendees, providing directions, and answering inquiries. A well-trained team enhances the professional atmosphere and ensures that attendees have a positive experience.
- Announce Vacancies: Make job vacancy announcements highly visible. Post them at accessible locations within the career fair or on your company’s landing page. This enables participants to quickly locate the job opportunities they are seeking.
- Pre-Event Reminder: A week before the event, send a reminder to all company representatives participating in the career fair. This ensures that everyone is well-prepared and that your team is aligned and ready for the event.
What to Bring to Job Fairs?
Once you are at the career fair, anything and everything can happen. Avoid last-minute preparation and untimely malfunctions by packing these items with your recruitment team:
What to Take to a Job Fair – Compact and Portable Display Setup:
- Table-Friendly Display: Ensure your display is designed to fit on or in front of a six-foot table. Space can be limited, so a compact setup is crucial.
- Portability: Materials should be easy to transport and manageable for two people. Use lightweight, collapsible displays to minimize effort.
- Banners and Signage: Include a clear, eye-catching banner with your company’s name and logo. Ensure it’s visible from a distance to attract attendees.
What to Take to a Job Fair – Extra Supplies and Emergency Kit:
- Extension Cords and Power Strips: If you’ve requested electrical access, bring extra extension cords and power strips to ensure you’re prepared.
- Tools for Setup: Scissors, tape, zip ties, and Velcro strips can help with last-minute adjustments.
- Backup Supplies: Bring extra pens, notepads, and any other materials you might need. It’s always better to be over-prepared.
What to Take to a Job Fair – Engaging Giveaways and Promotional Items:
- Branded Swag: Offer popular items like t-shirts, bags, water bottles, or USB drives with your company’s logo to draw interest.
- Small, Attention-Grabbing Items: Individually wrapped candies, stress balls, or stickers can also be effective in attracting students to your booth.
What to Take to a Job Fair – Literature and Contact Information:
- Business Cards: Bring plenty of business cards to distribute to job seekers and other recruiters.
- Informative Pamphlets: Have brochures or flyers that detail your company, available positions, and the hiring process. Highlight key benefits of working with your organization.
- Digital Literature: Include QR codes or short links on printed materials that direct attendees to your website or careers page. This is a cost-effective way to provide additional information.
- Application Information: Provide clear instructions on how candidates can apply for open positions, either online or on-site.
What to Take to a Job Fair – Technology and Digital Tools:
- Tablet or Laptop: Bring a tablet or laptop to showcase your company’s website, job portal, or a presentation about your organization.
- Digital Sign-Up Form: Use a digital sign-up form to collect candidate information on-site. This can streamline follow-ups and reduce the need for paper forms. If you use Rakuna’s Event & Campus Recruiting Solution, your team can simply generate a QR code for speedy registration. Recruiters can also engage and note down crucial details to any candidate profile, all on a compact mobile app.
- Portable Charger: Ensure your devices stay powered throughout the event with a portable charger or power bank.
What to Take to a Job Fair – Comfort and Convenience Items:
- Comfortable Shoes: Career fairs often require long hours of standing, so wear comfortable shoes.
- Hand Sanitizer: Keep hand sanitizer handy, especially if you’re shaking hands or handling many materials.
- Breath Mints: Ensure fresh breath when interacting closely with candidates.
Want more details on Campus Recruiting Strategy? Check out our detailed guide on the topic!
Planning Guide & Career Fair Ideas for Employers: Event Day
Early Arrival: Arrive at least one hour before the career fair starts. This ensures you have ample time for setup, making your booth and materials ready for attendees.
- Welcome Team: Place volunteers at the entrance to greet and guide participants. If possible, have them escort attendees to your booth or distribute evaluation forms during the fair.
- Special Interest Representatives: Assign representatives for special interest groups like alumni brand ambassadors and diversity & inclusion members. They can connect with attendees who share these affiliations, creating a personalized experience.
- Streamlined Applications: Simplify the application process by setting up laptops connected to your company’s online application page or using Rakuna’s Campus & Event Recruiting Kiosk Mode. This makes applying for positions convenient for attendees.
- Stay Throughout: Be present for the entire duration of the career fair. Coordinate breaks with your team, ensuring that recruiters who can’t take a break are comfortable and supported.
- Engagement Options: Allow attendees not yet ready to apply to sign up for recruiting information or provide their resume details, if appropriate. This keeps the door open for potential future interactions.
- Capture Memories: Take photos or videos of the job fair. These visuals can be valuable for subsequent promotional materials or training, showcasing your participation and success.
- Post-Event Wrap-Up: After the event, break down your career fair table and displays. If needed, make arrangements for shipping items back to the office, ensuring a smooth post-event transition and follow-up activities.
- Data Collection: Gather data on the number of candidates you engaged with, applications and resumes received, qualified applications, interviews scheduled, resulting hires, and any other pertinent information. This data is critical for post-fair analysis. Rakuna’s Campus & Event Recruiting Solution can help you manage all that data better. You can quickly qualify applicants and prepare a follow-up plan in much less time than you would with stacks of paper resumes.
Planning Guide & Career Fair Ideas for Employers: After the Fair
- Resume Review and Response: Review all resumes collected at the career fair and respond to applicants promptly. If no resumes were obtained, check your company’s applicant tracking system, event landing page, or event email for new applications resulting from the fair.
Rakuna Student Survey reveals valuable insights:
90% of respondents prefer to use email and phone as their favorite professional communication channels and hear from recruiters within one week after the first interaction.
- Thank You Letters: If applicable, send thank you letters or appropriate correspondence to individuals who attended meet-and-greets, on-site interviews, or other significant interactions. Express gratitude and maintain professional connections.
- Document Management: Organize and store documents and materials for future job fairs. This includes budgets, forms, letters, lists, memos, signs, posters, templates, press releases, advertising materials, and all relevant planning documents.
- Evaluation Summary: Summarize feedback from your recruiters and participant evaluation forms. Provide summarized comments and report this information to management. Compare the data with results from previous career fair events for insights.
- Post-Event Debrief: Within 10 days after the fair, gather your recruiters and brand ambassadors. Collect their data, discuss their experiences, and welcome their suggestions for improvements. This debriefing helps fine-tune your approach for the next event.
- Future Fair Consideration: Decide whether your company will attend the career fair again. If so, make arrangements to include expenses in the following year’s budget if applicable. Planning ahead ensures that your participation is well-prepared and budgeted for.
- Continuous Improvement: Lastly, incorporate feedback and suggestions into the planning of the next job fair. Strive to improve each event, refining your strategies and enhancing the overall experience for both recruiters and candidates.
To Conclude
And that’s 34 points of checklist and career fair ideas for employers, from what to prepare pre-event to post-event actions. We hope that we have provided you with productive ideas when it comes to streamlining your recruiting strategy – candidate management, event management, and communication plans!
About Rakuna Event & Campus Recruiting Solution
Whether it is in-person or virtual recruiting events, we always have your back covered. Streamline your event recruiting operations seamlessly on one single platform.
With Rakuna’s Event & Campus Recruiting Solution, you can:
- Impress your candidates with paperless technology at recruiting events. Let Rakuna’s Mobile Recruiting App handle the data collection while your team converse and forge authentic connections, taking full advantage of face-to-face interactions.
- Leverage the Rakuna dashboard to plan, track, and promote all recruiting events, review candidates’ data and recruiters’ evaluations, collaborate with hiring managers, and automate communication with candidates pre and post-events.
- Have a complete view of all existing events’ results, whether in-person, virtual, or hybrid, to analyze past performance and allocate resources accordingly. Focus on delivering results rather than busy the mind with administrative burdens.
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