From their driven mentalities to their eagerness to learn, there are plenty of reasons why you should be considering recent graduates for new recruits. The real issue lies in navigating overcrowded college career fairs to find the right candidates. Here are five methods guaranteed to help you find the newest addition to your team.
1. Have Your Promo Items Prepped
In addition to having lots of business cards on-hand, make sure you order a range of promotional products that are branded with your logo and contact details. Practical products like little mint boxes, sweets, or technological accessories can go a long way towards attracting more visitors to your stall. A roaming student may need a refresher after hours of networking, so your branded mints will come in handy while serving as an easy conversation opener!
2. Choose Your Colleges Wisely
This is especially advisable if you are based in a city with multiple institutions, or if you are not in need of too many new recruits. Rather than targeting as many different colleges as possible, focus on attending the ones that offer the most courses related to your industry. Another way to narrow down your options is to prioritize events that are industry-specific. For example, if you’re hiring for an IT company, a tech careers fair will obviously have more attendees suitable for your workplace than a general college event.
3. Be Certain Of The Roles You Are Looking To Fill
It goes without saying that if you want to achieve results when networking at a career fair, you should know exactly what you’re looking for. The only way to do this is to have a solid understanding of the positions you need to be filled. Before you attend any event, make sure you can clearly recall how many positions you have on offer, what attributes you’re looking for in a new recruit, and what level of education or work experience is required. This way, you can pre-screen candidates as you meet them and save yourself a lot of time!
Extra tip: it may also be useful for you to have an idea of openings that may be coming up in your business later in the year. This way, you can hold onto contacts you may want to get in touch with in the future.
4. Have Your Questions Ready
To get the most out of pre-screening opportunities, you want to have some good, focused questions up your sleeve. This doesn’t mean those run-of-the-mill closed questions about degrees and GPAs, but open questions that can help you understand a graduate’s personality, career objectives, and life goals. Make a list of any important questions you tend to ask in your job interviews that could work in a career fair environment so that you don’t have to think them up on the spot.
5. Follow Up Shortly After The Event
Do not take your time when it comes to contacting potential candidates or any new contacts you meet at a job fair. After all, your business is only one of many employers the promising students would have spoken to. Reduce the chances of your newest star colleague being poached by your competitor and set up a call or a follow-up email within a few days of the event.
Now you know more about how to maximize your experience at college career fairs, it’s time for you to get RSVP-ing!
