Events

The essential playbook for hybrid events and fairs

Comerica Bank Expands Reach with Handshake's Event Manager

CBIZ Boosts Candidate Engagement with Handshake's Event Manager

Employers

Tips and trends for modern recruiting

Find the talent you’re looking for

According to a Handshake survey, 66% of students prefer to attend an event before applying to a job. 

You know events are a major lever of campus recruiting, through which students can get to know your brand, your team, and your opportunities. You also know that to gain efficiency and scale, campus recruiting today means connecting with students both in person and virtually. 

But did you know you can use Handshake Events to do all of these things—and more?

What is Handshake Events?

Whether your events are in-person or virtual, use Handshake Events to simplify your tech stack, make data-driven decisions, improve students’ experiences with your brand, and hire qualified talent, faster.  

Handshake Events includes an app that enables your whole team to build and nurture relationships with students before, during, and after events and fairs. 

Use Handshake Events to drive efficiency across hiring events and career fairs

Campus recruiting teams are too busy during peak recruiting seasons to be burdened by administrative work. Here’s how you can use Handshake Events to make your job easier—and provide a smooth hiring process for students.

Streamline

Manage check-ins and track all candidate touch-points across virtual and in-person events.

Customize the questions you're asking your event attendees and ensure you have the data you need to efficiently move them into and through your hiring funnel.

Plan a full slate of in-person and virtual interviews and follow-up meetings from a single page.

Enable

Focus on getting to know candidates during events and fairs—rely on the app for instant access to student profile.

Give your team instant, low-bandwidth access on-the-go to evaluations on the app, so they can stop worrying about switching devices to take notes.

Follow up

Manage multiple interviewers’ schedules from a single command center.

Send scheduling links directly to candidates to speed up the next stage of your hiring process.

Boost the impression of your brand by following up with students faster after a fair or event.

Measure ROI

Connect event data with hiring data in your ATS to understand the impact of your event investment.

Get a detailed, automated monthly report of your organization’s event, fair, and scheduling performance.

Compare RSVP and attendance rates, and get granular DEI data, to improve promotion and participation decisions for future events.

Make it easy for students to meet you at events and fairs on Handshake

Given 75% of college students in the US have access to Handshake, you can engage them throughout their college-to-career journey and provide a seamless experience with your brand.

Students can RSVP, check-in, and even attend events and fairs virtually (or in person)—without ever leaving the Handshake ecosystem

Students use Handshake to:

Access all types of events and fairs in Handshake.

Get notified of upcoming events and fairs.

Receive guidance on events from their career services centers.

Receive messages before, during, or after an event or fair from employers.

Check in to fairs and events using their Handshake app.

Using Handshake's single-source platform to power your events and fairs, you can elevate your campus recruiting strategy and deliver results for your early talent pipeline.

How Handshake Events drives campus recruiting efficiency

Hiring events are one of the most impactful ways for students to engage with your brand. Handshake student survey data has found that 66% of students prefer to go to a career event before applying to a job, and 65% of students who have participated in career events say they have discovered an employer they were interested in working for.

And as for event format: hybrid is here to stay. Students value the opportunity to engage with employers through both in-person and virtual events on the schedule. According to Handshake platform data, 43% of events were virtual during the 2023 fall recruiting season.

As you plan your college recruiting strategy this year, consider these 4 creative event ideas to engage students across either in-person or virtual formats.

Recruiting event idea #1: Hands-on learning workshop

Not only do skill-building events set students up for success as candidates, they also show your company's long-term investment in their professional development. According to Handshake Network Trends data, nearly 90% of students say it’s important that their future employer provide support for learning and development. Need some help zeroing in on a meaningful learning opportunity for early talent? Try these.

Interviewing tips: 

Set up a mock interview and take note of the candidate's body language and communication skills. Are they making eye contact? Are they answering your questions? Then, walk them through your feedback and offer suggestions to help them improve.

Resume workshops: 

Resume workshops are a great way to start building relationships with candidates. Help them identify and highlight their best skills, and explain how those skills map to your open roles. Ask students to send their resumes in advance so you can come prepared with feedback and make your virtual session more productive.

Recruiting event idea #2: Friendly competition

Friendly competitions can attract and engage students, provide a glimpse into the problems your company works on, and give your team a chance to assess candidates’ skills. Consider these ideas:

Hackathons for engineering students: 

Give early talent the opportunity to showcase their skills publicly by hosting a hackathon, a challenge-style event specifically designed to help aspiring programmers make a splash in their future industry. Gain additional insight into your top candidates while improving your brand recognition among early career programmers.

Sales pitches for business students: 

Sales pitches give students a unique opportunity to step outside their comfort zones, think on their feet, and gain real world experience—all while getting to know your team and product. Invite senior leaders to serve as a panel of judges and consider a prize for a more competitive edge.

Recruiting event idea #3: Value-oriented session

If values-driven Gen Z doesn’t feel connected to your mission or your commitment to social issues, they won't consider joining your team. Handshake Network Trends data has found that 65% of college students would not apply to a job if the employer's values didn't align with their own. Stand out from the rest of the pack and reach qualified candidates in a meaningful way with these ideas:

DEI panels: 

DEI panels give candidates from underrepresented backgrounds additional insight into what their experience at your company might look like. Invite junior employees and senior leaders from similar backgrounds to discuss their career paths—and what led them to your company in the first place. Ask candidates to submit their questions in advance for a more personal and productive conversation.

Mental health information sessions: 

According to Handshake survey data, 78% of students say the job search sometimes or often feels overwhelming. Creating a safe space to talk about mental health in the context of the job search meets students where they are and validates their experience. Invite candidates into breakout groups to discuss how they’re feeling, showcase the mental health and wellness benefits your employer offers, or even provide group activities like mindfulness exercises.

Recruiting event idea #4: Informal activity

As valuable as more formal events may be, don’t forget to bring the enthusiasm with fun, casual activities as well. Inspire a sense of camaraderie between employees and candidates while encouraging everyone to bring their whole selves to work at your company.

Trivia: 

Consider in-person or virtual trivia to help candidates to get to know your company values, product offerings, and even senior leadership in a fun, interactive way. When was your company founded? What is your CEO’s favorite ice cream flavor? A range of questions can keep candidates on their toes while giving them a chance to learn more about your company in an informal setting.

Party time: 

Create a space for candidates to get to know your team on a more personal level. Consider company-themed beverages, appetizers, and swag to make your event—and brand—even more memorable.

Creative campus recruiting events can uplevel your recruiting strategy

In addition to engaging content, consider who represents your company at your events: 68% of students said they were very interested in speaking to employees in their field at career events, and 58% said they were very interested in speaking to recent graduates in roles they are interested in. With events being a meaningful opportunity for students to create connections, you can kick creativity up a notch with thoughtful staffing.



Events

The essential playbook for hybrid events and fairs

Comerica Bank Expands Reach with Handshake's Event Manager

CBIZ Boosts Candidate Engagement with Handshake's Event Manager

How Handshake Events drives campus recruiting efficiency

4 creative recruiting event ideas to attract Gen Z