When I returned to New Zealand, one of my biggest questions was “What’s next?” A big part of it was looking for a job that I’d love. The traditional approach to job hunting is to use recruiters. Personally, I’ve never enjoyed working with recruiters, but what I was most surprised to find was that recruiters are extremely expensive.

Jaw-droppingly so.

For the uninitiated, a recruiters fee can be between 15-30% of a new hire’s salary if you’re working with a typical recruiting company. That seemed like a lot of money to me, especially when, as a hiring manager, it feels like the candidates are less than ideal…

I took a job at Vend and fortunately I didn’t talk to Vend through a recruiter. Vend launched at Gather, and has since been a long time supporter of Gather. We didn’t need a recruiter to get acquainted. I knew Vend, Vend’s culture, and Vend’s people. And they knew me.

We, at Gather, love Vend. And Vend loves us. Everyday I see someone in the office in a Gather t-shirt. Sometimes two, or three. It warms my heart but it also made me realise how great an investment Gather is to Vend.

Our sponsorships are a bargain compared to recruitment fees, our event is beloved and extremely affordable. We’ve worked hard to create an event that is welcoming and inclusive to a diverse range of people. And what’s more, they are great people with great skills. People that you’d like to hire.

New Zealand. Your entire internet is in this room. Apologies if everything suddenly starts crashing. #nzgather pic.twitter.com/WEbtFpY9

— Nick Houldsworth (@nickhouldsworth) June 30, 2012

That’s Nick Houldsworth. He’s the Chief Marketing Officer at Vend. But this isn’t just spin. It results in actual hires. This is Vaughan Rowsell, founder of Vend, who’s been responsible for hiring choices at Vend:

We love people who want more than just a job. People who want to make something different and big, and I find these people go to Gather. Mo Gather mo awesome people.

— Vaughan Rowsell, Chief Product Officer and Founder, Vend

Sponsoring gets you in front of a talented passionate community, and shows commitment to that community. When you’re advertising on a job board and an attendee sees your company name; you’re already elevated above your competitors because you’re a company that gets it. You’re engaged.

The key to getting the most out of a sponsorship is bringing real employees from your company along, encouraging them to participate, lead sessions, and meet other people. We collect the people from The Internet of New Zealand in a room, and make your name known to them all. But it’s your job to take that good will and convince them to work with you.

Our most expensive sponsorship tier is $6,900. If you’re even hiring for one position, it’s worth it.

Get in touch with me or Rochelle to find out more. We have a sponsorship pack and everything to tell you more about how great it is!