The Ultimate Guide to Running a Hiring Event for Hourly Roles

If you’re struggling to attract quality hourly candidates—or just want to kick your hiring into high gear—a hiring party might be the bold move you need.

Also known as "open interview events" or "walk-in hiring days," hiring parties are a proven way to quickly meet, interview, and hire large numbers of candidates in a short time. Whether you're staffing up for a store opening, backfilling for high turnover, or gearing up for seasonal demand, this in-person approach can make your hiring process faster, more efficient, and more personal.

At HigherMe, we’ve helped hundreds of multi-location businesses run successful hiring parties—and the ones that do it well often fill key roles in days instead of weeks.

Why Hiring Parties Work

In today’s competitive labor market, speed and convenience matter. According to a 2024 report by Talent Board, candidates are 70% more likely to accept a job if the hiring process takes less than one week. Yet many hourly roles still take 14–25 days to fill.

Hiring parties flip that script.

Here’s what makes them effective:

• ✅ Immediate interviews & offers — No lag time = no dropoff.
  
  
• ✅ High visibility — Promoted locally, these events generate buzz and urgency.
  
  
• ✅ Personal connection — Face-to-face interaction builds trust and commitment.
  
  
• ✅ Efficiency — You can meet dozens of applicants in a few hours, saving time and effort for your managers.
  
  

How to Plan a Great Hiring Party

A successful event doesn’t need to be fancy—but it does need structure. Here’s a step-by-step guide to pull one off:

1. Pick the Right Time and Place

Host your event at the location where the roles are based. Schedule it during non-peak hours (mid-morning or mid-afternoon on a weekday) so managers and candidates are available.

 

2. Promote It Everywhere

Get the word out early and often:

• Post on job boards (like Indeed, Google Jobs, and Facebook)
• Promote on social media and your company’s Instagram/TikTok
• Use flyers in-store and around the neighborhood
• Send email or SMS blasts to past applicants
  
  

Bonus tip: HigherMe can automate much of this for you—distributing the job ad, enabling text-to-apply, and re-engaging past applicants in your area.

 

3. Offer On-the-Spot Interviews (and Jobs)

The power of a hiring party is speed. Have interview stations ready and managers available to make decisions in real time. If you can extend offers the same day, do it—it dramatically increases acceptance rates.

 

4. Create a Welcoming Experience

This isn’t a corporate job fair—it’s your chance to showcase what makes your team special. Keep the vibe casual, upbeat, and warm:

• Offer snacks or drinks
• Play music
• Have team members on hand to greet people and share their experience
  
  

It may be someone’s first impression of your brand—make it count.

 

5. Follow Up Immediately

For candidates you’re not ready to hire on the spot, follow up within 24–48 hours. Delayed responses = lost candidates.

HigherMe's platform makes this easy, with tools to schedule interviews, send reminders, and track applicant status automatically.

Hiring Party Success Story: Pizza Chain Hired 18 Staff in One Day

One of our QSR customers hosted a 4-hour hiring party across 3 locations and hired 18 team members on the spot. The key? Clear job descriptions, text-to-apply signage, social promotion, and having district managers ready to interview. They beat their hiring goals by 3x and filled all open roles within 48 hours.

Make Your Next Hiring Event a Success

Hiring parties work best when combined with the right tools. That’s where HigherMe can help:

• 🔹 Text-to-Apply signs that drive foot traffic from your local community
  
  
• 🔹 Job templates that make it easy to post and promote your event
  
  
• 🔹 Automated reminders so no-shows go down
  
  
• 🔹 Candidate tracking so you know who to follow up with
  
  

If you’re planning a large hiring push or opening a new location, consider hosting a hiring party—and let HigherMe make it easier, faster, and more effective.

Ready to host one?

We’ll help you plan it, promote it, and fill your roles—fast.
👉 Email us at sales@higherme.com to get started.