For companies located in a big city or companies that recruit from local colleges, hosting an onsite recruitment event can be a great way to get candidates excited about the office and offer the opportunity to meet potential future coworkers. A well-organized event can propel your company to the top of college graduates’ preferred list of employers. Conversely, a poorly-run event can backfire for an employer’s brand and keep the best candidates away. So how can your company put together a successful onsite recruitment event, from planning, to marketing, to execution? Follow these important steps.
Before you can start planning your recruitment event, you need to know your goals and your audience. Is this event for people at the very top of the funnel who want to learn more about the company? Is it for people who have already applied, but want to take a deeper dive into company life or the benefits of a specific program? Or are you launching an event for diversity-related initiatives, such as mentoring underrepresented groups or encouraging them to apply for a position?
If you have different audiences and goals, consider scheduling multiple events. For example, Goldman Sachs offers a variety of “exploratory” programs to introduce different groups (such as women, minorities, and veterans) to career options at the company as well as provide networking opportunities. Having a clear objective and audience will direct the rest of your efforts throughout the planning and marketing stage.
After you know who the event is for and what you want to accomplish, determine what’s on the agenda. What is the main event? You may wish to consider offering a panel with speakers from different departments within the company, a structured networking session, and an office tour. For example, PNC hosts a number of recruitment events, including their Women in Business Summit as well as several internship forums. Their Women in Business Summit offers a schedule that includes a welcome speech, a leadership panel, a company overview, a case study workshop, and an interview/mentorship session, while their internship forums offer attendees the chance to learn more about summer internships and development program opportunities.
As part of any onsite recruitment event, you should always share details about the hiring process, such as timelines, how many steps there are, and what is expected of candidates who make it to the interview stage. Since professional development is one of the most important perks for today’s entry-level employees, you may also wish to highlight any professional development programs you offer. Additionally, there should be ample opportunities for entry-level candidates to ask questions.
Getting your event on the calendar is the next logical step. Data from our recent report The State of the Gen Z Job Search shows that entry-level candidates start their job search as early as the summer before they graduate. Waiting until October or November means you might already be behind.
If you are located in a big city like New York, Boston, Chicago, or San Francisco, you may want to host a summer intern networking event for people who would graduate the year after. This will enable you to reach people from a wider range of schools, especially those that aren’t located in your area. Since big cities have tons of nearby colleges, you can also host an event early in the academic year for people who attend nearby schools.
You should also take into consideration what time of day will work best for prospective attendees, as well as your employees. For example, if you know that one of your target institutions doesn’t usually teach classes on Friday, that might be a good option.
Implement an outreach strategy to encourage attendance among your target audience. Or in other words, start marketing! This can be done through school list servs, collaboration with college career centers, or sourcing candidates on LinkedIn. To reach a broader audience, you can promote your event through social media or post it on event websites like Eventbrite. Your guest list can also be built from candidates who have already applied to jobs, depending on the focus of the event.
You should also consider how large a group you want it to be and cap attendance if necessary. If the event is going to be very small, you might require a short application process or have a first come, first served policy. If you are working closely with a university to promote the event, you may also arrange for a shuttle for transportation to and from the company as an added incentive.
Regardless of which methods you use to market your event, have prospective attendees RSVP so you know how many are coming and so you can capture email addresses for follow up later. Your marketing materials should also ensure that prospective attendees know what to expect at the event so they can plan accordingly (such as preparing business cards, resumes, and the proper dress code).
Ensure a seamless experience at the event
Similar to having a seamless candidate experience throughout the hiring process, the recruitment event should also be friendly for visitors. Ensure a smooth check-in process, hand out name tags at the beginning, direct attendees to the appropriate area, and provide a printed, detailed schedule for the event. The employees who are involved should also be friendly and willing to answer candidates’ questions. Every interaction at the event influences a prospective candidate’s opinion of your company, so everything and everyone should be professional.
Follow up
How do you actually make the event worthwhile? You should have ways to track who attended and conversations you’ve had so you can measure if this event is useful to put on in the future. You might consider sending out a post-event survey asking for feedback from attendees, deploying an email to persuade candidates to apply (if they haven’t already), and appointing a contact person from HR or recruitment to answer any additional questions. Adding a personal touch and making the effort to stay in contact can change your event from good to great.
Onsite events are one of the most effective tools in your recruitment arsenal, since they can give prospective employees an idea of what it would be like to work for the company and better prepare them for the rest of the application process. By targeting your event to a highly specific goal, partnering with local universities, and inviting candidates who are already interested in your company, you can position yourself at the forefront of the battle for top talent.
Want to know how Gen Z candidates are faring during COVID-19? Download our report here to understand how employment was affected during the onset of COVID-19, and download our report The Gen Z Job Seeker to understand how this generation's approach to the job search has fundamentally changed.