When Covid-19 put the kibosh on most non-essential gatherings, job fairs very quickly adapted to the times and enjoyed great success in using virtual programs to place recent college graduates into in-demand fields. In this blog, we’ll walk you through some of the pros and cons of job fairs and share best practices for getting the most out of your virtual business’s booth.
But before we dive in, let’s first talk about why job fairs are so important. According to experts, job fair attendees, whether in person or virtual; enjoy more success in their career search than their peers who do not attend. Perhaps in part because job fair attendees are more motivated to find a career than those who don’t attend. In a study conducted by the recruiting platform Hallo, virtual job fair attendees generally found them to be helpful, with most citing that their attendance helped in their job searches and most receiving an offer for an interview — and many receiving a job or internship offer because of their participation.
That said, not all job fairs are created equal! If you’re new to navigating the virtual job fair world or simply haven’t found your footing in this environment read on to learn our best tips for making your next event a true success.
Short and sweet:
In the study referenced above, more than half of respondents said that a job fair should last only 30 minutes to one hour, while one-third indicated that one to three hours was the perfect span for the event. The plus side here, of course, is that this proves that hosting a job fair doesn’t have to be an all-day endeavor. The tricky part, however, is being able to condense what you want to present to potential candidates and having a system in place for doing a quick screen to determine whether they warrant further consideration.
Be prepared
Unlike a formal interview, where candidates have already researched your company and decided to apply, a job fair is very much like a first date! Candidates may be hearing about you for the first time and will want to be wooed so make sure that you put your best foot forward. As such, any presentations that you give should be meticulous and you should have a clear plan for how you want your event to operate so that you appear in control and organized.
Prepare for questioning:
Echoing on from the idea that this may be their first impression of your company, you should be prepared to answer some fairly common questions. While these lines of inquiry can certainly run the gamut, the survey noted that Gen Z desires information on the steps your company is taking to ensure a diverse workforce and how your company gives back. In addition, students will have the typical questions about how they can best position themselves for a career at your company — such as internships or experience — as well as what types of opportunities are available and what may open in the future.
Appeal to their interests:
As we touched on above, Gen Z is a very socially conscious generation and will not only want to hear about how your company is inclusive but see it for themselves. Plan your career events to showcase the diversity in your company by inviting representatives from diverse backgrounds in terms of race, culture, gender, and even experience or skill set.
Close the circle:
After your event ends, your interaction with the job fair attendees should continue! Indeed, you’ll want to tell the students you meet what type of follow-up, if any they can expect from you. Whether it be an invite for an interview, a request for a skills test or further follow-up, or even a job offer! Similarly, if you are truly not interested in the attendee, be upfront and let them know that they aren’t a good fit for your currently available roles, but that you’ll retain their resume and reach out should something more appropriate popup. If you aren’t far enough in the process to take any of these steps, you should still reach out to the folks that you connected with, thank them for their time, and offer to answer any additional questions.
