5 Powerful Ways For Employers To Stand Out at Career Fairs

Career fairs are an opportunity for employers to connect with top talent in Malaysia. Set your company apart from the competition and snag your top candidates!

By Kimberly Chang on 2023-11-27 at 7:11 AM

Updated on 2024-09-25 at 6:23 AM

Connecting with Talents at Career Fairs

Career fairs offer a unique opportunity for companies to engage with potential employees, build brand awareness, and showcase what makes their workplace special. In today's competitive job market, standing out at these events is more crucial than ever. Connecting with talents at career fairs requires more than just setting up a booth; it involves creating meaningful interactions that leave a lasting impression.

Strategies for Employers To Stand Out At Career Fairs

If you’re looking for candidates with high interest and big potential, there’s no better place to recruit than career fairs! Where else can you meet talented, already shortlisted candidates in one convenient location?

But with so many other companies vying for the same top talent you seek, your company needs to stand out to stay at the forefront of the candidates’ minds.

We’ve compiled 5 effective ways employers like you can attract candidates to your booth and make your company their top employer of choice.

On another note, career fairs are an excellent platform for employers to showcase their brand and connect with potential hires. To ensure you're making the most of these opportunities, it's essential to reflect on how effectively your company presents itself at these events. If you're curious how well your company does this, consider taking our Work Persona Quiz. This quiz can help you understand your strengths in engaging with top talent.

1. Align Your Company’s Messaging

Keeping your messaging consistent is a vital component of successful career fair strategies for employers. A polished and professional appearance not only enhances your brand image but also instil confidence in you as a potential employer.

makes your company appear polished and professional. It also does wonders in instilling confidence in you as an employer.

So start by making sure everyone is on the same page regarding information candidates will ask about like the company’s mission, opportunities, benefits offered, and more. 

You can do this by preparing a list of talking points and distributing it to your team before the fair. This way, job seekers receive accurate answers and you’ll avoid losing out on great candidates due to misunderstandings! 

Besides talking points, you can also prepare a list of questions to ask candidates. This list will help your team of recruiters narrow down potential hires more effectively. If you need ideas on what questions to ask candidates, check out our suggestions in this article!

2. Prepare Memorable Marketing Materials

Now it’s time to capture candidates’ attention with engaging visuals! Numerous studies have proven that people process and retain information easier through visual elements. So it’s worth putting effort into designing flyers and brochures candidates can keep that show what makes working at your company great.

Having the right career fair marketing materials can make a significant difference in how your company is perceived. Prepare eye-catching brochures, flyers, and business cards that not only provide information but also reflect your brand's personality.

But before you open the creative floodgates, Canva suggests sticking to these important elements:

• Focus on one message. It’s easier to emphasise just one call to action (in this case, applying for your jobs!). You will also avoid confusing the reader.
• Stay consistent with the company’s brand identity. This means using your company’s usual branding elements such as logo, colour palette, fonts, etc. This is crucial for building your company’s brand recognition.
• Include your contact information. Your effort will be for nothing if your readers don’t know where to reach you! Be sure to feature your email address, company career site and social media channels so candidates know how to keep in touch.

3. Get the Word Out on Social Media

Photo by Adem AY on Unsplash

Who says you can only start attracting candidates on the day of the career fair alone? With the power of your social media platform, you can set your team up for success by inviting potential candidates to the career fair before the event day!

You can create some buzz by posting teaser photos or videos leading up to the career fair. For example, you can:

• Share inspirational career growth stories from your star employees
• Boast unique perks and benefits your employees enjoy
• Give eager job seekers a glimpse into your team’s day-to-day with a virtual tour of the company office

Engaging in effective social media promotion for career fairs in Malaysia not only boosts your visibility but also positions your company as an attractive employer that top talents will want to connect with.

Whatever the post, the goal is to drum up excitement about joining your company and call them to meet you at the career fair. If you need other social media post inspiration, we have an article filled with unique employer branding ideas right here.

4. Set Up an Interactive Booth

It’s safe to assume it may not be the candidates’ first time attending career fairs. They might have already visited tons of other employer booths before yours. So how do you make yours memorable?

One great idea is to incorporate an element of interaction at your booth. Interactive activities can encourage candidate participation and even have the ability to pull crowds! It might take some creativity and time but the results are usually worth the effort.

Interactive booths aren’t just fun – it helps candidates warm up to your recruiters quicker, giving way to quality conversations. It’s the type of face-to-face connection you just can’t get when interacting online.

Take cues from ProExhibits’ fun interactive ideas for trade show events and see how you can implement them for your employer booth.

5. Follow Up Fast and Personalise It

Strike while the iron is hot and follow up with shortlisted candidates while you’re still fresh on their minds. To do so, it helps to streamline your pre-screening process.

After the career fair, separate the candidates you’re interested in into three categories:

• The candidates who impressed you
• The candidates you’d like to learn more about
• Students who will be graduating soon

These three basic categories of candidates will help you strategize your follow-up so you can reach your star candidates before others can snatch them up!

And if you really want to stand out – personalise your messages to your top-choice candidates. Things as simple as bringing up the conversation you both had at the career fair can go a long way in making the candidates feel appreciated and seen. 

A pleasant experience can be a major influence on the candidate’s final decision. And if they’re applying to multiple jobs (and they most likely are), their positive candidate experience with you has the ability to affect their preference for your company over others.

Conclusion

Career fairs give you the perfect opportunity to discover candidates with the talent and potential you need to bring your company further so you can:

• Get matched to candidates who share your company’s values
• Showcase your employer brand the way you want with fully customisable experiential booths
• Enjoy quality conversations that are exciting, personal, and most importantly, feel human

For employers looking to enhance their recruiting strategies and learn more about creating a standout presence at career fairs, visit our employer landing page at my.hiredly.com/employer. Here, you can find resources and guidance to elevate your recruitment efforts and truly connect with the best candidates!

By Kimberly Chang on 2023-11-27 at 7:11 AM