Determined to find new team members, Ave Nermann, HR Manager at MDSC Systems, and Annett Pärs, Office Assistant, attended a recruitment event organized by the Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund on September 9.
They spoke with several very good candidates, and some of the contacts made that day have already led to follow-up meetings. Since our offer generated a lot of interest among job seekers—Ave and Annett spoke with at least 100 job seekers over the course of two hours—we asked Ave to share some tips on how to spark interest among job seekers.
MDSC Systems, a company within the Maru Group that is expanding its production of container solutions, needs a total of more than 20 new assembly workers. You can find the job postings at the end of this article.
Five takeaways from the recruitment event by HR Manager Ave Nermann:
- Always be accommodating. This is the most important thing, because even a gruff “Hello!” can damage the company’s reputation in the eyes of a job seeker. People have questions, and you’re there to answer them. You must also provide answers to those people who may not be a good fit for your team.
- Make yourself visible. You yourself are a billboard, so represent your company visually. Wear your brand’s T-shirts and put up banners.
- Print extra copies. If you think that 50 flyers advertising the available positions will be enough, bring another 50 with you—those were exactly what we were missing when our printouts ran out after the first hour. (Forgive us, dear trees! Unfortunately, it’s just the way it is—job seekers need privacy to review the offers. Fortunately, our backup plan—asking people to take photos of the materials—worked out.)
- Answer the questions in a way that doesn’t dodge them. Candidates need straightforward answers. The three main questions we heard were about the job location, the job description (and whether it’s suitable for women), and the salary. Be prepared to give honest and specific answers.
- Showcase your competitive advantages. Why is the job you’re offering a good one, and do these same factors matter to candidates? In our case, job seekers valued the opportunity to work a single day shift, commute to work by city bus, and work indoors. People were also concerned about whether they would have to lift very heavy loads—and they were relieved to hear that MDSC uses a crane for that kind of work, not people.
MDSC Systems is known in the market under the Maru Defenceand Rolling Unitbrands, which manufacture mobile, expandable spaces for global markets.