Hiring Behavior Analysts: Free Gifts at a Booth Increase Verbal Contacts with a Recruiter, but Not Serious Job Inquiries

Lotfizadeh et al. (2020) set up a booth at a job fair. They wanted to see if handing out small free gifts would pull more people into real job talks.

The team used an alternating plan. On some blocks they offered candy or pens. On other blocks they offered nothing. They counted how many visitors chatted and how many later e-mailed for job details.

Freebies doubled the number of casual conversations with the recruiter. Yet the same gifts did not raise the number of serious e-mail follow-ups.

In short, swag buys foot traffic, not job leads.

Cameron et al. (1996) saw the same lure effect when they paid volunteers with tokens for every new member they signed up. Both studies show that a small reward can spark first contact.

Pierce et al. (1994) added a lottery to Behavioral Skills Training and got large, lasting gains in staff courtesy. Their package worked harder because the reward followed a clear skill target and was paired with coaching.

The 2020 giveaway study looks weaker, but it does not clash with the older papers. It simply tests an earlier step: getting people to stop by. Without a next-step prompt, the traffic fades.

If you recruit for your clinic, bring the pens and candy to pull people in. Just don’t stop there. Add a quick script that ends with "Take this card and e-mail us tonight for the next step." That tiny prompt turns casual traffic into real applicants.