5 Ways to Draw More Applicants to Your Job Fair Booth

5 Ways to Draw More Applicants to Your Job Fair Booth 5 Ways to Draw More Applicants to Your Job Fair Booth With lots of jobs and talent to be had, both job seekers and employers know there will be a sense of competitiveness in the air. Job seekers want to make sure they stand  out from other candidates and make a great impression on recruiters. Employers also create job fair strategies in order to attract the most qualified candidates but a recent survey suggests that some employers are unknowingly pushing applicants away. In a February 2015 survey of job fair attendees, conducted by TheQuarterRoll.com, employers noted that some job seekers would walk by their booths at the event and not stop to ask about opportunities. Employers said that job seekers were missing hidden opportunities because they assumed they already knew all of the positions offered. For example, a recruiter at a mortgage processing company was advertising administrative positions, but she also had open positions for a human resource generalist, a software engineer, and a payroll assistant. Job seekers wouldnt know tha t unless they stopped and talked to the recruiter. So, why dont job seekers stop at every employers table and ask about job opportunities? That was one of the questions the survey sought to answer. While employers stated they thought most job seekers generally approached companies based on brand recognition or other marketing initiatives, job seekers stated other reasons. Based on their responses, the following tips are for employers who want to maximize the amount of traffic to their booths at job fairs this season. 1. Eliminate Distractions and Focus on Candidates Job seekers said that they were hesitant to approach recruiters who were eating, talking or texting on a phone, frowning/disinterested, writing, doing paperwork, typing on a laptop, or engaged in a very long conversation with someone else. The reason given for the job seekers hesitation was they felt they would be interrupting the recruiter, which would get the dialogue off to an awkward or difficult start.2. Smile Company representatives that seemed unhappy to be at the job fair or appeared to not want to be bothered were a turn off to job seekers. On the other hand, recruiters that smiled and made eye contact were appealing to job seekers who may not have otherwise initiated conversations. A smile was taken as an invitation to approach the employers booth.3. Have a Colorful, Attractive Display Next to the recruiters welcoming behaviors, job seekers said the second most important thing that made them approach a companys booth was its appearance. Nearly bare tables with only a few brochures on display were often passed over, while booths that had easy to read information on  benefits, jobs, and available locations were favored. One observation brought up by job seekers was that the booths with easily read information gave applicants talking points that made it easier to approach recruiters and initiate conversations. 4. Stand Up Job seekers stated that it was easier to approach someone who was standing than it was to approach someone who was sitting. The explanation most often given was that, when the recruiter was at eye level, it was easier to hear them above the noise of the job fair. Additionally, when the person applying for a job is standing over the seated recruiter and talking over the background noise, they may feel like they are  talking down to the recruiter, creating an awkward interaction. 5. Bring a Partner Big job fairs attract big crowds that can quickly become unmanageable if only one person is manning  the companys booth. Many job fair attendees want a few minutes of the recruiters time to ask questions about available jobs, explain items on their resume, or learn more about the company. Of course, recruiters also like to have the opportunity to speak to applicants. Many job seekers stated that they would feel intrusive waiting beside another candidate who was talking about their resume and would likely move on to another table. By having a partner at the event, recruiters can better manage visitors to the booth. These five actions will allow recruiters and hiring staff to create a dynamic, welcoming presence at this seasons job fairs and draw in talent that may have otherwise walked by.