Minnesota companies are currently struggling to find workers, especially for skilled laborer jobs. There are currently more jobs available in the state than there are people looking for work.

As an employer, there are a few tools that will help you find the best candidates before your competitor does. A great way to snatch prime candidates quickly is by attending a hiring event. If you’ve never attended a hiring event, here’s why you’re missing out.

Discover a qualified talent pool

The people who attend job fairs are actively seeking work. They attended the event because they are specifically looking to apply to companies like yours. If the hiring event is located in a particular area or has a theme, you narrow your candidate pool and find exactly the candidates you want to hire. Collecting applications from job fairs increase the number of qualified, interested candidates to choose from.

Have a pre-interview with potential employees

First impressions are huge in hiring – for better or for worse. While at a hiring event you may find candidates that you might not have hired on resume alone. You might also realize that someone’s resume and professionalism don’t match. You’ll save time by avoiding scheduling interviews with unqualified candidates. At a hiring event, you’ll meet your favorite candidates and focus your energy on shepherding them through the hiring process. Meeting candidates face-to-face gives you much more information than relying on resumes alone.

Save time and resources

You have many tasks when you post a job opening: write a description, pay to post it on a job site and field questions and resumes from applicants who aren’t qualified. At a hiring event, your advertisement is your table. Instead of collecting a pile of email inquiries, you can talk to interested candidates and answer questions right there. You only need to devote a few hours of staff time to meeting candidates at the event rather than posting online and hoping for the best.

Find diverse candidates

If you attend a job fair aimed at a particular demographic, like students or women, you can easily identify candidates who meet a particular hiring goal. Connecting with young workers early on builds loyalty to your company. If you have internships or apprentice programs you can find young workers eager to start their careers. Attending a hiring event for a particular group, like women in manufacturing, can help you diversify your candidate pool and workforce.

On-the-spot hiring

If you have entry-level positions that you’re eager to fill, hiring events are a great place to meet candidates. Candidates will bring their resume, fill out an application and have a brief interview. You can add several new team members in a few short hours. Both you and the candidate will be pleased with how smooth the process is.

Did you know that Award Staffing hosts hiring events throughout the Twin Cities? That’s more than 50 opportunities a year to connect with qualified candidates. Contact us today to learn more about how your company can join our next event.