Between 50% and 80% of all jobs are filled through networking. While networking can take many forms, in-person recruitment events where a hiring team can meet potential candidates face-to-face are some of the most popular. They are so popular that over 90% of colleges and universities host at least one per year.
Hosting a recruitment event is a great opportunity for hiring professionals to expand their talent pool and increase visibility for their employer brand. It provides a rare opportunity to assess candidates before interviewing them. The hiring team can see what’s not on the candidate’s resume and understand their personality and presence.
When done right, a recruitment marketing event can make a lasting impression. However, hiring professionals must ensure that candidates walk away from the event with a positive idea of the company, an in-depth understanding of the employee value proposition, and a true sense of the company’s identity.
Recruitment events can be a fantastic opportunity for hiring professionals, particularly in the summertime. Many recruitment professionals take vacations during this season, leading to a slowdown in hiring as teams assume potential candidates are also on holiday. However, this period offers a prime chance for those who remain active to connect with dedicated job seekers still in the market.
Candidates currently employed may find it more acceptable to take time off for summer vacations, increasing their availability for interviews. This creates ample opportunities for businesses to hire top talent, especially if they have robust onboarding or employee development programs in place to swiftly integrate new hires.
Additionally, many fresh college graduates are looking for jobs during this time. About 75% of Gen Z college graduates are ready for the workforce. However, less than 40% of companies are looking to hire them.
Summer recruitment events can help recruiters and hiring professionals leverage the increased availability of candidates. With less market competition and higher candidate availability, it becomes much easier for companies to secure the top talent they need to keep moving toward their strategic goals.
Hiring professionals must define and understand their target audience before hosting a summer recruitment marketing event. Are they looking for candidates already working in a particular industry? Do they want to interview college graduates in a specific major?
Who a recruiter or hiring professional is looking for will determine when, where, and how the event unfolds. It will also determine the type of messaging used to market the event. Segmentation helps hiring professionals understand what a particular target audience needs and desires so they can speak directly to them. This, in turn, increases the chances of high attendance and event success.
Not all recruitment marketing events are created equal. Hiring professionals should understand the different types of events and how each can fit into their strategic recruitment marketing event plan:
It’s crucial that hiring professionals choose an event type that is in line with their recruitment goals. For example, suppose a recruiter wants to build or create a pipeline by meeting as many people as possible in a relaxed environment. In that case, a hackathon or networking event is perfect.
However, if open positions need to be filled immediately, a job fair may be best, as candidates usually come to these events ready to be interviewed. If the goal is to build the employer brand, lunch-and-learns and webinars are great for fostering brand awareness among candidates.
If hiring professionals expect an event to be successful, they must market it well. Once they’ve determined the appropriate messaging for each audience segment, they should take a multi-channel approach to delivering that message.
Email marketing is a great way to reach a large number of candidates on their mobile devices, especially since most platforms also allow for segmenting email lists. Additionally, 79% of job seekers use social media in their job search. This presents a huge opportunity for employers to market their summer recruitment events on popular social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
Finally, developing partnerships with universities (including career development offices) is key to attracting college students and recent graduates. This allows recruitment marketing professionals to host job fairs and other events on campus.
In addition to using the proper channels, hiring professionals can use content to attract people to the event. Blog posts provide valuable content and education on a topic and advertise the benefits of attending the event. Hiring professionals can also provide links to hiring events or webinars on social media posts and in the company’s profile.
Videos and testimonials featuring employee stories or day-in-the-life accounts are also excellent options. Videos can leverage industry influencers and current employees to persuade potential candidates to attend the event.
The quality of the event needs to align with the organization's brand. The first step to make this happen is to ensure clear and consistent pre-event communication. Attendees should be informed about the time, location, duration, and what to expect at the event to create anticipation and trust.
Consider using ticketing platforms like Eventbrite to capture registrations. These platforms allow ticket scanning at the door for smooth check-in processes and the capture of email addresses for future marketing. At larger events, offer attendees maps to help them easily navigate venues.
After the event, hiring professionals can maintain engagement and nurture leads through social media and email marketing. If the event is a webinar or lunch-and-learn, consider emailing a recording to attendees. A recruitment website that informs attendees of job openings and upcoming events can also be helpful. The key to creating a seamless experience is to start planning as soon as possible after deciding to have an event.
Create a project timeline with specific dates for completing each task, create a realistic budget, and gather supplies in advance. This will allow hiring professionals to focus on meeting potential candidates on the day of the event.
Additionally, hiring professionals can consult employees and key stakeholders for marketing ideas and videos. They can also involve the marketing team in creating messaging for the event segments, social media posts, and printed materials.
Measuring the success of any event is crucial to understanding whether the organization is meeting the needs of its target audience. Some key metrics hiring professionals can focus on include:
Hiring professionals should also be able to collect feedback from the audience to help identify possible areas of improvement for the next event. If the hiring team interacts with users on social media, they can use the polling features available on those platforms. Tools like SurveyMonkey allow hiring professionals to pose open-ended questions and extract data insights so that they know precisely how to improve future events.
Innovative hiring solutions can help build a solid pipeline for top talent. With some analysis and legwork to get potential candidates in the room, hiring professionals can increase their chances of creating the workforce they need to move the company closer to its strategic goals.
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Start by creating a detailed timeline and planning your budget as soon as possible. Avoid waiting until the last minute to gather supplies and staff, as this will cause unnecessary stress and leave you with no time to enjoy the event. Engage employees and key stakeholders at your company early on to ensure everyone is aware of the event, its purpose, and how they can contribute to its success.
If you are ready to create a successful recruitment event, the team at Recruitics can help! We specialize in customizing and implementing creative, engaging strategies to attract top talent.
