Recruiters and Job Fairs

Recruiters are critical for any company. They are part of the human resources team. One of the biggest tactics in the human resources department is recruiting and maintaining an efficient staff. The human resources department will either hire an internal recruiter which works for the company, or they will contract an external recruiter from an outside source. The majority of the time, their main tactic is performing job fairs where they set up in certain areas of a building to conduct interviews. There is a very minimal amount of equipment that they will use to perform their job fair. 

Usually, their set up is a table with chairs, some banners with the company logos, and a 10×20 tent with the company’s name. Their main overhead in job fairs is the cost of these few items and the rest is the fuel to get the recruiters to and from the locations of the job fairs. Not a whole lot of time is invested in setting up. Most of the time is invested in the interviews. They will review each prospect accordingly and narrow down, usually to the top three or five people per position. Some of the companies have many positions to fill. The second and final interview will be given at a later date. The resource of job fairs is only to get a pipeline going where they have a pool of names and contacts to go through for the interview process. This is the hardest part of the process, sifting through the future employees to find the ones that are most reliable to keep the company going.

Advertisements for the Job Fairs

Every job fair is planned accordingly and is usually announced two weeks before the fair begins. Simple advertisements can be on radio or television. Flyers are put up in and around the locations letting the public know that there are positions opening up within the business. This is what brings in people who are looking for work. To save time, it would be wise to pick up an application at the business, before the job fair begins, and fill it out. This can save time on both the applicant and the recruiter.

The Interview Process

HR recruiters have a list of questions that they use to ask each prospect to determine if they will be placed in the top three or five. The answers that the prospect gives proves that they have a knowledge or education in the position in which they are applying. The recruiter has a list of requirements for each position and they know what they are looking for before they meet each prospect. Many notes are taken on each individual and a decision will be made once all information has been given. Some of the questions a recruiter may ask are as follows:

• What brings you here today and why are you interested in the position?
• How many years of experience do you have in this line of work?
• Tell us a little bit about yourself.
• Why do you feel this position is right for you?
• What would be your objectives with this company?
• Do you have a reliable source of transportation and are you from this area?
• What do you feel are your best talents to bring to the company?

As mentioned earlier, this is the most difficult part of the process. Some people may or may not be truthful during the interview. It is up to the recruiter to determine the difference through the prospect’s answers to these and other questions that they choose to ask. It all depends on how the interview goes. Some other questions come from the recruiter’s review of the prospects application.

Selling the Company

Another key issue for the recruiter is to sell the company to the applicant. The recruiter does this by answering the questions of why they should work for the company and what separates them from other companies. This can also be an icebreaker as most applicants are nervous during the interview. Whether working through the HR department, or being an entrepreneur with a growing company, every business needs a recruiter to help find the best employees.