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How To Recruit Talent At A Conference

By Paul Slezak - Dec. 21, 2022
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You probably wouldn’t register for (or attend) a conference or trade show with the sole purpose of boosting your own candidate pool … that could prove to be a pretty expensive exercise.

But it certainly is an added bonus when while walking around an expo hall, or grabbing a bite to eat between break-out sessions you suddenly find yourself speaking to someone who you immediately realize would be a dream employee for your own company.

What do you do?

If you botch up this opportunity to impress them, you might not get a second chance to recruit the candidate. So before you try your hand at conference recruiting, it’s a good idea to review a few basic guidelines.

Key Takeaways

  • Start with a friendly conversation to get to know who the person is and what they do.

  • Present a specific position you think they’d be a good fit for.

  • Follow up with more information about your company and positions they qualify for.

How To Recruit Talent At A Conference

How to Recruit Talent at a Conference

  1. Know Who You’re Talking To

    While this might seem pretty obvious, you’ll need to do a little research to make sure that the potential candidate you’re speaking to could be a good fit for a position within your company. After all, you don’t want to waste time discussing a position that has nothing to do with the candidate’s skill set.

    If you can, suss out the workshops or sessions your potential candidate may have attended or might be going along to later in the conference. Attending these workshops could provide you with more insight into how they interact, the types of questions they ask, etc.

  2. Start With Small Talk

    Engage your prospective candidate in a conversation relating to the conference or workshop topics. Evaluate their breadth of knowledge throughout the conversation before you bring up even a hint of any potential job opportunity.

    You don’t want to invest your time and effort in a person who doesn’t actually match your ideal candidate profile.

    Remember this is not a job interview. These moments are the first of many conversations that may lead to formal interviews later on down the line. Whatever you do, don’t go into sales overdrive. You’ll just end up scaring them off.

  3. Get Sufficient Background Information

    If the person you’ve met could be a potential fit for your team, find out a little bit more about where the person currently works and his or her responsibilities (still remembering you are not facilitating an interview). 

    If you know the person’s job title, you can more easily gauge if he or she might be looking to make a move.

    Pay attention to your surroundings. Recruits are likely to wax poetic about their current positions if they’re manning a company booth or their colleagues or manager are hanging around.

    If possible, get them away from these environments if you want to know how they’re really feeling.

  4. Mention a Position

    Despite what I’ve suggested earlier, don’t spend too much time making small talk unless you’re genuinely interested in what the person has to say. Get to the point, mention a potential position and gauge their reaction.

    If the person asks questions or displays body language that signifies interest, continue to elaborate on the opportunity. Please remember you still don’t want to hard sell the position the first time you speak to them.

  5. Follow Up

    The typical potential candidate isn’t going to bite on the first bit of bait so make sure you follow up with the individual through email, a social media connection, or a telephone call.

    That way you can provide additional information on the opportunity and explain why you believe he or she should consider your offer.

    Some candidates may only give you their work contact information, particularly if they’ve just met you. Make them feel more comfortable by talking about the conference you both attended, and don’t immediately discuss the job opportunity.

    If the conversation progresses naturally, they will be more likely to give their personal contact information at the end of the discussion.

Finding quality candidates can be tough at the best of times. But spotting potential talent is even more difficult if you don’t know how to approach people at conferences or in other social situations.

Next time you’re at an industry event, establishing common interests, evaluating potential fit, and following up with them will help you improve your scouting efforts and attract suitable candidates who may not even realize they’re speaking to their potential future employer as you chat over a coffee during a session break.

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Recruiting Talent at a Conference FAQ

  1. How do you recruit people at a conference?

    You recruit people at a conference by getting to know the potential recruit, mentioning a position they might be a good fit for, and following up afterward.

In your first interactions with someone, engage them in small talk and find out about who they are.

Then, you can ask about where they work now to get some idea of what their skills and experience are. If you think they might be a good fit for your company, mention a specific position at your company and see if they’re interested.

If they are, get their contact information and follow up with more information about the job opportunity.

  • What are five ways to attract good talent?

    Five ways to attract good talent are:

    1. Clear career progression opportunities.

    2. A company culture that matches the candidate’s values and personality.

    3. The opportunity for personal fulfillment at work.

    4. An upstanding company reputation.

    5. Building a relationship with the candidate throughout the recruitment process.

    Author

    Paul Slezak

    With over two decades of experience in the recruitment and human capital industry, Paul Slezak has established himself as a transformative force in the realm of leadership and career coaching, group facilitation, and talent acquisition. His unique perspective, drawn from his early career as a leader in global recruitment firms and his entrepreneurial success with his own start-up, has enabled him to make a significant impact on leaders, teams, and organizations across the world. Paul's passion for helping others achieve success and high performance is evident in his commitment to transforming leaders and their teams at local, national, and international levels. He specializes in promoting the importance of human-centered intelligence, focusing on soft skills such as authenticity, transparency, and trust to complement business-centered acumen and drive better workplace outcomes. As an impartial facilitator, Paul brings his expertise to team offsites and strategy days, ensuring alignment on goals, values, and culture while keeping participants on task. His engaging and energetic presence, coupled with his unique "entertraining" and "edutaining" delivery style, enables him to connect with audiences both large and intimate, sharing personal and professional anecdotes that inspire and energize.

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