Anyone looking for a job or who feels they aren’t quite in the right place can register for the Career Fair. There, whether in person or online, employers will be ready to meet you—with no strings attached. It’s a win-win: employers looking for new hires can connect with potential talent on November 20. ImpactWork, which is helping JobOn with promotion, is now aiming to triple the number of participants.
by Thomas Braun
November 20 marks the twelfth edition of National Workplace Visit Day. The JobOn Foundation is the driving force behind this initiative, which focuses on getting to know one another without the pressure that comes with job applications. Project Coordinator Imre Meier: “It’s obviously quite different when employers are already waiting for you, rather than when you have to call them to ask if you can come by for coffee. On this day, you can simply choose from a list of companies that have opened their doors to you. It’s also a great initiative for employers. It can lead to something, but as an employer, you can also just show that you have a big heart.”
JobOn & ImpactWork Partnership
For the first time, the event is co-sponsored by ImpactWork, a consulting firm founded to accelerate the transition to sustainable work practices. “It’s great that they’re on board; this way, we can brainstorm together and come up with ideas to make the day even better,” says Imre. Jildert Huitema of ImpactWork: “There are so many issues in the job market that aren’t going well, and we want to do something about them. Among other things, this includes the lack of equal opportunities. By giving people the space to discover their potential, JobOn provides them with those equal opportunities through the Work Visit Day. That’s why we’ve decided to donate hours to JobOn to support this initiative.”
The first steps have already been taken. “We’ve developed a plan to work with ambassadors and make even better use of LinkedIn,” says Jildert. “Imre is focusing on email campaigns, specifically targeting the many former participants—our fans from the past. And we’ve now recorded a radio spot that airs daily on BNR.”
Examining the barriers
ImpactWork would like to know what the Work Visit Day means to participants and what could be improved. “On the day of the event,we’ll briefly interview participantsin the heat of the moment—right afterthey’ve come out of an interview—about how they signed up, what challenges they might have faced, and how they experienced the actual interview. Some actually go to an office, while others do it via Teams. What we want to know is: what are the barriers? For both employers and employees.” Based on her experience, Imre has a pretty good idea. “The main hurdle is that people find it nerve-wracking because they often underestimate themselves. They think, ‘Why would anyone want to interview me?’ And employers face a barrier too: they often think in terms of habits and say, ‘We’ve already posted a job opening, so why would we participate in an event like this?’ Meanwhile, job seekers want to be able to choose from as many employers as possible for a no-obligation conversation, without the pressure of applying for a job.” For job seekers, Imre emphasizes, JobOn also offers workshops where people can get tips on networking conversations and learn what kinds of questions to expect during such a conversation.
Will you join us?
In a few days, the twelfth edition of the Work Visit Day will kick off. Still, Jildert is already secretly working on next year’s edition. “I hope three times as many people will participate next year as this year. That’s the goal. Only 14% of the Dutch population is completely happy at work. We especially want to reach the very large group of ‘quiet quitters.’ And then we’re hoping for a snowball effect, where participants say, ‘That’s really fun, you should join in, too.’ Imre adds: “The main goal is for it to become a truly national event. For everyone in the country to know: the third Wednesday in November is the day. For this day to be marked on everyone’s calendar in the future. That would be amazing.”