Plenty of advice is available for job seekers who choose to visit career fairs as part of their employment search, but what about the recruiters who attend these events hoping to find fresh talent, especially Hispanic and bilingual professional talent?

While most job fair tips focus on helping candidates make a positive impression, it’s just as important for recruiters to convey a professional image. After all, they are representing their companies and their conduct throughout the career fair extends far beyond the day of the event.

As an executive recruiter and job fair organizer, I have seen the job search process from both the recruiter and job seeker perspectives. I’ve also had the unique opportunity to hear opinions from candidates and recruiters about their experiences, often about the same interview.

What I’ve learned can help you improve your recruiting results from career fairs, particularly diversity job fairs. The suggestions that follow will help you attract more candidates to your booth, really make them say “Wow!” and create a long-lasting positive impression about your company.

Preparing for the Fair
Why are there are a million sayings about the importance of preparation? Because it’s the key to success. If you want to have a successful job fair experience, you need to do some planning.

• Plan as a Team
  To make the most of the time and money invested in an event, all members of your team must work together. If there is a disconnect or miscommunication between the people planning the exhibit and the recruiters actually attending the event, it’s a recipe for trouble. I’ve seen companies lose out on free advertising because they failed to provide a print-ready logo, booth graphics that arrived late because of poor planning, and marketing materials left behind because it was assumed someone else took care of it. Make sure everyone has specific responsibilities and all team members are updated regularly. If you are attending a diversity job fair, plan to bring marketing materials highlighting your company’s initiatives and programs for diverse employees.
• Decide Who Should Attend
  Many companies feel it is necessary to send Latino employees to Hispanic-oriented job fairs. While Latino candidates certainly notice and appreciate that their ethnicity is represented, it is much more important that recruiters are knowledgeable about your company’s available positions, hiring procedures and diversity initiatives. Candidates would much rather speak with an informed non-Hispanic HR professional than a Latino representative who can’t answer their questions.
• Submit Available Positions to the Job Fair Organizers
  Almost every job fair gives exhibitors and recruiters the opportunity to publish their available positions online. This often extends to print media, radio spots and Spanish-language media. When you get this opportunity, don’t let it pass you by! If your target audience is Hispanic/bilingual professionals, consider crafting job titles and descriptions so they reflect the position’s need for language and multicultural skills. Remember, the sooner you submit your jobs, the more candidates will see what you have available, and it will increase the likelihood of your company being included in pre-event advertising.
• Make Sure Travel Times Don’t Conflict with Event Times
  This may seem like common sense, but you should plan your travel so you are available for all the hours of the job fair. If the job fair ends at 3 p.m., don’t plan for a flight at 4 p.m. Breaking down your booth early looks terrible to candidates and is a distraction for companies continuing to recruit and interview. Even more importantly, you will miss candidates who are only able to attend the tail end of the job fair, some of whom may be coming specifically to learn more about your company. Always take full advantage of the time you have available.
• Get Directions in Advance
  Check the event Web site, consult Mapquest or ask the concierge at your hotel, but be sure you know where you’re going before the day of the fair. Setting up late won’t make the best impression with recruits. You want to have your booth set up and materials laid out with plenty of time to spare before the doors open.

The Day of the Fair

OK. You’ve prepared, published your job postings, taken advantage of all the pre-fair opportunities offered to you, and planned your travel appropriately. Now you have to make sure the event itself is successful:

• Be on Time
  This means showing up during the specified move-in and recruiter registration period, prior to the time when candidates are scheduled to arrive. Any reputable job fair should have at least one event coordinator on site to help you locate your booth space and answer any logistical questions you have. Just look around — they should be visible and prepared to assist you.
• Never Leave Your Booth Unattended during the Fair
  Now it’s time for those ultra-prepared candidates to show up and hopefully land their dream job. Ooops! No one’s at your booth. Regardless of the reason, this should never happen. If one recruiter goes to lunch, the other should stay at your exhibit. The same goes for cigarette breaks and trips to the bathroom. You never know when great candidates will walk up to your booth, and you can’t guarantee they’ll come back if you’re missing in action.
• Be Welcoming
  Many candidates are not familiar with the job fair setting and will be unsure about how to approach a company representative. This can be particularly true for Hispanic candidates who may have immigrated to the United States and are not accustomed to the job fair approach to professional recruiting. You want to be welcoming, not intimidating or indifferent. Surprisingly, I’ve seen recruiters stay seated behind their table, chatting with their booth co-worker while job seekers wait to be noticed. Don’t make job seekers approach you -- if you want to make a great impression, introduce yourself, shake the candidate’s hand and start a conversation.
• Greet Candidates by Name
  Check name tags and resumes so you can greet candidates by name (by the way, you should always wear your name badge too). This personal recognition is especially important for Hispanic job seekers who are used to meeting others in a friendly and open way. Before the fair, ask Hispanic co-workers for the correct pronunciation of the most common Latino names. Another note about names: Hispanics often use two first names and prefer to be addressed this way. If you see a name tag that says Maria Margarita, that’s what you should call the candidate. Don’t shorten her name to Maria.
• Always Accept Resumes, Even if You Require Online Applications
  While I am not out to change your company’s policy about requiring applicants to apply online at your Web site, I am here to tell you this is the biggest complaint heard from candidates. Job seekers who attend career fairs are making an effort to meet you personally. Don’t simply direct them to your company’s Web site application: take their resumes and explain that they must also apply online as part your company policy. Candidates get frustrated when they come to an event only to be told to apply online — after all, they could have stayed home and done that in 30 minutes. This is even more significant for Hispanic candidates, as they place a strong emphasis on personal relationships, even in a business setting. Accepting paper resumes at the fair will reassure these candidates that their time and efforts are appreciated.

Diversity job fairs are not just an effective way to meet and attract Hispanic candidates; they are an important part of positioning your company as one that values diversity. When you attend a job fair as a recruiter, you are on the front line representing your company. The image you present will, in large part, determine if the best talent joins you or your competition. Always keep in mind that Hispanics are very passionate about company brands: Even if a particular candidate doesn’t match your requirements, you should always uphold their positive feelings about your company.

Make these tips part of your recruiting process, and you'll gain the extra edge you need to make successful connections with the Hispanic professional candidates at today’s job fairs.

About the Author: LatPro Inc

An innovator in the online employment industry, LatPro was launched in 1997 to become the very first job board connecting Hispanic bilingual candidates with employers. Our staff authors share targeted advice gained during our 10 years serving Hispanic jobseekers and diversity-conscious companies.

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