Gary Chambers, Author at Premier Virtual

Do Job Fairs Still Work?

Gary Chambers on February 1, 2023

Many employers and organizations continue to turn to job fairs to hire, but do they still work? Truth is there are still positive results from in-person job fairs, but the better results are coming from virtual and hybrid events. This article will shed some light on each of these, and help you determine which direction you should take to find and hire top talent.

Traditional In-Person Job Fair

A job fair is an event where job seekers and employers gather in one location to meet and connect with each other. The purpose of a job fair is to provide job seekers with the opportunity to learn about different companies and job openings, meet with recruiters and hiring managers, and network with other professionals in their field.

Typically, a job fair works as follows:

Registration: Job seekers arrive at the event and register for the job fair, either online or in-person.

Company booths: Companies set up booths or displays showcasing their brand, job openings, and company culture.

Networking: Job seekers have the opportunity to meet with company representatives, ask questions, and network with other professionals in their field.

Interviews: Some companies may conduct on-site interviews with job seekers who they are interested in.

Follow-up: After the job fair, job seekers can follow up with the companies they are interested in and send their resumes and other relevant information.

In-person job fairs offer job seekers the opportunity to make personal connections with potential employers, get a feel for the company culture, and potentially walk away with job offers. They also provide companies with the opportunity to meet face-to-face with job seekers and assess their qualifications and fit for their open positions.

There are several types of job fairs, including:

General Job Fairs: Open to job seekers from various industries and job levels.

Industry-Specific Job Fairs: Focused on a specific industry, such as healthcare, technology, or finance.

Diversity Job Fairs: Aimed at promoting diversity and inclusiveness in the workplace, with a focus on underrepresented groups such as women, minorities, and individuals with disabilities.

College/University Job Fairs: Held on college or university campuses and primarily attended by students and recent graduates.

Career Fests: A combination of a job fair and a festival, featuring entertainment, food, and various career-related activities and workshops.

Virtual Job Fairs: Held online and accessed through the internet, allowing job seekers to connect with potential employers from anywhere in the world.

Recruitment Events: Organized by companies or recruitment agencies, with a focus on filling specific job openings or promoting the company’s brand.

Military Job Fairs: Aimed at connecting transitioning military personnel and veterans with potential employers.

Each type of job fair offers unique benefits and opportunities for job seekers, and it is important to consider your career goals and job search strategy when selecting which job fairs to attend.

Yes, there are benefits to in-person job fairs:

Personal interaction: In-person job fairs provide job seekers with the opportunity to have face-to-face interactions with potential employers, allowing for more meaningful and personal connections.

Immediate feedback: In-person job fairs allow for immediate feedback from potential employers, as well as the opportunity to ask questions and clarify any concerns.

Networking opportunities: In-person job fairs provide job seekers with the opportunity to network with other job seekers, as well as potential employers, which can lead to future job opportunities.

Hands-on demonstrations: Some in-person job fairs may feature hands-on demonstrations or interactive displays, which can help job seekers gain a deeper understanding of the company and the job requirements.

Physical materials: In-person job fairs allow job seekers to leave behind physical copies of their resumes and other materials, making a lasting impression on potential employers.

In conclusion, while virtual job fairs have many benefits, in-person job fairs still offer unique advantages, such as personal interaction and immediate feedback, that can make them an important part of a job seeker’s job search strategy.

Adding Virtual Features: Video interviews and in-person interviews have both advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages of video interviews:

Convenience: Video interviews can be conducted from anywhere with a stable internet connection, making them a convenient option for both employers and job seekers who may have time or geographic constraints.

Cost-effective: Video interviews can save time and travel costs for both parties.

Time-saving: Scheduling a video interview is typically faster and easier than scheduling an in-person interview.

Advantages of in-person interviews:

Better assessment of nonverbal communication: In-person interviews allow for a better assessment of a candidate’s nonverbal communication, body language, and overall demeanor.

Stronger connection: In-person interviews can foster a stronger connection between the interviewer and the candidate, which can lead to a better understanding of the candidate’s fit for the role and the company culture.

Opportunity for in-person assessment: In-person interviews provide an opportunity to assess the candidate’s skills, demeanor, and presence in person, which can be more reliable indicators of their qualifications and fit for the role.

Ultimately, the choice between video and in-person interviews will depend on the specific needs and goals of the hiring organization and the availability and preferences of the job seeker. Both types of interviews have their place in the recruitment and hiring process and can provide valuable information for making informed hiring decisions.

Video interviews and in-person interviews are both methods used to assess job candidates, but they differ in several key ways:

Convenience: Video interviews are more convenient as they can be conducted from any location with an internet connection, while in-person interviews require both the interviewer and candidate to be physically present in the same location.

Cost: Video interviews are generally less expensive as they eliminate the need for travel, while in-person interviews can be more costly due to the cost of transportation and other expenses.

Preparation: Video interviews require different preparation, such as ensuring a professional background and testing technology, compared to in-person interviews which focus more on attire and body language.

Interaction: In-person interviews allow for more face-to-face interaction, including non-verbal cues and the ability to assess body language and overall demeanor. Video interviews may lack this level of interaction, but they can also allow for a more controlled and structured assessment.

Accessibility: Video interviews may provide greater accessibility for candidates who have difficulty traveling, such as those with disabilities or those who live in remote locations.

In conclusion, both video interviews and in-person interviews have their own strengths and weaknesses, and the best approach depends on the specific needs and preferences of the employer and candidate. Both methods should be used in conjunction to provide a comprehensive assessment of the candidate’s qualifications and fit for the role.

Here are some steps for a job seeker to prepare for a virtual job fair:

Research: Research the companies that will be attending the virtual job fair and determine which ones align with your career goals and interests.

Update your resume and LinkedIn profile: Make sure your resume and LinkedIn profile are up-to-date, polished, and tailored to the specific virtual job fair and the types of companies you will be meeting with.

Test your technology: Ensure that your computer, internet connection, and webcam are working properly, and test any virtual meeting software that will be used during the fair.

Dress professionally: Choose attire that is appropriate for a job interview, even though it is a virtual setting.

Prepare a professional background: Ensure the background behind you during the virtual meeting is neat and professional.

Practice your pitch: Prepare a brief introduction that highlights your skills, experience, and career goals, and practice delivering it in a confident and articulate manner.

Prepare questions: Research the companies attending the virtual job fair and prepare questions to ask during your interactions with them.

Arrive early: Log in to the virtual job fair early to ensure that you have enough time to navigate the platform and familiarize yourself with the process.

Follow-up: After the virtual job fair, follow-up with any companies that you are interested in and reiterate your interest in the company and the position.

Here are the steps to host a hiring event:

Integrate virtual access to create a hybrid event with a virtual hiring event platform like Premier Virtual. You will increase access, attract more qualified candidates, and automate your follow-up process. A virtual platform will also serve as a digital registration portal so that you can track all of your attendees and resume submissions.

Define your goals: Determine what type of candidates you want to attract and what positions you need to fill.

Choose a venue: Select a location that is accessible, large enough to accommodate your expected attendance, and has the necessary equipment (e.g., chairs, tables, and audio-visual equipment).

Invite candidates: Advertise the event through various channels, such as your company website, social media, and job boards. Be sure to clearly communicate the date, time, location, and purpose of the event.

Prepare the space: Arrange tables, chairs, and any other equipment to create an inviting atmosphere. Consider setting up a display area to showcase your company’s products or services.

Plan the schedule: Decide on the activities and schedule for the event. This might include presentations, one-on-one interviews, networking opportunities, and more.

Provide information: Prepare brochures, flyers, and other materials that provide information about your company and the open positions.

Have a team in place: Assign a team of recruiters, HR staff, and managers to manage the event and interact with candidates.

Follow up: After the event, be sure to follow up with candidates to keep them informed about next steps in the hiring process.

Remember to make the event a positive experience for all attendees and to provide a professional and welcoming atmosphere.

By following these steps, job seekers can increase their chances of making a positive impression on potential employers and securing job opportunities at the virtual job fair.

If you need help with in-person, virtual or hybrid hiring events contact us at www.PremierVirtual.com for a free demo.

The Future of Hiring – Top Trends to Expect in 2023

Gary Chambers on January 26, 2023

As a top-rated virtual hiring event platform, we hear the challenges from the organizations and employers that host events on our platform every day.

The future of hiring is expected to continue evolving and becoming increasingly digital and data-driven. Here are some of the trends shaping the future of hiring:

Virtual and remote hiring– The trend of remote work will likely increase the demand for virtual hiring processes, including virtual interviews and assessments.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) – AI will play a larger role in the hiring process, from resume screening to candidate matching and predictive analytics.

Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) – Companies will continue to prioritize DEI in their hiring processes, including using technology to address bias in recruitment and increasing outreach to diverse candidate pools.

Employee experience – The focus will shift from traditional HR practices to creating a positive employee experience, from the hiring process to onboarding and beyond.

Talent communities – Companies will create and engage with talent communities to build relationships with potential candidates, improving their ability to attract and retain top talent.

Overall, the future of hiring will likely prioritize technology, flexibility and candidate experience in order to attract and retain top talent in a highly competitive job market.

Let’s drill down to some of the top trends we see as 2023 kicks off.

Smart Hiring and Retention Challenges – The ‘Great Resignation’ spurred on by Covid might be behind us, but workers continue to leave the workforce in larger than expected numbers. October of 2022 saw 4 million Americans quit their jobs, which left 10.3 million open positions. The gap between available jobs and available workers continues to grow, meaning retention is the best strategy to avoid the competition for new hires.

Limiting turnover has become more important than ever. The days of ‘letting an employee go’ because so many others were ready to fill that role are gone. Creating a workplace culture that builds trust and helps employees grow in their careers has always been a smart strategy, but now it has become a necessity.

No matter how much you limit turnover, adding new employees will always be part of a growing company’s needs. Smart hiring includes tactics that are non-traditional like hosting virtual career fairs, and virtual hiring events. These events open your organization to anyone who is interested, and not limit yourself to a pool of candidates in your area. Virtual hiring events became mainstream during the pandemic and now, nearly 80% of recruiters prefer virtual to in-person. The same can be said for busy job candidates who most likely have a full-time job but are weighing their options and can more-readily attend a virtual event. Make sure you have a virtual hiring event platform as part of your hiring strategy to attract and hire the best talent possible.

The Need for Flexibility – another Covid influenced dynamic is the new remote workforce. Employers toyed with the idea of letting employees ‘work from home’, but it never took hold. Post pandemic, it remains a very common and viable option as many workplaces have roles that are as productive and effective from home as in office.

The latest report shows that 48% of the workforce will continue to work remotely or in a hybrid fashion. Being able to offer this type of work will be a great competitive advantage over the 52% of the workforce that requires workers to be in the office. A great strategy is to support a remote or hybrid workplace now, so that you can attract the best available talent and be prepared in the event of another disruption.

Skill Gaps and Shortage of Talent – as difficult as finding the right hire already is, shortages in skills and talent are increasing the challenges. Skills like construction and tech are having an extremely difficult time finding qualified candidates, and the pipeline is not filling up anytime soon.

The answer is internal training and dedicating resources for employee development and growth. The days of finding skilled and experienced workers are few and far between. Your best strategy is to hire based on the character traits and work ethic you are looking for and build on the employees skills by training them for your organization. Offering this type of opportunity will create another strong competitive advantage over employers that do not offer this.

This ‘growth-mindset’ replaces the days of a person working in the same department their entire lives. Give employees opportunities to learn, mentor, be mentored and apply their skills in other positions. You may take an average employee and turn them into a star, simply by giving them the support to grow and find their best fit in the organization.

Employee Well-Being – along the lines of creating a great work culture is focusing on the well-being of employees. The term ‘Quiet-Quitting’ relates directly to the pervasive attitude workers have that they are only going to give so much to their jobs. This can be a larger problem in workplaces that don’t provide genuine support for their employee’s well-being.

Make sure your employees know that you appreciate their effort and are vested in their personal well-being. Flexible work schedules, childcare support, mental health support, physical and emotional well-being programs are all part of the mix. The more you can invest in the employee’s well-being, the better they will feel about themselves, the company and the more likely they will want to stay with your company.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion or DEI – is not a trend, it is a way of the workforce that is here to stay, and rightly so. Companies can no longer avoid the topic or force employees to adapt to a ‘my way or the highway’ mentality. From the smallest companies to the largest corporations, those that embrace individuality will attract and hire the best available talent, since everyone wants to be accepted and appreciated.

This can’t be done without a concerted effort, taking time every day to communicate the company’s policy, to encourage team building events, to celebrate the diversity that exists within your organization. If your attempts are seen as superficial, it will do more damage than good. Make sure you have a sincere and consistent message, and that your employees know your company is there for them.

Greater use of Virtual, AI and Automation – technology is always evolving, and another product of the pandemic is how quickly employers and employees had to adjust and adapt to new technology. Software like Zoom and Microsoft Teams is now an everyday event, and the best companies continue to evolve and add virtual platforms that improve communication, efficiency, productivity and workflows.

When it comes to hiring, virtual events have proven to be much more efficient and, in many ways, more effective than in-person events. The new trend is moving towards hybrid events, that offer in-person and virtual access. Clearly the employers that embrace and invest in the best technology and automation will have the best chance for success. A virtual hiring event platform like Premier Virtual completely automates the follow-up process to be able to track hires from your events. It’s innovation like this that separates the best from the rest and position your company to attract the best talent.

Holistic Digital Transformation – taking the last point one step further, building profiles of the ideal customer, worker, workflow and expected results will create a very clear picture of what they company stands for, and how they will deliver that to their customers. A holistic approach will never lead to a fixed rigid business model, but rather one that can adapt to change, and creates value through different kinds of partnerships.

By approaching your business in this way, your employees have a greater sense of what is expected of them, and that makes it easier to define the kind of employees you need to keep that going. When a company can support this transformation with digital tools, data and supporting infrastructure, the vision and mission will be pervasive, and the culture will attract and retain the best talent.

Transforming HR through Tech and Data – as we’ve touched on through AI and Virtual, HR needs to come out of the stone age and embrace today’s technology. There are many excellent platforms that help in every phase of hiring, and many employers continue to resist and prefer to do things’ the old way’ or sticking with the status-quo.

When it comes to tech, companies are turning to cloud computing, virtual platforms, collaboration technologies, and digitization to improve HR operations and the employee experience, according to the Society for Human Resource Management. Don’t wait until the right time because it will cost you another competent new hire. The time to upgrade your technology is now, at all costs!

The challenges in hiring will remain extremely high in 2023 due mostly to the labor shortage, but if you can work on getting ahead of these 8 trends, you will create a competitive advantage that can be the difference between meeting your staffing challenges, or not.

Best Virtual Career Fair Platform

Gary Chambers on January 5, 2023

As chosen by Select Software Reviews

4 years ago, we recognized the shift from in-person to virtual recruiting, and that’s why we built the Premier Virtual platform.

We are humbled that in such a short amount of time, we’ve been recognized as one of the best in the virtual career fair platform industry.

Receiving this award from Select Software Reviews is such a great honor because, unlike other software review sites, SSR is dedicated to HR and Recruiting technology. They have a very stringent selection process that requires their award recipients to be the very best in class.

Having achieved this level as we enter our fourth year speaks to the innovation and dedication to customer support we’ve poured into every aspect of the Premier Virtual platform.

Thank you to all our clients who trust us to power their virtual hiring events and have made us an integral part of their hiring strategy. Get ready because 2023 is going to be bigger and better!

To read the entire article from Select Software Reviews, click here.

Leveraging Premier Virtual Beyond Hosting Job Fairs

Gary Chambers on January 3, 2023

Using the Premier Virtual platform to host hiring events is a no brainer. After all, it’s a powerful platform that allows you to maximize your virtual hiring by attracting and engaging with the most qualified prospects.

In addition, the virtual environment attracts both the active job seeker, as well as the more lucrative, passive job seeker, that employers are trying to get in front of. Because of its non-threatening, low-pressure environment, job seekers are more comfortable attending virtual job fairs to learn more about an employer and open positions.

When there is a good fit, job seekers can initiate a chat with the recruiter, and the recruiter can seamlessly transition into a video interview if they find the candidate has the skills they are looking for. The entire process can take just a matter of minutes, respecting everyone’s time and if an offer is made, greatly reducing time and cost to hire.

All that said, virtual platforms like Premier Virtual can help you do much more than host virtual job fairs. In fact, when leveraged properly it can become your all-in-one recruitment tool.

Here are some of the many ways Premier Virtual can improve your hiring strategy beyond hosting a virtual job fair.

Host a Hybrid Event – the savviest of employers have truly begun to embrace this critical hiring strategy. Yes, we are in a post-pandemic world, but the behaviors that the pandemic helped accelerate are here to stay. Hybrid or remote work will continue to grow, and the ability to attend an event virtually will remain an attractive option to many job seekers. Beyond that, using Premier Virtual at an in-person job fairs is a great way to create a digital registration process, and keep track of all the activity digitally. No more printed resumes, or notes on paper to follow up with. Everything now can be captured digitally, downloaded in a comprehensive report that integrates with your current ATS system so that nothing (or no one) falls through the cracks.
Schedule interviews in Advance – the Premier Virtual platform has and advanced interview scheduling tool, so that attendees do not have to wait in a long queue to speak with a recruiter. If the applicant sees a job they like, they can access the recruiters schedule and simply request an interview at an available time slot. This tool can also be used by the recruiter to schedule an interview with a job seeker they believe is a good fit, based on the resume, certifications or video resume uploaded by the job applicant.
Virtual Job Board – we continue to see workforce boards and other employment agencies leverage the platform to post a virtual job board. This becomes a place where all the employers participating in the job fair can easily post their open positions, so that job seekers can see every opportunity at a glance. These boards can be accessed before and after the event, to continue to drive qualified candidates to the employer that best matches their job search.
Resume Review Service – the Premier Virtual platform also offers a complimentary resume review service. Hosting a ‘virtual ready’ event prior to the hiring event offers a great deal of value to job seekers that might be a bit apprehensive if they are not familiar with the technology. This event is a great opportunity to offer the complimentary resume review service that all attendees can take advantage of. The initial review is complimentary and can significantly improve the chances of the attendee receiving an offer. This is also a great way to pre-screen candidates and even schedule interviews with qualified candidates.
Workshops and Onboarding– as with resume reviews, leveraging the platform to host workshops and even onboarding provide a great deal of value to the attendees and those who go on to become employees. Workshops can be hosted by different employers or by different departments within one organization. They can range from helping attendees prepare to the event, to a simple ‘meet and greet’ with a company recruiter sharing details about the corporate culture and what an employee can expect when they work there. Transition the platform to the onboarding process is seamless since the employee is already familiar with the platform, and recruiters can meet one on one or create a group onboarding event.

As you can see, these are just some of the ways you can leverage Premier Virtual to do more than host virtual hiring events. There are many other uses and use cases, that you can download here.

Make 2023 the year you start using the Premier Virtual platform for everything it was intended for and watch your hiring results dramatically improve.

Masshire Healthcare Use Case

Gary Chambers on December 23, 2022

Masshire Healthcare Industry Virtual Job Fair

One of the most difficult industries to fill openings for is the healthcare industry.

Many providers are struggling to find experienced workers, as most of the industry is unable to keep up with demand and labor force shortages.

That’s why Masshire turned to Premier Virtual to host a healthcare industry specific event, a growing trend among workforce boards to host industry specific events.

18 healthcare employers in the Boston area listed over 1,600 job openings that have proven very difficult to fill.

They decided to participate in Masshires’ virtual healthcare industry specific hiring event that yielded very positive returns.

INDUSTRY SPECIFIC

A GROWING TREND IN WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS

Workforce boards host hiring events that include all kinds of employers. These events attract potential job candidates that are looking for employment or new career opportunities.

Certain sectors of the labor force remain much more difficult to find and hire talent, such as healthcare. That’s why Masshire hosted a healthcare industry specific event, attracting experienced healthcare professionals. Below is a picture of the lobby with some of the participating employers.

INCREASE ATTENTION BY FOCUSING ON ONE INDUSTRY

Delivering resumes for some of the most difficult jobs to fill

Healthcare employers recognize the challenge of attracting and hiring talent in this industry, which is why a virtual job fair dedicated to healthcare was so appealing.

The feedback from employers was extremely positive and Masshire is scheduling more healthcare specific hiring events for 2023.

Below is a picture of the lobby for Boston Children’s Hospital.

To learn more about hosting industry specific events, please fill out the form to request a free demo.

Successful Workforce Solutions – Hiring Event Guide

Gary Chambers on December 5, 2022

Anyone that dedicates themselves to helping others find employment has recognized a fundamental shift in hiring. Not only have many jobs permanently moved to remote, but most of the successful HR departments have made virtual hiring an integral part of their hiring strategy.

What exactly does that mean?

It means that savvy HR departments understand that it’s best to be flexible and meet the most qualified candidates on their terms. The days of scheduling an in-office interview to find out about a potential candidate are no longer a productive option for either party.

Candidates want to apply online, and they want to meet online and determine if there is a mutual fit, before investing a lot of time and energy in an interview process. Adding virtual accommodates these needs and makes the hiring process much more efficient.

Helping your corporate partners and employers understand this might be one of the most crucial roles your workforce development organization plays in this new hiring environment.

We should know!

After powering nearly 7,000 virtual hiring events, Premier Virtual has become the leading platform in the workforce solutions industry.

Our platform is dedicated to hosting hiring events, and we’ve built it with the experience our founder accumulated from hosting hiring events for nearly 9 years. The platform has also benefited from the feedback we receive from our clients. We take every bit of that information very seriously, and developed many features and upgrades as a result of that.

The success our clients have experienced is no fluke. In this guide we detail the most important steps we’ve seen our clients implement to achieve the best results, including:

Be ‘Virtual Ready’
How to leverage your virtual event platform
Building Value
Advance Interview Scheduling
Platform Training
Metrics and Analytics
Future Focused

This guide also includes many different use cases, that we see our workforce clients doing across the nation. They have leveraged the platform well beyond hosting hiring events, making it an all-in-one virtual recruitment suite.

Download this guide to make sure your workforce board is getting the most out of your own virtual and hybrid hiring events and is prepared for the continual evolution in hiring.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE GUIDE NOW

Hiring has Undergone a Fundamental Shift

Gary Chambers on October 5, 2022

In fact, there has been more than one major shift in hiring in the past few years.

The shift from in-person to virtual hiring

First, the shift from in-person to virtual that was accelerated by the pandemic is here to stay. It was already happening before the pandemic, but at that time, it was more of a ‘nice to have’ option, that quickly became a ‘must-have’ option due to social distancing.

What we found out is that virtual hiring is more efficient, more effective and with the right platform, extremely easy to execute. With Premier Virtual, the leading virtual hiring event platform, you can create your account, set up your event, and launch it all in a matter of minutes. Ideally, you want time to promote a virtual hiring event, but using the platform is not dependent only on hiring events.

An all-in-one virtual hiring platform like Premier Virtual is always on, and always open for your potential job candidates. You can leverage the platform 24/7 by creating virtual job boards, and virtual hiring rooms that never close. This gives your team, and your applicants the flexibility to research your company, apply and meet your recruiters.

With the built-in two-way scheduler, candidates can schedule time on a recruiter’s calendar, and recruiters can also request an interview with candidates they feel are a good match. Because the platform allows recruiters to search resumes, they can quickly find the talent they’re looking for. Recruiters can also view the video interviews that candidates can record as part of their profile to get a much better feel for the person, that you can’t get from reading a resume.

Virtual hiring has also led to virtual work which has exploded since the pandemic. Even with many companies insisting workers return to the office, the need and demand for virtual work remains. We project that employers who embrace this, and lead with this, will be much better positions to find and retain the top talent that prefer this style of work, and flexibility it offers.

We see national hiring events, that post positions with the description, ‘Anywhere, USA’ openings, or they group openings by time zones instead of specific office locations. Again, the companies that are embracing this approach and making remote part of their culture, are winning the talent wars.

This shift to proactive hiring

Hiring remains one of the most difficult things companies have to do in order to remain competitive. The passive job market, although much larger than the active job market is often overlooked. Most companies are marketing themselves only to active job seekers, but every worker is a potential employee, if they know about your company and what you have to offer.

Strategies to consider that will keep your company in the hearts and minds of potential future employees include everything from being active in your community by supporting events and non-profits to creating a newsletter, blog or insightful podcasts.

If you are a tech company, and host mixers or meet-ups that are open to the public, you can attract passive job seekers that find value in your network. You may even create an in-formal networking group that helps its members connect and find meaningful work, even if it’s not at your company. The value you offer will give your company a competitive edge when it does have a position that meets that candidate’s skills.

Here again, virtual is a powerful tool since you can host virtual events and meet potential candidates. Creating a pipeline of talent is crucial to stay ahead of the labor crunch. A recent report shows hiring has slowed to 41 days on average, a number that was only 9 days in 2009. The cost to hire is also averaging at around $4,425, according to SHRM and If you want to be able to hire the best talent in the least amount of time, a professional pipeline is crucial.

We see that companies using virtual hiring events reducing time to hire to that 9–10-day period, which also comes with a dramatically reduced cost to hire, a win-win!

Have you made the shift?

Is your company still hiring in-person, only looking to fill jobs at the office, and not building a qualified pipeline of potential candidates?

If so, we can help you transition and leverage the tools available to make your company relevant in the job force and a place that is sought out, instead of the other way around. Schedule a free demo today to see how the Premier Virtual, all-in-one recruitment platform can position your company for hiring success.

Awarded ‘Best Virtual Event Platform for 2022’

Gary Chambers on September 22, 2022

BY THE ENTERPRISE WORLD

Looking at the post-pandemic world, virtual job fairs are the one thing that appears to be here to stay. Virtual job fairs give aspiring candidates an opportunity to learn more about a specific company or some particular career path from the comfort of their own home. Another advantage of these fairs is that they help candidates expand their knowledge about a profession, increase their professional network and connect directly with recruiters.

Featured on the cover story of The Enterprise World’s Best Virtual Event Platform In 2022 is Premier Virtual, “Hiring Happens Here”.

The Journey of Premier Virtual-

Steve Edwards, the CEO and Founder of Premier Virtual, hosted in-person job fairs for nearly nine years. But with online job boards and an era of social media taking over, he realized that most job seekers preferred to apply online than waiting in lines.

With this emerging trend he pivoted from in-person to virtual in 2019 and launched his own platform to host virtual hiring events.

“Being a recruiter, I knew exactly the features required to make hiring easier, more efficient, and effective.”

Challenges and Victories-

Steve Edwards boot-strapped the operations of Premier Virtual with his partner Gary Chambers. Software development is expensive and you are constantly making upgrades and changes. In addition, there is new competition coming into the market every day. Some of them are well funded and can advertise heavily.

However, Premier Virtual maintains its competitive advantage because of the advanced features and ease of use of the platform and its customer support which are superior in many ways.

-Click to read full article on Enterprise World Magazine

How Trade Organizations add Value with Virtual Events

Gary Chambers on September 2, 2022

When anyone joins a trade organization or industry association, they do so for 2 reasons.

Earn certification or degree that improves their chances for employment or higher wages
To be part of a network that can help with employment

Anyone who manages new memberships will tell you that the second question, (after ‘how much does it cost), is ‘do you offer career services?’

Many savvy organizations have begun to offer more and more career services and are seeing the benefits.

New potential members see that the organization is vested in their success and are going to be part of that support even after the member earns their certification.

Taking it one step further, associations are now recognizing the shift that has taken place in the recruitment industry and is ready to follow suit. That shift is hosting virtual hiring events, and that’s exactly what they are now offering their members and corporate sponsors.

It makes so much sense for an association with thousands of members to add such a vital service.

After all, the reason they turned to you is to improve their resume and increase their potential for a good job.

These virtual hiring events will help you connect those members with employers that are looking for them, a classic win-win.

Not only that, but members are a built-in audience that is highly engaged and much more likely to respond to and attend your events. The challenge with most virtual hiring event hosts is attracting enough participants to attend and making it a successful event. That is not an issue with associations since communication with members happens frequently and members perceive them as valuable.

Take AAPC for example.

They have over 200,000 members and a recent update showed that 7,000 were looking for new employment. By hosting a virtual hiring event, they can invite all of the corporate sponsors to attend and post all of their job openings. Members can attend the event remotely from anywhere in the country and see what opportunities might be the best fit. Everything you can do at an in-person event can be done at a virtual event.

A New Income Stream

Employers recognize the tremendous value you are offering and will happily pay to be a part of it.

Hiring qualified employees are the key to a successful organization and companies know that your events will attract exactly what they are looking for.

Offering booths and sponsorships, even if just for a few hundred dollars can easily turn into revenue in the tens of thousands of dollars. This new income stream can be used to add even more member services or improve other areas of the association that bring more value.

Another large organization we have seen leverage this service is TECNA and local tech chapters like South Florida Tech Hub. SFTH quickly pivoted to virtual events during the pandemic and has not looked back.

Being able to offer members this kind of service, especially during a lockdown is invaluable. This is another tremendous benefit to offering virtual hiring events, it offers the safe option in the event of another situation that makes meeting in person difficult or even impossible.

The benefits listed below are all great reasons to add virtual hiring events to your organization or association:

Career Services – improve the odds your members will get the job they’re looking for
Corporate Sponsors – add value by connecting members with employers with minimal costs
New Revenue Stream – charging employers a small fee for a booth or sponsorship can quickly add up to a significant new source of income
Competitive advantage over other organizations that do not offer virtual hiring events for their members

If you want to learn more about how your organization can host a virtual hiring event for its members, contact us to schedule a free demo.

www.PremierVirtual.com

Will Employees Return & What’s Behind Quiet Quitting?

Gary Chambers on August 23, 2022

The Great Resignation – Will Employees be Returning to the Office?

One of the key questions being asked in the business world today is “Will employees be returning to the office?” According to a recent Gallup poll, the majority of office workers across the US want to return to their jobs . . . some of the time anyway. The primary reasons for a partial return include collaborating and socializing with their co-workers as well as making important decisions alongside them. However, this is only a part of the scenario as there is another side to this that many are neglecting to talk about.

Interestingly enough, some employees preferred the remote working life over returning to the office. Many were upset because of how much they had enjoyed it and couldn’t figure out why, after nearly 2 years of working at home, they would have to return to the workplace. Furthermore, individuals who were anxious about returning to their offices didn’t find the same situation that they left behind when they were forced to start working remotely.

Why Isn’t the Return to Office Life Working Out?

There are several reasons that the return back to the office place isn’t working. For one, bosses and employees have different regarding how their offices should be used. After two years of living with the pandemic and working remotely from home, individuals have developed their expectations as to how their time should be spent. Unfortunately, as increasing numbers of individuals are returning to the workplace, their ability to focus, level of satisfaction on the job, and stress levels have deteriorated.

The Other Side of the Equation

With the onset of the pandemic, many office employees started working remotely from home. In a sense, it was the beginning of a new era in the jobs sector. Unfortunately, many of those remote workers opted not to return to their former employers and have sought employment elsewhere, thereby leaving holes to fill at their former workplace. As an employer in these circumstances, you have to be concerned about replenishing your workforce and bringing your daily operations back up to speed.

What’s Behind ‘Quiet Quitting’

Returning to the office is one thing, but returning to the former level of effort and the ‘above and beyond’ mentality is something all together different.

This new work ethic is based upon a priority to life-balance and that work is not the end all, be all that it was once was seen as. It’s not something that a person declares or can be labeled as, but what everyone can agree on is that the term doesn’t mean that an employee has quit, but rather that they are setting boundaries at work and refusing to go above and beyond in completing their duties.

That seems healthy, and productive, but it’s not the same as the person who was just doing the bare minimum to keep the job. As we see in this article from CBS news:

“People see ‘quiet’ and ‘quitting’ and they think it’s about quitting, but really what quiet quitting means is someone who has decided, ‘I want to prioritize my well-being overall and things outside of work’,” Elise Freedman, senior client partner at consulting firm Korn Ferry, told CBS MoneyWatch.

But, she added, “This is different from someone who is disengaged.” Instead, it’s about doing what is required of them, without volunteering for an ambitious project, agreeing to work at nights and weekends, or otherwise going the extra mile in ways that Americans are traditionally encouraged to as a way to demonstrate their worth to an employer.

If you travel the world, it seems to me that America is simply growing up. The rat race had it’s time and place and now side hustles and self preservation have replaced it. If you’re going to ‘go all out’ it’s going to be for yourself and on your terms, otherwise I’ll do the best I can. Who knows, if we keep down this path, the afternoon siesta might be the next culture piece we adopt in America.

Premier Virtual has the answer – our online hiring platform or virtual recruitment platform. These virtual event platforms and accompanying virtual job fair software were designed to look and feel as though you were attending a real live in-person career fair without all of the costs and hassles that would normally be involved. To learn more about our products, call us today at (561) 717-9717.

561-717-9717

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