Reference no: EM132874459

One of the more unusual locations for recruiting is the job fair for college students held on Daytona Beach, Florida, during the last three weeks of March. Begun in the mid 1990s by city promoters trying to enhance the out-of-control image of spring break week, the job fair has become popular with both recruiters and students. Various organizations have been represented, ranging from Walt Disney World Corp. looking for entry-level host jobs to Ernest & Julio Gallo Winery seeking management training prospects. GTE Data Services looked for students to fill internships and training programs, as well as jobs in programming, sales, marketing, and telecommunications. Even the U.S. Secret Service has used the opportunity to interview a large number of college students at one time.

Recruiters can find nearly 200,000 students from a myriad of colleges, with diverse backgrounds, and all in one location at this job fair. With such a large pool of potential applicants, the recruiters work hard to entice students to think about potential jobs and careers rather than vacations.

At the Daytona Beach job fair, recruiting and interviewing practices are different from those at more formal locations. There is definitely a casual atmosphere. Little recruiting occurs in the morning, but afternoons are busier. Application blanks take only five minutes to fill out, so students don't miss much sun time. To encourage students to consider employment, some firms have recruiters give out free sunglasses or passes to nightclubs, offer free breakfast buffets, or sponsor beauty contests. Informal dress by applicants is the norm, so recruiters have to become accustomed to evaluating people on qualities other than grooming and appearance.

Student responses to the idea of job searching while on spring break vary. Some students reject it altogether, but a number of them accept free offers and talk with recruiters. Some students even bring their resumes with them. Over 600 students interviewed with 28 employers during a recent spring break period. Such an approach indicates how a growing number of employers are using innovative means to recruit employees, especially in technical and professional areas.

Questions:

1. From the prospective of a college student, argue the position that this approach is not a good idea for employers to pursue.

2. What difficulties for the employer do you see with this method of recruiting? Evaluate this method by the quality and quantity measures.