Leverage Technology for a better ROI at your next job fair

When at a job fair, and your company uses an online application management system. It makes sense to tell job fair attendees to go online and apply. Right? It seems that this is where many are missing the mark.

Job fairs are a good way to maintain a presence and brand awareness in the community, but are they worth the investment? An employer's cost of attending a job fair ranges from a few hundred to several thousand dollars. There are also the costs for staffing the job fair booth and lost productivity from those out of the office. At job fairs, many companies no longer accept a paper application or resume. They simply redirect you to apply online.

I have been a company representative at job fairs, and have dealt with angry attendees wondering "What's the point of the job fair if I have to go online to apply?" These potential candidates have taken time out of their day in hopes of creating a meaningful interaction with a company, and we are missing an opportunity!

Think about what you are bringing to the table in the candidate experience besides a branded "tchotchke" item (pen, notepad, etc.), and some promotional flyers. Job seekers take home a lot of material, but when will they have time to get to it all? There is a lot of competition out there, so how are you standing out? Are you capturing the best candidates? How do you know?

With a QR code, you can maximize the candidate experience and track the benefit of attending the job fair with minimal costs. Many companies use applicant management systems (AMS), such as Kronos, or Taleo. These and many other vendors offer mobile-compatible online applications. Chances are your company is already paying for the AMS, so why not get the most from it?

Using a QR code allows you to maximize the impact of the job fair, your cost of attendance, and your candidates' experience. Some QR code generators are free, while others are available in a variety of budget ranges. QR code readers can be downloaded for free on smart devices from the app store.

These codes are usually about 1 square inch, and each one is unique. Some QR host sites allow customization of the square code, such as color selection, which you could use to match company colors. The QR code has a link that will take mobile users directly to your application site when it is scanned. Since you are already printing promotional flyers, why not include a QR code on the page? Some QR host sites allow you to monitor your QR usage statistics, which can be useful in identifying your immediate impact. There are increasingly more scan-to-site items that are allowing mobile users to quickly access websites. This is a great opportunity to catch the best candidates, before someone else does.

Using a QR code that sends candidates directly to your application website will allow them to apply online immediately. This reduces frustration for the applicant and generates a more impactful presence for the company. It also presents an opportunity to identify the immediate, and long-term tracking of ROI. This can help you identify whether or not those job fairs are working for you. The QR code is where you put it all together - neatly packaged in a box, ready to scan.

I'm guessing you have your QR scanner by now, so I'll make it easy for you!
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