Expand your Talent Pool with Virtual Career Fairs
Let’s face it; everyone wants to hire a Rockstar employee eager to learn, show initiative, and is a team player. Unfortunately, many employers feel that they can attract top talent simply because of their brand or reputation, but the tide has turned.
There is a severe labor shortage as I write this post in June of 2021. It’s not just the hi-tech or MBA positions either. We’re talking truckers, welders, restaurant workers, hospitality…you name it, and most likely, there is a challenge to find qualified workers.
There is a myriad of reasons and some that include the COVID crisis. Many of the workers at or near retirement age figured this was the right time to make that decision. There has also been a migration of jobs since people had the time to retool and retrain.
Overall, while much has changed, one thing still holds, it’s different to find top talent, which is why adding virtual career fairs on online job fairs makes so much sense.
To put your job opening in front of the right candidate’s talent, acquisition teams need to do more than outreach. Essentially, if you don’t give job seekers a more efficient way to engage with your company, you’ll only reach the candidate pool with the time to spend on the job search. Offering in-person only job fairs typically attracts the unemployed but does not offer the ‘unhappily employed’ flexibility to make the same effort.
Adding a virtual job fair means that anyone, anywhere, can log in and participate. Jobseekers can quickly scan jobs that match their criteria, chat with a recruiter, and enter into a video interview if there is a good match.
Think of all the time and energy it takes to do all of that in person. It’s often enough reason for a qualified candidate not to attend and send in their resume, which, no matter how qualified, can be quickly passed over or never even reach the hiring manager’s desk.
The same holds for the hiring managers in your company. Recruiters work hard to attract the best candidates for the position, but they often have to make a less than optimal hiring decision because of demands placed on that opening.
Virtual job fairs tend to increase attendance rates by 30% to 50%, and they have a registration to an attendance rate of over 70%. For example, we powered a state-wide career fair in Virginia with 350 employers, and 15,000 job candidates attend! Those are numbers that are impossible to achieve in person.
Another great tactic is to use the virtual platform to host other events that can engage potential candidates, such as a Tech-Talk or Virtual Mastermind that features a keynote speaker or a group of panelists with a Q&A format. During your event, you can have several sponsors host virtual booths to offer more information on their companies and invite a recruiter to be available and answer any potential work-related questions.
These events are part of your recruitment marketing strategy and go beyond the traditional social media posts and email or text messages. Now you can use those platforms to invite candidates to something of value, regardless of whether they are currently in the job market or considering your company for a potential career change.
These types of events create a great opportunity to partner strategically with local career coaches or resume writing services. These partners will gladly participate for free to have a chance to speak in front of potential prospects. In return, you’ll be building value with the community and positioning yourself as a category expert.
Using a virtual career platform in this capacity will also likely get you some attention from the local media. Use it to your advantage by inviting them to y our event. Offer them a free booth to promote any openings they might have. This goodwill will often result in mutual support and a mention of the event on the local news! Job creation is always a newsworthy topic.
It all leads to a broader talent pool, which means your recruiters have better choices. The goal of hiring the best candidate for every position is achievable when you attract the best talent. The best part is that many of these tactics do not require an increase in your budget. For example, the Premier Virtual platform lets you host unlimited events per license, per location. The more you use it, the more you save, and the greater your ROI.
If you have not done so already or are using a virtual platform and are considering alternatives, please contact us for your free, no-obligation demo.
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