Job fairs and expos are not dead, and many job candidates still attend job fairs more often than you might think.
In fact, 53% of Generation Z (those individuals born after 2000) are finding jobs by attending career fairs. And there are still thousands of jobs fairs hosted across the country each year.
If you are considering hosting or attending a job fair or expo to recruit potential job candidates for your organization this upcoming year, however, you will want to weigh some of the pros and cons listed below first.
Pros
Better opportunities to secure more quality leads. When job fairs and expos are industry-specific, you have an opportunity to reach a large number of prospects who are interested in or who currently have experience in your organization’s industry.
You will also be able to reach a diverse pool of candidates at one time, as many people with various backgrounds will visit your booth and ask questions. And you might even be able to connect with candidates whom you may not be directly targeting but who end up being a perfect fit for your organization.
In addition, most candidates who visit your booth will be actively looking for employment, so you will have a healthy pool of candidates to reach out to later about open positions.
Ability to learn about and network with other organizations. When you attend job fairs and expos, whether they are industry-specific or not, you will learn more about what other companies are doing and what they’re offering job prospects and employees. And you’ll find ample opportunities to network with others and learn more about what is attracting and retaining candidates, what’s not, and other useful recruiting best practices.
Increase brand awareness. The more job fairs and expos you attend, the more people learn about your organization and the work its employees do. Job prospects, passersby, and other organizations will remain aware of your brand and organization and will share what they learn with others when they leave, too.
Cons
Costs. Most of the time you will have to pay a fee to set up a booth at a job fair. You will also have to spend money on paraphernalia to hand out to those who are interested in learning more about your organization and its open positions. And you will also have to have paid staff there to represent your organization and might have to pay for their travel and lodging.
If the job fair is a good fit for your organization and has enough traffic, then the costs will certainly yield double the return in investment in viable and quality candidates. But if the job fair isn’t a good match for your organization or doesn’t experience a lot of foot traffic, you will end up spending more money than it will be worth.
Time. It takes time to prepare paraphernalia and select the right representatives from your organization to be present at each job fair or expo. And it may take time to travel and set up booths and to attend job fairs. So, you’ll want to make sure your organization can handle the time commitments required before attending job fairs.
If you are considering job fairs and expos for recruiting in 2019, just be sure to weigh some of the pros and cons listed above first.