How to Use Recruitment Swag to Gain Exposure

Everybody loves free stuff. When someone offers you some free swag, even if it is something that you would not typically use, you might be tempted to take it just because it is free. After all, you never know what might happen in the future that will make you actually need it. Or, at the very worst, you can give it away as a gift to someone else who wants it more.

Promotional products are a useful tool for business owners and marketing teams to get people excited about the brand. By printing a logo or company name on an item, they can generate interest and awareness for the business. There are multiple ways to use promotional products, including corporate gifts, promotional giveaways, and for trade shows.

But what is your most important resource in the business world? People. Your team members are vital to the purpose of your company and can carry out its stated purpose. They may be responsible for product development, accounting, customer service, sales, marketing, or any number of tasks. When you need to build your team, promotional items can play a role.

Using Swag for Recruiting Event Giveaways

Swag items can work for customer and employee giveaways very effectively, but they can also play a role in your recruitment efforts. Here are a few ideas for which events you can use to give away your swag when searching for employees or interns.

Job Fair Giveaways

Job fairs, often held on a college campus or at a local school, are the perfect way to connect with potential employees in the student body. Students who are looking either for part-time positions nearby or for future full-time work often head to job fairs looking for companies to apply to.

If your business hosts a booth at a job fair, then you need to bring some swag items along with you. You could offer some low-cost items like pens, mouse pads, or reusable bags that display your company logo to stay on their mind. Maybe if a student decides to fill out an application, you can give something better away like a tote bag or portable chargers. This is a surefire way to show that you value them and may turn their decision in your favor if you make them an offer.

Career Fair Giveaways

Career fairs are a little bit different from job fairs. While prospective employees can walk into a job fair and expect the companies in attendance to be filling open positions, this is not always the case for career fairs. These recruiting events are more about networking and discovering opportunities for work after college.

This makes them a great opportunity for your company to make an impression on ambitious professionals (opens in a new window) who could become valuable members of the team in the future. You can give away items that promote wellness such as water bottles that encourage them to stay hydrated, hand sanitizer to protect them after visiting a germy place, or gym bags to carry athletic equipment.

Customize these branded items with your logo to showcase how you might care for them as a future employee.

Conferences/Workshops

When your particular industry has major conferences or workshops during the year, these are perfect for recruiting event giveaways. You know that college students, professionals, and aspiring individuals will be in attendance, and promotional giveaways are great ideas for garnering interest in your brand.

In a way, businesses have to treat them like customers. You have to spend money on marketing and product development to convince customers to purchase your product or service. You need to understand their habits and lifestyles to touch on their emotions. Recruiting employees takes a similar level of investment. To find the right people, you need to promote your brand as a great place to work.

If you can give away a promotional item that leaves the prospect with good feelings and a positive impression of your company, then you have made an investment in the company's future, which is your primary reason for recruitment anyway.

What Promotional Products Look Good with Your Company Logo?

In other words, what types of items should you invest in to attract potential employees to your business? There are plenty of options, and they cover a broad range of functionality and price.

Clothing

A person's outfit is one of the most noticeable aspects of their physical presence. If you can order some customized t-shirts, hats, mittens, or personalized jackets, then you may be able to entice some young professionals to consider working at your company. Choose different colors for your prospects to wear so that they have some agency with their choices when it comes to promotional apparel.

Eco-Friendly Items

Nowadays, many individuals love the idea of reducing their carbon footprint. Eco-friendly products like office supplies made from recycled materials, reusable grocery bags, and water bottles are fun swag options that can help the environment. It will also position your business as one that is forward-thinking and cares for its employees.

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Drinkware

Who doesn't love a tasty beverage or a way to stay hydrated throughout the day? A stadium cup with eye-catching colors or a coffee mug with a fun design can make great recruitment supplies for your next promotional event.

Useful Gadgets

People live, work, connect, and play on their devices. You don't have to be a tech company to see the value in providing useful gadgets and accessories for both potential clients and employees as gifts. You can give away a phone stand, Bluetooth speaker, device-carrying armband, or other swag items that allow prospective employees to get more out of their devices.

Have a Promotional Product Strategy First

You should not just start purchasing t-shirts or branded pens willy-nilly to give away to potential employees. You need to consider how much money you are willing to spend, how affordable the items are, what industry you are in, and what employees care about.

What items will they want to use on a daily basis? Which ideas would excite them? Can your logo serve as additional advertising the more this person uses it? At what recruiting event could they be used strategically to generate interest?

Branded items like a tote bag, t-shirt, or KOOZIE® could all provide benefits to prospects that may convince them to fill out an application at a job fair or make connections with your company at a career fair.

Let swag be a cost-effective aspect of your recruitment strategy to show potential team members that you value them and understand their needs.