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How to Win the Hiring Fair

September 7, 2021 In Marketing Tips

It’s no secret that many US businesses are looking to hire new employees right now. As in-person hiring fairs slowly start to make a comeback, it’s time to check that all your hiring-related print materials are up to snuff. We’ll help you make your business as attractive as possible to recent graduates, college students and other prospective hires.

Interactive Business Cards & Flyers

Business cards often serve as your first contact with new acquaintances and potential hires. They’re an incredibly valuable resource for prospects, particularly those who are entering the workforce for the first time and don’t have many contacts yet. Each person you meet at a hiring fair will likely keep your business card for weeks and months to come to reference your contact information, add you on LinkedIn, or reach out for networking opportunities. These cards will be seen by many people, so they should be branded appropriately to keep your company at the forefront. To take your business card to the new (digital) levels, you can also consider using a service like Tappy that allows you to link a business card to a profile that lists all your social and contact information, making it easy for prospects to connect with you online.

In addition to a business card, a one-page flyer with important hiring information can also be an important resource for prospects. This page can help direct them on the next steps in the application process and even link to other digital elements they may find useful after the fair is over. For example, if your company has an online careers site, adding a QR code that leads directly to it can help prospects find open positions and begin applying. Additionally, linking to your main website and social media handles can give your new contacts more insight into your brand. The more you can engage with potential hires, the more they’ll feel comfortable and begin imagining their life as a part of your company.

For both materials, we recommend using a thicker paper, pop of color or eye-catching graphic to grab attention and stand out in the sea of thin, plain white prints. It’s also incredibly important to make sure you have plenty of cards on hand before you head to the career fair. These events can attract a lot of people, and it would be a shame to run out of business cards and miss an opportunity to connect with a potential employee. If you think you may be running low on cards, place an order with your local printer a few days before the fair and you should be good to go.

Corporate Guide

In addition to a short flyer with quick, actionable information, you may also want to pass out materials that provide more background on your company. A corporate guide or newsletter can be a helpful tool that explains your business’ mission, values, activities, and culture more in depth. If you have a variety of positions available, a guide can also be a good way to highlight the different areas of your business and explain attractive employment benefits. For any prospects that are seriously considering your company as a potential employer, these details can be incredibly influential and even make or break their decision. To tell more of your company’s story through a small booklet, you might feature notable stories from current employees, recent corporate initiatives, or photos of past company events.

Like your other print materials, catalogs or newsletters should be on-brand, using your company’s brand colors and including design elements that are relevant for your business. Most of our clients in the past have also chosen glossy paper to print their catalogs on, as it makes flipping through the pages easier and text clearer to read. Be sure the piece is well-bonded, too, to avoid passing out a catalog that will fall apart in prospects’ hands before they ever make it home.

Folders, Bags & Swag

With all these materials (and maybe more!) to pass out at the hiring fair, it can cause a hassle for prospective hires to hang on to everything. Wouldn’t it be nice to be the company that makes it easier for attendees to carry all their new hiring fair souvenirs? Providing a nice, branded folder to hold your company’s prints can be a huge help for prospects to keep their materials organized. With fewer individual items to keep track of, your new potential employees will be much more likely to pull your materials back out later to continue learning about your business. Again, don’t forget to use your company logo and brand colors to give your prospects another reminder that these materials belong to you.

If you want to up the ante, you could also consider giving away a branded bag to prospects. With everyone at the fair using a tote with your logo on the side to carry their gear, you’re sure to be remembered. Alternatively, you could also give away other useful branded items, such as drink koozies or office supplies. We can provide many of these giveaway items in addition to your print materials, and if you’re looking for something we don’t carry, we can always set you up with one of our promotional marketing partners.