Preparing for recruiting events can be both exciting and challenging for mid-level recruiting managers in law firms. These events offer invaluable opportunities to attract top talent, build your firm's brand, and establish meaningful connections with potential future associates. The trick is keeping track of all the things you need to get done to ensure success. We have compiled a comprehensive checklist from industry insights and seasoned recruiters working at Am Law 100 firms.
Before the Event:
- Confirm Attendance Ahead of Time: Send out RSVP reminders a few days before the event, especially for those with limited capacity. This ensures an accurate headcount and helps in planning logistics effectively.
- Prepare Rideshare Codes: Offer transportation assistance to make it easier for attendees to reach your event, demonstrating consideration for their convenience and minimizing costs.
- Nail Down Your Pitch: Develop a concise and compelling firm pitch that highlights your unique selling points. This should resonate with potential candidates and convey why your firm stands out in the legal industry. Train the team members that will be present at the event on your firm’s pitch.
- Create Event Swag: Prepare attractive and useful giveaways that align with your firm’s branding. These can include branded merchandise, informational handouts, and other memorable items. Every college kid can use more t-shirts!
- Utilize QR Codes for Sign-Ins: Implement QR codes linked to a sign-in sheet to efficiently capture attendee information. This not only simplifies data collection but also provides insights into the level of interest from attendees. For example, our Flo Recruit Events platform provides QR codes for your events.
During the Event:
- Be Flexible and Prepared: Anticipate minor hiccups and remain adaptable throughout the event. This mindset helps in smoothly navigating any unexpected changes or challenges.
- Take Breaks: Recruiting events can be draining, so schedule short breaks to recharge and maintain your energy levels. This ensures you remain engaged and approachable throughout the event.
- Engage with Attendees: Actively engage with both potential candidates and fellow recruiters. Networking with attendees (instead of hanging around the table with your firm’s attorneys) helps in building rapport and understanding their career aspirations.
- Host Small Events around the Main Event: For larger gatherings, consider hosting smaller, more intimate events around the big event, such as coffee meetings or evening happy hours. This allows for deeper interactions and a more personalized experience, as well as catching any top candidates that cannot attend the large reception.
After the Event:
- Follow-Up Promptly: Send personalized follow-up emails to top candidates within a week of the event. Express gratitude for their attendance and reiterate your firm’s interest in their application.
- Evaluate Event Success: Review team member feedback and event metrics to assess its impact on candidate engagement and brand visibility. Use this data to refine future recruiting strategies and validate finance approval for more events. For example, our Flo Recruit Outreach events platform allows users to submit feedback on candidates and for the administrator to review this feedback to determine whether a candidate should move forward.
- Track RSVPs and Candidate Interactions: Utilize event management tools like Flo Recruit’s Outreach Events that track RSVPs, manage candidate interactions, and streamline follow-up processes. This centralized approach improves efficiency and enhances candidate experience. If you are a Flo Recruit Outreach Events or ATS customer, don’t forget that you can add team members that are present at events to the event in the platform and ask for feedback on candidates.
Conclusion
By following this checklist, you’ll be not only well-prepared to maximize the effectiveness of your recruiting events but also well-prepared to articulate that effectiveness when asking for a budget for more events. Each event is an opportunity to not only attract top talent but also to showcase your firm’s culture and values. With careful planning and attention to detail, you can create a memorable and impactful experience that leaves a lasting impression on prospective candidates, and satisfies the finance team’s questions about the event’s value.
For more insights and tools to elevate your recruiting events, explore Flo Recruit’s Outreach Events. Happy recruiting!
We hope this checklist helps your recruiting efforts! If you need further assistance, feel free to chat in via our chatbot or reach out to our team at marketing@florecruit.com. And comment below your own tips and tricks!