Diversity Career Fairs

Many companies already understand the value of a diverse workplace and, as such, are participating in career fairs that target select segments of the population. Diversity career fairs offer opportunities to reach out to candidates from various racial and ethnic backgrounds. By participating in these types of events, your organization can take the initiative in diversifying its workforce. Actively pursuing candidates will ensure that you reach them… before the competition does. Pick A Candidate PICKDiversity, a diversity job recruitment service based in Santa Barbara, California, hosts full-diversity job fairs at various locations nationwide. Information about these fairs can be obtained by selecting “Job Fairs 2001” at the site’s homepage. According to PICKDiversity Marketing Manager Wendy LeBlanc, fairs are attended by Fortune 500 companies and involve recruitment for positions in IT, sales, marketing, human resources, and other fields. Positions range from entry- to senior-level. “One thing that remains constant is the quality of candidates,” says LeBlanc. A company participating in a PICKDiversity career fair has an opportunity to meet with candidates face-to-face, but there is another benefit as well. As a supplement to job fair attendance, PICKDiversity offers all exhibitors additional exposure through its cyber fair. According to LeBlanc, while a PICKDiversity physical career fair targets a specific geographic region, the company’s cyber fair provides an employer with nationwide exposure. For two weeks prior to and two weeks following the onsite event, an employer’s job postings are also online. But PICKDiversity’s online event offers more than simply online job postings. The company’s cyber fair mirrors its physical fair in appearance, and actually features a floor plan and booth layout. In addition to job postings, an online fair allows for message posting and distribution of applications to candidates. A demonstration of a cyber fair is available at the site. At the site’s homepage, select “Products & Demonstrations,” which can be found in the “User Non-Members” section under the “Employers” heading. This will return a page where, after scrolling midway down the page, you will find “Click Here for a Cyber Job Fair demonstration.” Career fair costs can be obtained by selecting “Job Fairs 2001” at the site’s homepage, and then clicking on the “Employers” button. PICKDiversity’s next diversity career fair will be held May 8 in Los Angeles. There is also an event scheduled for September 24 in Chicago. National Association, Nationwide Events The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the nation’s oldest civil rights organization, hosts diversity career fairs at various locations throughout the United States. Selecting “Event Sched” from the NAACP Job Fair homepage returns a list of upcoming events, which can be viewed by date, city or geographic region. For calendar year 2001, a total of 36 career fairs are listed. Selecting an individual event links to a page where information about that event is provided. This includes date, time and location details, an overview of job fair attendees and a list of exhibitors. Each event listing also includes contact information. Billed as “Diversity & High-Tech Career Fairs,” NAACP events are attended by companies from all sectors and include all types of positions. Among participants listed for an upcoming Washington, D.C., event, for example, are Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Freddie Mac, General Dynamics Electronic Systems, Lockheed Martin, Merck & Co., Oracle Corporation, Raytheon, TRW and Yahoo!. Selecting “Employers” at the site’s homepage, and then “Career Fairs” leads to more details about NAACP events. Here there are statistics about the backgrounds of attendees and facts about participation success. NAACP job fairs are presented by Shomex, an organization specializing in career fairs and related marketing. NAACP job fairs are promoted heavily using newspaper, radio, Internet and other advertising. Hunting For An Online Solution? Headhunter.net, on the other hand, both promotes and holds its diversity career fair entirely online. The Diversity Online Career Fair homepage features each participating company’s logo. Selecting a logo leads to a profile page for that company, which includes a link to current job opportunities within the organization. Headhunter.net’s diversity career fair is co-sponsored by N’DIGO, Blackworld, BlueSuitMom.com, SER, Advancing Women, iHispano.com and the National Urban League. Selecting “Learn More” in the sponsor box leads to additional information about these sponsors and links to sites where you may find other recruitment opportunities. Career Fairs And Candidates A career fair is an effective way to recruit candidates. By attending a diversity career fair, either online or in person, you can connect with candidates from various backgrounds. In your efforts to diversify your workforce, why not add a diversity event to your recruitment agenda? <*SPONSORMESSAGE*>