Event produced current and future hiring opportunities for 85% of companies
Last month Stautzenberger College staged a four-hour job fair on its campus in Maumee to bring together more than 40 local employers large and small with its students and others searching for promising new career opportunities.
Question is, how did the event go?
The answers now come in a survey that speaks volumes, It shows how the career fair influenced – and directly benefitted – companies and students alike.
On the whole, employers reported they were satisfied with the recruiting outcomes, made valuable connections with students, plan to participate in future job fairs and, furthermore, want to expand partnerships with Stautzenberger College, according to the survey.
Many employers appreciated the opportunity to network, meet students, build relationships, educate attendees about potential careers and raise visibility about themselves.
Here are some specifics that emerged from the survey:
- 82% of employers said they were “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with the fair.
- 85% said they made hiring connections or saw hiring potential.
- 64% said they connected with qualified candidates immediately.
- 85% said they left believing the event produced current or future recruiting opportunities.
- Nearly 70% had at least three “meaningful” conversations with candidates.
- 82% said they are either “very likely” or “likely” to participate again.
- 96% said the school’s career services department “may contact us about future recruiting opportunities.”
“We were able to attract multiple applicants for many positions we have available,” said one employer.
“I was able to connect not only with the dental assistant students, but with many medical assistants for our general medicine department as well,” said another.
Yet a third cited “being able to speak with students directly about the job field itself and what the career looks like.”
Other takeaways from the job fair survey carried equal significance. Many employers expressed interest in engaging more deeply in the actual hands-on, real-time educational experience that happens daily on the Stautzenberger College campus itself.
More particularly, employers offered to serve as guest speakers, deliver classroom presentations, participate in mock job interviews, and provide students with externships.
More than 40 companies lined up to scout for new talent, collect resumes and schedule interviews. The Toledo Chamber of Commerce was there, and so were NHA Dental, Sun Federal Credit Union Banking, Charles Boyk Law Offices and Village Learning Center Early Childhood Education.
The event featured matchmaking of the sort that’s increasingly rare. It took place in three dimensions, in real time, and consisted of handshakes, eye-to-eye contact and face-to-face conversations. No AI, nor algorithms, nor any requirement to submit job applications through website portals. Job seekers gathered information about individual organizations from prospective bosses and — as if in speed dating — delivered elevator pitches.
Above all, the job fair accomplished what Stautzenberger College originally set out to do at its founding 100 years ago this year – it brought the community together. “We’ve graduated more than 10,000 students over the last century,” said Todd Wildey, MD, president of Stautzenberger College,” and we’re still doing exactly what our founders envisioned. Changing lives through education. Creating careers. Building families. And contributing to our local economies.”
Stautzenberger College has slated Wednesday, November 4th 2026 for the next career fair. Contact Rob.Garver@stautzenberger.com for details.