Job Fairs and Hiring Events
Examples of the methods Service Providers use during workplace visits to gather insights, address challenges, and ensure safety and accommodations.
Business Career Services Illinois
- Job fairs are organized by BCS, and employers can participate in either general or industry-specific events.
- Customized hiring events are also offered for individual employers.
- When companies are closing operations, BCS organizes on-site hiring events to connect displaced workers with new job opportunities, helping to reduce layoffs and support employees in transitioning to new roles.
This content is based on interviews or email correspondence with Deb Lawrence in 2024. This draft content has NOT yet been signed off by the organization.
Cara Collective
- Cara connects employers to hiring events and job fairs through partnerships, but does not explicitly organize them independently.
This content is based on interviews or email correspondence with Tim Loeffler in 2025. This content was approved by the organization in March 2025.
Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership
- Pyramid Partnerships organizes quarterly job fairs targeting specific industries, such as healthcare and manufacturing.
- Events are promoted through email campaigns, social media, and community partnerships.
- Employers receive detailed schedules and candidate profiles before the event to facilitate meaningful interactions.
- Post-event surveys are used to gather feedback from employers and job seekers.
This content is based on interviews or email correspondence with Kelly Brown in 2025. This draft content has NOT yet been signed off by the organization.
City Colleges of Chicago
- Hosting hiring events and job fairs is a central component of Olive-Harvey College’s employer engagement strategy. Job fairs allow employers to observe the organization’s ability to organize targeted events that attract qualified talent and to successfully support employers in connecting with candidates.
- Smaller, targeted industry-specific job fairs are hosted, which may include a limited number of job seekers (40-50) and/or employers (2-3) in addition to larger events with multiple industries, employers, and job seekers represented.
City of Chicago Department of Family and Support Services
- Job fairs are promoted ad hoc, such as through hiring events like the Allied event.
This content is based on interviews or email correspondence with Lisa Hampton, Chadra Lang, and Mark Sanders in 2024. This draft content has NOT yet been signed off by the organization.
City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development
- The City does not organize job fairs. However, City employees sometimes attend job fairs organized by others, depending on resource availability. City representatives hand out flyers or business cards to provide direct access to additional information and resources.
This content is based on interviews or email correspondence with Lijia Evariz in 2024. This content was approved by the organization in March 2025.
Harper College
- Harper College does not directly organize job fairs. Harper participates in external events to connect with potential employer partners.
This content is based on interviews or email correspondence with Besa Sadiku in 2024. This draft content has NOT yet been signed off by the organization.
Illinois Division of Rehabilitative Services
- Job fairs are hosted primarily in October for National Disability Employment Awareness Month.
- Collaboration occurs with partners such as the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD) for networking opportunities between employers and job seekers. Information is distributed for these events.
- Events are designed to be inclusive, with ASL interpreters and accessible venues.
- Flyers targeted at businesses and employers are distributed prior to the events.
- Relevant flyers for disability-inclusive hiring events aimed at job seekers are distributed, such as the NDEAM 2024 Ability Job and Resource Fair flyer and the McHenry County Disability Job Fair flyer.
This content is based on interviews or email correspondence with Biswa Phuyal in 2025. This content was approved by the organization in March 2025.
Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities
- The Career Center, a service of MOPD, partners with employers to find qualified candidates, providing tailored support and training while organizing and attending job fairs.
This content is based on interviews or email correspondence with Lauren Hooberman in 2024. This draft content has NOT yet been signed off by the organization.
Northern Illinois University Workforce Policy Lab
- Some workforce areas host career fairs, though specialists often default to this method rather than customizing employer solutions.
This content is based on interviews or email correspondence with Jennifer Foil in 2025. This draft content has NOT yet been signed off by the organization.
Pyramid Partnership Inc
RiseKit
- While RiseKit does not host hiring events, the organization does participate in events and allows job seekers to directly access the platform during and following a job fair or hiring event.
This content is based on interviews and/or email correspondence with Josh Glantz in 2024 and 2025. This content was approved by the organization in March 2025.
scaleLIT
- AJCs (American Job Centers) and similar partners organize job fairs.
- Practices involve engaging local employers to make sure there is alignment with job seeker demographics.
This content is based on interviews or email correspondence with Becky Raymond in 2024. This draft content has NOT yet been signed off by the organization.
Points of alignment
This section provides an overview of practices that are similar across organizations.
Point #1
Many workforce organizations engage in job fairs and hiring events, participating either virtually or in person at various locations across Chicago and Cook County.
Point #2
Some organizations host these events regularly, while other organizations attend and participate periodically.
Point #3
Job fairs and hiring events are typically either broadly focused or industry-specific, aiming to connect targeted employers with qualified job seekers.
Point #4
Many organizations conduct follow-ups with employers after job fairs or hiring events, using surveys, questionnaires, or other materials to encourage engagement with workforce opportunities and gather feedback on their experiences.
