Advantages & Disadvantages of Using Job Fairs & Career Fairs for Recruiting Staff

A comprehensive guide to using job fairs for recruiting staff is available.

Advantages of Job Fairs

• Mass and immediate recruitment: They are great when you have an immediate and preferably large recruitment requirement. For example, I once ran a job fair in South Wales designed to recruit over 500 staff for a new manufacturing facility. My company created a job fair, where we were the only employer attending, and got PR in the local press. We were fortunate to be between two cities with high unemployment, so it was well-known that we would be a cornerstone employer. A team of hiring managers conducted quick first-round screening interviews, and we employed a lot of attendees.
• Quick engagement: Get direct interaction with many potential candidates in a short time frame.
• Brand exposure: Opportunity to increase brand awareness and showcase the company culture to a broad audience.
• Market insights: If the job fair is well attended, you may gain a better understanding of the job market, current trends, and competitor offerings.

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Disadvantages of Job Fairs

• Lack of flexibility: Because you have to work around a specific date, it may not be appropriate for your recruitment requirements.
• Not suitable for ad-hoc recruitment: You might get lucky and have a vacancy during the job fair. Otherwise, job fairs are best for mass and regular recruitment requirements.
• Limited candidate pool: Often attracts local jobseekers only. If the organiser hasn’t done their job correctly, there may be very few applicants!
• High costs: Costs can quickly spiral beyond the space rental to include the design and production of the stand, promotional materials and, most importantly, staff costs.
• Time-consuming: Preparing for, attending and following up after a job fair can be time-consuming. This diverts resources from other productive activities and makes many other Applicant Attraction Channels appear better value.
• Direct competition: You’re often up against other competing employers, meaning jobseekers usually have more choice and leverage.
• No guarantee of success: Not only is there no guarantee of finding suitable candidates, but in my experience, there is a high chance you won’t!