On Wednesday I attended a job fair, I sincerely hope the hundreds of people in attendance, entrepreneurs, managers, H/R people, and job seekers met with success.
I did not.
I came away from the experience like I have every time I have gone to a job fair thinking there has to be a better way to connect.
There were many very positive things about the Job Fair. Employers, job seekers, and organizers all put a great deal of effort into the job fair. Employers took time away from their organizations, money was spent on salaries, giveaways, and booth space. Job Seekers brought resumes, references, and high hopes that they would find the perfect opportunity or at least a job for now. The organizers arranged the venue, parking, and advertising to promote the event. Some job seekers looked engaged, just not enough of them, including me.
Perhaps I was the only one, but after watching the number of people who came in excitedly like me, many left twenty or so minutes later without really speaking to anyone, frustrated and discouraged.
As a job seeker, former employer, and former trade show organizer, I have some ideas.
Define “What does success look like for the stakeholders?
The employers who come to a job fair are looking for qualified people who can start helping their organization right now and into the future. Going to the job fair is expensive; there are not only the costs of staffing their booth but also the opportunity cost of what their people could do if they were at work and not at the job fair. Employers have compelling reasons to achieve success.
Job seekers want a job, not just a job but a good, secure, well-paying job as they have responsibilities and needs to fulfill. Many are out of work, stressed because not everyone qualifies for Employment Insurance, some are running out of benefits, and everyone feels the pressure, the stigma and loss of identity that comes from being out of work. Jobseekers have compelling reasons to achieve success.
The organizers want to connect employers and job seekers. Usually, organizers are a partnership of local municipalities, local organizations, both for-profit and community groups, and employment services, who come together to make these job fairs happen. Organizers solicit local media to advertise, venues are rented, booths prepared, draws held, and food arranged; it’s a lot of time, effort, and cost. Organizers have compelling reasons to achieve success.
Therefore, for each of the stakeholders, success is defined as (1) Employers finding the right people and in the numbers they need; (2) job seekers finding the right job for their needs, and (3) Organizers knowing their time and effort was worth the investment.
Achieve success by supplying what is missing.
More connectivity and engagement.
All stakeholders should address the “HOW” to build more connectivity and engagement. Equally important is to provide “SUPPORT” to the stakeholders.
Element # 1 – Before the Job Fair
As a job seeker, too many don’t know “how” to achieve success, nor do employers, that gap could be filled by conducting a series of “Job Fair Primers.”
Each “Primer” should address the following areas of conversation. Primer workshops would likely achieve the best results through in-person interaction; however, even at the worst, having a digital “handout” or short YouTube video prepared on the Job Fair organizer’s website would help.
For Job-Seekers, the topics to include could be:
What to expect. Jobseekers should know before the job fair what organizations are going to be present and what opportunities are available. They should understand that employers may hire directly at the fair, or they may only want to collect leads through conversations and resumes and conduct interviews later.
Creating a plan. Job fairs can be intimidating and are typically very busy places. Jobseekers may not feel comfortable in this environment and avoid engaging because they are overwhelmed. If job seekers knew, in advance, which opportunities matched their skills, instead of sorting through dozens of employers “on the fly,” they would know who they want to approach ahead of time, reducing their stress.
Understanding the process employers will use to find the right people for their opportunities. Every employer will be different; however, a little pre-coaching would help jobseekers understand.
What questions to ask? Your questions will vary depending on the employer and/or the opportunity and usually the employer will want to ask questions about you and your skills/experiences; however, having some basic questions like “Could you tell me about your organization?” is a good question to start.
What to wear. While over-dressing is seldom an issue, under-dressing can lead to negative employer bias.
When is the best time to arrive? Job fairs may last for several hours, initially, employers may be overwhelmed by jobseekers and may recommend arriving after the initial throng of people has come and gone.
What to bring. Addressing what employers and organizers recommend is important information for job seekers, common items include resumes and references.
What not to bring? The answer to this question may depend on several factors; job seekers should consider answers ranging from not bringing extra family members to not carrying a coffee while they interact with employers.
How to deal with being intimidated. Employers and Organizers should recognize this reality and make extra effort to help people engage with them (see Primers for Employers below).
Who can help during the job fair? In the Organizers Primer, I suggest organizers have people work the floor of the fair, “goaltending” to watch for people who are not engaging and ask if they can help or answer questions.
How to break the ice? As a trainer of professional salespeople, I appreciate how important this is for merchants, this skill is equally important for job seekers and employers who may feel as uncomfortable as each other initially.
Role-playing exercises. Encouraging jobseekers to practice approaching a booth and how to ask about opportunities with a friend or an employment agency representative would dramatically lessen the anxiety many people feel at job fairs.
For employers, the topics to include are.
How to register for the job fair and to appreciate the importance of posting specific opportunities available for job seekers.
What to expect and what to prepare for. Is your organization present to simply “show the flag and just provide information to jobseekers; to acquire leads, to do interviews, and/or to hire people?
Know what to bring. Appropriate signing and giveaways are examples of what employers may wish to consider.
How to engage job seekers. For example, the importance of smiling, helping to break the ice, building rapport and asking questions to qualify and find “good fits”, educating interested job seekers on what your organization does and the opportunities available, asking more questions, offering interviews, and setting times, and then following up.
Remembering what not to do while “on-stage” at the job fair. For example, use stools instead of chairs to be more approachable, keep cell phones off, avoiding “chatting” with people other than job seekers as you will seem less approachable.
How to have private conversations with job seekers in a very public place that is very loud and not conducive to questions?
For organizers, topics to include:
The importance of early planning, using various media to promote the job fair, social networking, attracting employers, and applying lessons learned from previous fairs.
Realizing the importance of having welcoming greeters and goaltenders, door prizes, and staff to circulate on the job fair floor to answer questions and seek out disenfranchised job seekers.
Establishing accessible “quiet conversation areas” not on main traffic thoroughfares.
Encourage employment agencies to meet and support their clients during the job fair.
Element # 2 – During the fair
Job Seekers – Whether you arrive early or later, remember the topics from the primer. Try to relax, and approach the employers from your plan first, and then anyone else who happens to interest you. Avoid the temptation to circle the floor and leave without speaking to anyone.
Employers – Arrive early and review with your staff what and who they should be looking for and remember the key to success is engaging people who may or may not be comfortable approaching them.
Organizers – Your job is to facilitate engagement and connectivity between employers and job seekers. Ensure the people circulating on the floor are helping and watching for intimidated job seekers. In addition, have “goaltenders,” people whose primary function is to ask people when they are leaving, “If they were able to speak to every employer they wanted to?” if the answer is “no,” then to ask permission to take them back into the show and introduce them to the employer they missed.
Have a quick and easy “exit survey” for job seekers and employers to complete to provide data for your KPIs.
Element # 3 – After the show
Job Seekers – Within 24-72 hours follow up with employers you connected with. Review your performance engaging with employers, ask “What did I do well, what could I have done better?” and then try to apply those lessons learned next time.
Employers – Within 24-72 hours follow up with jobseekers you engaged. Ask the same questions as the jobseekers and apply your lessons learned as well.
Organizers – Use data from “exit surveys” and an online questionnaire for employers to measure the degree of success achievement and share the information. Meet to discuss “lessons learned” with as many participants as possible. Begin Planning for the next job fair.
It is now a few days past the job fair I attended and I am still frustrated by my level of engagement and connection.
As an organizational consultant and someone who works with people seeking employment, I thought it was important to write about this subject because we all know of people who are job seekers, employers, and/or organizers who can help reduce frustration and disappointment they feel as either job seekers or employers.
If all of us do even a few of these suggestions, it will make a big difference for those people needing jobs and those looking to fill opportunities.
Good luck,
Paul