Pink Slip Mixers 2.0 - job search networking! Network With Professionals To Find A Job!

Originally posted in the American Staffing Association Newsletter
September 12, 2012

The Job Fair Gets a Makeover
by Aliza Epstein

Looking for an efficient and cost-effective way to find qualified applicants? That's what Innovative Staff Solutions set out to do when the ASA member company organized a series of drive-through job fairs. The Illinois-based firm set up its fair in the circular driveway outside the Decatur Civic Center. To keep the flow of cars moving quickly, recruiters captured candidate information through raffle entry forms, which take less time to complete than traditional applications. Each candidate also received an informational packet about open positions.

By eliminating the inconveniences of traditional job fairs, drive-through job fairs can attract a wider pool of potential employees. "At regular job fairs, we see the same faces over and over again," says Kristy Kitterman, operations manager at Innovative Staff Solutions. "Less than a third of candidates from our drive-through job fairs had applied to our company before. We got a lot of new people, instead of the same people who have been looking for a long time."

Rather than waiting for talent to come to them, some staffing firms engage potential applicants at professional networking events. By partnering with groups such as Pink Slip Mixers 2.0, staffing firms can gain access to large groups of candidates in informal settings. Pink Slip Mixers 2.0 hosts happy hours where professionals can meet each other and recruiters. "This type of event lets recruiters see how people interact on an informal basis," says founder Edwin Duterte. "It's a good way to tell if someone is a good fit in terms of corporate culture."

Pink Slip Mixers 2.0 also hosts job summits, which put an innovative spin on the traditional job fair by "empowering the job seeker while providing a platform for the hiring manager," Duterte explains. "There are panel discussions about hiring that job seekers can listen to while they wait in line."

Aliza Epstein

American Staffing Association
277 S. Washington St., Suite 200
Alexandria, VA 22314-3675