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How To Get The Most From Job Fairs
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Business New Haven
11/11/2002
By: Melissa Nicefaro
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From newspapers advertisements to search firms, from networking by top company officials to a clog of resumes received online, the recruitment process costs companies time and money. The more time spent on hiring means the more money spent on hiring.
An alternative is the job fair, which in economic times that are lean or fat, makes the hiring process one-stop for those doing the hiring. Job fairs, where job hunters meet and greet employers, provide a timely and personal alternative to receiving hundreds of faceless resumes online.
Connecticut is rife with job fairs. Sponsored by such groups as the Connecticut Department of Labor as well as private organizations like chambers of commerce and the Connecticut Business and Industry Association, fairs are held at convenient locations throughout the Greater New Haven area as well as throughout the state.
Job fairs, often sponsored by local employment organizations, provide employers with access to an extensive number of candidates in a central location. In the past, individualized open-house job fairs have been held for Foxwoods Resort Casino, Finlay Enterprises, Omni New Haven Hotel at Yale, Automotive Controls, Olsten, Yale-New Haven Hospital and St. Raphael Health Care Systems. This provides access to hundreds of highly skilled job seekers for local employers while creating an excellent networking opportunity for those looking to obtain or change jobs.
Some staged job fairs address the needs of specific industries, such as health, retail or technology. Others are general offerings, where large and small companies from all sectors of the economy can assess the current talent pool in a timely and personal manner.
Employers offer many hiring incentives at such fairs, including training programs and apprenticeships. It gives a company a great opportunity to get the right candidate for employers to review.
Though many of these job hunters are moving out of welfare-to-work or other assistance-eligible programs, many job seekers are professionals and managers.
Job fairs are not just for recent college graduates or entry-level candidates, they also serve middle-age, management and professionals. With the job market as tight as it is, when a general employer puts out a notice for an available job, the employer's going to get many more interested people than they can possibly see.
Opportunities are undoubtedly abundant for the job seekers.
What's in it for a job provider?
In an effort to assure that employers get maximum value from time spent at job fairs, workshops are scheduled prior to the events, aimed at helping employers understand and access services. Typical offerings include informative sessions about hiring and tax incentives, transportation assistance, on-the-job training and tax credits for eligible hires.
Employers can take the screening process a step further and have job applicants register and have their resume reviewed once they enter the job fair. With this type of screening, an employer does not have to meet with every applicant, but with those who are qualified for the open position.
It's a great opportunity for an employer to meet face-to-face with potential employees and not have to deal with the guesswork with getting applications through e-mail.
Participating job fairs can be a great way to screen people and get a sense of who they are before employers decide if they want the candidate to come in and talk. In the modern age of e-mail resumes, employers can search hundreds of resumes by keyword without even opening a file. It is a way of managing responses, but you may be missing the perfect job candidate.
Job fairs and the diverse pool of candidates who attend them can give today's employer a competitive edge.
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