Virtual career fairs are recruitment events that connect recruiters with job applicants on a virtual platform. They’ve grown in popularity over the years, especially with the onset of the COVID pandemic. They have some significant advantages over running an in-person recruiting event – here are five reasons you should consider taking your organization’s career fair virtual this year.
1. You’ll attract a bigger crowd.
There are significant barriers to attendance at an in-person career fair, including the cost of airline tickets and hotels (for those out of town), time taken off work, the need for childcare for working parents, and more. As such, the audience you attract with an in-person career fair will necessarily be limited.
Virtual career fairs are far more inclusive. Attendees can participate from the comfort of their living room, and won’t be limited by geography, cost and time required to travel, and other factors. You’re likely to see a bigger crowd and attract talent that would be out of reach otherwise.
2. Virtual career fairs are safer.
The pandemic isn’t over, unfortunately – and COVID is still a risk for anyone gathering in an enclosed space. It’s especially risky for those who are immunocompromised, or those with an immunocompromised person in the home, to attend a virtual career fair. This can further limit your talent pool – but virtual career fairs eliminate the health risk. Attendees can participate without worries about catching a virus, either at the event or during travel.
3. The virtual platform offers tools to help attendees and employers connect.
At in-person career fairs, employers often have to sort through dozens (or even hundreds) of hardcopy resumes by hand—and call the right applicants after the event to set up interviews later. It’s inefficient both for employers and employees.
A virtual platform can streamline this process, allowing employers to search uploaded resumes, schedule interviews during the event, make offers on the spot, and more. Some virtual platforms even include matchmaking tools that bring employers and employees together. This makes the time spent more worthwhile for everyone.
4. Analytics can help employers immeasurably.
One of the biggest selling points of a virtual career fair is analytics. Before and during registration, the host can use custom registration fields to allow employers to collect valuable information that can later be exported and assessed to determine important trends and make adjustments to recruiting strategies.
5. Powerful tools for employer branding.
Like an in-person event, virtual career fairs allow each employer a personalized digital space that can operate as a “booth.” Options for customizing a booth are vast and can be far more affordable than building out an eye-catching booth at an in-person career fair.
Employers have the option to add animated videos, banners and logos, 3D virtual environments, and more. They can use personalized tabs to share information, upload videos depicting workplace culture, offer games to engage attendees, and share infographics and other visuals to make the case for why candidates should want to work with them. Employers also don’t lose that personal touch – a secure, live chat function allows company representatives to talk to job applicants and answer questions live.
Virtual career fairs are highly popular, and it’s easy to see why. They’re easy to attend, attract job applicants and companies from all over the world, dramatically reduce COVID dangers, and allow employers creative options in presenting themselves to attendees. Recruitment tools make the process easier and more streamlined for everyone involved – both presenters and attendees. Virtual career fairs are a win-win for everyone.
Call (707) 429-0877 or email anita@sparkonlineevents.com for more information.
