Uncategorized | Premier Virtual

High Schools to Offer Virtual and Hybrid Career Fairs

Sergio on April 26, 2021

A recent article from NACE – The National of Colleges and Employers showed the undeniable need for virtual career fairs as it relates to fall internships.

Not only is the demand remarkably high, but so is the preference. According to the NACE poll, 46% of recruiters prefer to attend a career fair virtually. Many other polls have shown that students reported excellent outcomes attending virtual career fairs. 70% of students polled believed that employers would have to participate in virtual career fairs to compete for top graduating talent.

No longer are virtual career fairs considered a trend or a Covid workaround. By all means, these results have shifted the way recruiters attract and hire top talent, and they don’t see any reason to go back to the in-person-only format.

The report shows that nearly 1/3 of all recruiters prefer to attend career fairs only virtually, with no need for the in-person option. That paradigm shift in such a short period of time is a testament to not only how the virtual platform can replicate an in-person event but how much more effective and efficient it is.

	TOP PREFERENCE	MOST LIKELY CASE
Exclusively in person	13%	0%
Exclusively virtual	32%	42%
Attending both in-person and virtual	46%	44%
Not attending any career fairs in fall 2021	4%	2%
Not sure	5%	12%

Source: Spring 2021 Quick Poll on Internships and Fall Recruiting, National Association of Colleges and Employers

Virtual career fairs are more efficient, effective, and they are also the preferred choice among students and recruiters. Meaning, every school will have to offer this option to its students in order to meet expectations and remain competitive.

This effective dynamic of virtual recruitment will attract more recruiters, more students and increase the university’s notoriety, which will gain a better opportunity to highlight its positioning. That’s why virtual & hybrid career fairs are so attractive to students and, consequently, an excellent opportunity for universities.

Why Virtual and Hybrid outperform in-person career fairs

Nothing can replicate a physical handshake, but the tools and features of virtual can very closely mirror an in-person event. Besides, most students are digital natives and are more comfortable interacting and communicating online. The comfort with this format might help reduce interview nerves and tension and improve results.

The Premier Virtual platform makes it very easy for students to register online, upload their resumes. As soon as they register, they’ll receive a training video that will show them how easy it is to navigate the event. Once the event goes live, they can easily access the lobby, research the companies and chat with recruiters. A process that in-person can be intimidating and take a lot of time takes a matter of seconds online.

Recruiters who have already attended virtual career fairs have quickly adapted to this format. The benefits include:

Viewing resumes before the start of the event.
Manage multiple chats at the same time.
Real-time reporting
Number of students are in your booth,
Number of resumes submitted,
Number of interviews completed,
Number of job offers
Number of hires/offers accepted.

These insights are what truly make virtual career fairs that much more valuable than their in-person counterparts. While you can collect some of this data from in-person events, having everything electronically available in real-time and the ability to import directly into your CRM tool is something that in-person can’t compete with.

Naturally, if you have not planned for virtual career fairs this fall, it’s time to do so. There is no more waiting to see what ”happens after Covid”. You also don’t have the luxury of time as summer is quickly approaching, and your students don’t want to wait until the last minute to understand their options.

While there are some virtual platforms or basic video conferencing tools that schools may have access to, a specialized career fair platform like Premier Virtual will ensure a successful event. Premier Virtual has powered nearly 2,000 events and has connected 20,000 employers to over 200,000 registered users.

Why Premier Virtual?

Our platform offers the most innovative features and remains the easiest to use. A school can sign-up a new account, set up their event, and go live within as little as 24 hours! A built-in set-up wizard walks you through each step so that you don’t miss any detail. If that wasn’t enough, every school is also assigned a dedicated account manager who will train each person to use the platform.

There are many other advantages over some of the more basic options on the market, and the cost is also one of them, as in lower-costs with our flat-rate pricing. Premier Virtual offers flat-rate pricing for unlimited events, which means your costs never go up, and you don’t pay a premium for larger events. Also, many schools monetize their career fairs by charging employers a nominal fee to participate. Fees collected from just one event can easily pay for the cost of a yearly license.

Please speak to one of our representatives and schedule a free demo to see how easy it is to add virtual to your next career fair. Whether you decide to go virtual-only or create a hybrid event by offering virtual and in-person, your students not only expect this option but deserve this chance to compete.

7 Reasons to Add Virtual Career Fairs to Hiring Strategy

Sergio on April 20, 2021

Nearly 7 in 10 Employers Expect to do More Virtual/Remote Hiring in the Future.

It’s clear that Covid was the catalyst that shifted how employers see hiring. The forced move to widespread remote work made virtual hiring events the clear winner, and truthfully everyone was better off for it. The results have been so promising, most employers plan on continuing or increasing their participation in virtual hiring events.

Participating in virtual recruiting events that other organizations host is a great way to experience the benefits of virtual hiring to expand your reach and attract more qualified candidates. When you couple this with hosting your virtual hiring events, being a sponsor or exhibitor allows you to access new talent pools and interview qualified candidates outside of your immediate geographical area, making it easier to fill positions immediately as well as filling your pipeline.

In competitive talent markets, connecting with top candidates is a growing challenge. Now more than ever, employers need diverse strategies for expanding their talent pipeline and building a broader talent community.

Today, virtual multi-employer career fairs play an important role. As unemployment goes down and the job market is more competitive, it becomes more challenging to attract and hire the best available talent. For this reason, employers are relying more on virtual to expand their talent pipeline and increase the talent pool. The results prove that multi-employer career fairs play an integral part in helping companies achieve these goals.

Being an employer at one of these events helps strengthen employers’ visibility and branding in the community. It shows that your company is innovative, not afraid to pivot, and willing to empower a remote workforce. Candidates seeking this type of work environment know that companies in virtual career fairs are much more likely to offer those opportunities. It is a clear competitive advantage for companies that participate in virtual career fairs over those who don’t, to the point where soon it won’t be an option any longer.

Here are 7 Reasons to Add Virtual Career Fairs to Your Company’s Hiring Strategy:

1) Stand Apart: Employers who participate in virtual career fairs stand out from all the other employers trying to hire from the same local talent pool.

2) Lower costs: Avoid all the costs associated with in-person career fairs, such as travel and lodging costs, shipping costs, and even missed work.

3) Data: With a virtual career fair, you collect much more data than at an in-person event. Such as everyone who attends, submits a resume, chats with you making it easier to identify those you want to follow up with, resulting in a more efficient recruiting process.

4) Larger candidate pool: A virtual career fair or online event allows you to reach more qualified candidates. In today’s remote workforce, you can hire from all over the world. No longer are you limited by your physical location.

5) Go where the candidates are looking: For a long time, attendance at in-person job fairs and results were dwindling. The shift to online has happened in every part of our lives, and the same can be said when looking for a job. Virtual career fairs and online events allow you to meet the job seekers where they are more comfortable, and recruiters have embraced as well. Take advantage of this shift.

6) Strength in numbers – when 300 employers participate in a virtual career fair, it draws a lot of attention. It brings the unemployed as well the coveted employed job candidates to the event. A recent event in Virginia with 350 employers attracted 15,000 registered job seekers!

7) The future is here now! The old way was in-person, the new way is virtual, and the future is hybrid, offering both options for the best of both worlds. Don’t let another pandemic put you out of business, or short handed because your company remains unprepared. Digitize your recruiting and make virtual hiring events central to your staffing strategy.

[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

Virtual Career Fairs: The 5 Most Common Questions Answered!

Sergio on April 20, 2021

According to NACE – the National Association of Colleges and Employers, more than 90% of employers have attended a virtual career fair this fall. As you can imagine, that is a steep increase from previous years, and as we all know, COVID was the catalyst.

Regardless of how we got here, there is no going back. Everyone who has attended a virtual career fair, either as an employer or job candidate, can agree that this format has many advantages. While challenges remain to replicate the actual ‘meet and greet’, or issues with internet access and potential technical problems, expectations are this technology will continue to improve and become a regular part of the hiring process.

So, what are the most often asked questions when it comes to hosting a virtual career fair? Let’s address the top 5.

1. What are the benefits of a virtual career fair? The most glaring advantage is the reduction in time and cost, thus increasing efficiency and productivity. In a virtual fair, you do not have to shop around for a venue that will accommodate your needs on the day and time you need it. There will be no costs for ‘drape and pipe’ otherwise known as your booth, and you can leave behind all of that printed material and brochures that can often be very expensive and a real hassle to transport.

Virtual career fairs allow you to attend even if you are not feeling well or if the weather decides to take a turn for the worse the day of your event.

Logistics aside, a virtual career fair will open the doors to anyone that has access to the internet and knows about your event. You are no longer limited to the talent pool in your immediate vicinity. If someone wants to move to Florida but lives in New Jersey, they can now attend your career fair, same as anyone locally, and that can be a real game-changer.

Also, the Premier Virtual platform allows for an unlimited number of recruiters in a booth, and the ‘chat that follows’ means you can carry on several conversations at the same time. Recruiters can view all of the resumes and receive all of the data from the event in real-time. This data is often the biggest advantage of virtual because of how easy it is to review and then access again electronically for follow-up.

As companies embrace this format, job seekers recognize innovative and flexible brands, making them more appealing. A savvy job-seeker that prefers to apply online instead of inline will appreciate those companies that are offering that option, creating a competitive advantage over those who don’t.

2. How does a Virtual Career Fair work?

Well, you might be surprised, but it closely mirrors an in-person event. The employers have logos in the lobby that job seekers can attend with a click of the mouse. Once you do, it takes them to the employer’s booth where they can research the company, view open positions, download materials, and see if there is any interest. If so, the candidate can enter into a chat with an available recruiter and even move into a video interview. In the Premier Virtual career fair platform, all chats are one-on-one to ensure privacy, and the video conferencing is built in. If there is a fit, candidates can submit their resumes, and recruiters can make an offer right on the spot. It’s easy to use and navigate, and participants can get a lot done quickly.

3. What are some of the disadvantages?

People will tend to keep a physical appointment more than a virtual one because virtual appointments can be very easy to ignore. To keep attendance rates high, it’s important to send reminders via email and text. Using a platform like Engage By Cell can be a very effective way to accomplish that. Of course, nothing can replicate the physical handshake or eye-to-eye interaction of an in-person event. Participants can become distracted, and recruiters might find it harder to get a good ‘read’ on a person or get that ‘warm and fuzzy; that’s often part of the decision process and before deciding someone is a good fit for the companies culture.

An option to address these shortcomings is quickly growing in popularity, called the ‘hybrid’ career fair that offers both in-person and virtual access. Anyone who prefers to attend in person can do that, and you still open up your talent pool by providing a virtual option.

4. How do I create and market a virtual career fair?

• Set-up & Training – Once you have the license to the software, Premier Virtual gives you access to your dashboard. In just 15 minutes, you can customize your event, and go live! It’s that simple, especially now with the built-in setup wizard that’s part of Version 2.0 of the platform. Not every platform offers this feature, so you want to make sure to ask about the setup process.

After set up, you want to make sure that everyone participating becomes familiar with the tool and resources. Premier Virtual assigns an account manager to each client. The account manager will schedule a training session and provide support throughout the process. This kind of training and support is crucial for a successful event. The platform should also have training videos easily accessible for all job applicants that will be attending the event. Nothing will kill your virtual career fair faster than a platform that is difficult to navigate or not user-friendly.

• Promote – As with any event, you want to promote it as much as possible. The virtual registration page makes it easy to share links and for attendees to register, and it should be included in all of your marketing efforts. It would be best if you went through the normal channels of social media, press releases, and asking every employer participating in the event to do the same. Use emails and text messaging when possible to increase engagement. A good idea is to invite the local media. Offer them a free booth at your event to promote any positions they might have. It might very well help garner media coverage of your event, and they will also benefit.

• Day of Event – Make sure that all recruiters are logged in before the event start. Usually, the most considerable amount of visits will happen at the beginning of the event. You will want to be prepared to handle as many questions or video meetings from job seekers as you can so that you don’t miss any opportunities to hire a star player that gets there early and wants to impress you the most!

5. What is the best virtual career fair platform?

The answer is easy; Premier Virtual has proven to be the best-in-class for many reasons, including some already mentioned in his article. Despite winning awards and the accolades from so many customers (their platform has powered over 1,500 career fairs, connecting nearly 20,000 employers to over 200,000 registered job seekers!), they continue to improve the platform. While there are lots of options out there, Premier Virtual is dedicated to career fairs which gives them a unique advantage over platforms that are not. The founder and CEO of Premier Virtual, Steve Edwards, is a former recruiter who put on in-person events for nearly 9 years. Steve took all of those experiences, both good and bad, and poured it into developing this platform to make it the best possible option for virtual career fairs.

In May of 2021, Premier Virtual is launching version 2.0 with enhanced analytics, real-time reporting, additional custom options, and so much more – all while keeping the platform easy to use to ensure the best possible user experience. Their team is 100% based in the U.S. and their customer service is second to none. Their reliability has also proven itself time and again. In fact, a recent statewide career fair in Virginia had 350 employers and over 15,000 job candidates on the platform at the same time with zero downtime! Ultimately your virtual event will only be as good as the platform it is on. If you have disruptions or downtime the consequences can mean you lose out on a great new hire, and that is a costly consequence.

If you haven’t done so already, make sure to schedule a free demo at www.PremierVirtual.com and see for yourself. The platform you choose will significantly impact the success of your event.

[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

Video Conferencing Software for a Virtual Career Fair?

Sergio on April 12, 2021

You won’t have trouble finding great video conferencing programs on the market. Let’s face it, without programs like Zoom, this entire pandemic would have been a much more difficult landscape to navigate. However, when it comes to virtual events, there are advantages to using a dedicated event platform like Premier Virtual.

Ultimately, whether or not you can use a video conferencing program to power your virtual career fairs depends on your needs. If you’re an employer with just a few job openings, you may want to host a virtual career fair to attract more candidates and gain exposure while doing so. In that case, a video conferencing program like Zoom can be a perfectly acceptable option.

However, if you’re hosting a career fair with multiple employers or your organization has dozens of job openings with locations throughout the state or country, your needs will far outweigh the features that video conferencing programs can offer for a successful event.

Essentially, video conferencing is just one element in a virtual career fair. While some of these programs offer additional features like chat and breakout rooms, they don’t include the unique features offered by virtual event platforms that will increase your event’s ability to mirror in-person events.

In the Premier Virtual platform, recruiters can review resumes well before ever speaking with a candidate. They can also view pre-recorded video resumes. If the employer feels it might be a good fit, they can enter into a one-on-one chat or invite the candidate into an interview using the integrated video feature. These features make it possible for recruiters to engage with more than one candidate simultaneously, increasing effectiveness and efficiency.

It’s also important to note that this is not a group chat that everyone else in the room can read. In the Premier Virtual platform, the job candidate’s communication is always ‘one-on-one,’ securing both parties’ privacy. The Premier Virtual platform also has a ‘smart-chat’ feature that follows the candidate throughout the event. This feature allows the candidate to start a chat and continue with the event without having to wait in a long queue or for a response from a recruiter that might be busy at the time. Whenever the recruiter is available and responds, the candidate will receive the chat message and continue the conversation.

This process is much more cumbersome with video conferencing. The host or employer would have to schedule an interview with the candidate ahead of time, or the recruiter has to ask that candidate to leave the main group and enter into a ‘breakout’ room.

There are many other advantages to using an event platform. For example, if you have multiple employers, you can customize the lobby so that each company has its hiring booth, complete with logo, bio, job openings, social media and website links, as well as downloadable PDFs. Everything you need to replicate an in-person event. Not to mention the robust reporting that employers receive before, during, and after the event that makes follow-up much more effective.

Event platforms also allow you to scale very quickly without needing additional upgrades or bandwidth. For example, a recent statewide career fair in Virginia had 350 employers with thousands of job openings that attracted over 15,000 job applicants. Those are numbers that could never be replicated in person or managed properly using video conferencing software.

Monetizing Your Career Fair

One key advantage is the ability to use our virtual platform to monetize your events. During Covid-19, many chambers of commerce organizations and event organizers in general, have had significant setbacks due to CDC guidelines for in-person events. Using a virtual event platform like ours allows you to easily monetize events by selling booths and securing sponsorships just like you would in a live event.

The bottom line is if you’re managing hundreds of employers, thousands of jobs, and tens of thousands of job candidates, it is simply beyond the capacity of video-conferencing platforms. When it comes down to virtual career fairs, choosing a virtual event platform that is dedicated to powering them like Premier Virtual is the wise business decision.

If you’d like to learn more about the Premier Virtual event platform, please visit www.PremierVirtual.com for a free demo.[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

Is Your Workforce on Board?

Sergio on April 7, 2021

Premier Virtual is the #1 virtual event platform in the workforce development industry.

Virtual Career Fairs have emerged as one of the best ways to hire over the past year and they’re here to stay.

Our virtual career fair platform is the best way for your workforce board to drive qualified candidates into your employers’ hiring pipeline while transcending geographic barriers. Here is a growing list of boards that have signed licensing agreements with our platform:

State Level:

Massachusetts (17)

Virginia (17)

Tennessee (14)

Wisconsin (11)

Florida (24)

Individual:

Texas (17)

California (18)

Ohio (5)

Colorado (2)

Maine (1 for three years)

Maryland (1)

Minnesota (Dakota County career force)

New York (1)

Utah (1)

Washington (1)

Not Career Centers:

New Jersey (Dept of Economic Development)

Job Training Centers:

N.Y – Schenectady Job Training Agency

Schedule a demo to see why Premier Virtual gives you more than any other virtual hiring event platform on the market!

Premier Virtual Set to Launch Version 2.0!

Sergio on April 6, 2021

Announcing the release of Version 2.0!

Based on our client’s wants and needs, Premier Virtual is proud to announce the first major upgrade of its platform…Version 2.0. The platform remains easy-to-use while adding significant new features that make it the most innovative virtual hiring event platform on the market. As one of our beta-testers said, “We didn’t just remodel the house, we tore it down and built a mansion!”

What you can expect:

We set our standards so high, we always want to go above and beyond your expectations. As we power more and more events, 7,000 and counting, we keep learning what our clients need to succeed. Based on their feedback and focus groups, we’ve been able to completely revamp the platform and provide you with the best in class technology for hiring events.

Not only that, but we continue to release new updates each week. The job market is always changing and so is the technology that powers the tools and resources hiring managers need to fill open positions. To keep up with the latest we are always testing our platform to insure it provides the best possible features, so that you can host the best virtual hiring events.

The upgrades will significantly improve the user experience, for the host, employer, and job candidates by providing enhanced customization tools and improved design. Below is a comparison chart with the significant upgrades listed.

Schedule Your Training Demo!

In the next few weeks, we will be coordinating a series of training webinars. Your account executive or account manager will be contacting you with a complete schedule so that you can participate in the most convenient one. It’s because of our loyal clients that helped to make this possible, and for that we thank you, and look forward to your continued support! If you are not a client, please schedule a demo by visiting premiervirtual.com

Steve Edwards – CEO, Premier Virtual

In-Person, Virtual, or Hybrid Career Fairs, Which is Best?

Sergio on April 1, 2021

In-Person, Virtual, or Hybrid Career Fairs – Which Approach is Best?

When planning a career fair, the common goal is to connect employers with qualified job candidates. A secondary goal is for jobseekers to learn more about companies they may have not considered working for previously.

Traditionally, live or in-person career fairs were the best option, but in today’s world, other options should be considered. Let’s take a minute to review them all.

In-Person- All attendees are physically present in one location

Virtual- People attend the event entirely online

Hybrid- Some people attend in-person and others online. Using Premier Virtual’s new QR code generator, you can record the interactions and easily download all of the reports at the end of an event for efficient follow up.

How do you know which approach is right for your career fair?

There are different factors, such as event size, budget, timeline, the geography of attendees, and a common issue faced during the writing of this blog post – social distancing due to the Covid-19 virus.

Live Events – Still considered the most effective form of communication and is perceived as more credible and positive.

It was not long ago that the idea of meeting people online was denounced. Boomers and even millennials were openly against it and had the opinion that people only chose to go virtual if they lacked interpersonal skills. In a sense, they were somewhat ‘shamed’ for not wanting to connect in person.

In large part due to the Pandemic, and also as part of the natural evolution of digital apps and platforms, virtual events are quickly becoming a perfect alternative to in-person meetings. It is said the pandemic has accelerated the digital transformation by as much as 3 to 5 years.

However, many people still appreciate and seek the opportunity to network in person, with factors such as effective communication, credibility, and overall positive experience as the leading factors.

It’s hard to argue that humans find face-to-face communication as most effective because of the entire experience it produces. Body language, postures, gestures, facial expressions, and eye movements do not translate as well, even on a video call online.

Virtual Events – Faster turnaround time, reduced costs, and broader reach

The most common reasons clients choose virtual (pre-covid) include that time and money are at a premium. Virtual events allow the host to quickly create and launch an event, and depending on the size, on a much smaller budget.

Post-Covid, we see that social distancing and keeping everyone safe is the top reason organizations are choosing virtual. When it comes to virtual career fairs, the virtual options have resulted in higher attendance rates for jobseekers and more hiring companies are participating as well, due to the reduction in time and money required to do so.

Everyone who has hosted or attended a virtual event agrees it is a much more efficient process. No one has to wait in a long line to speak with a recruiter, and no company has to deal with the frustration of a poorly attended booth since they will typically receive reports with access to all of the resumes from registered candidates.

Reporting is another huge advantage to virtual events since each employer has their dashboard and is provided reports with all attendees, who attended their booth, and what resumes match their job openings.

While text/chat options or even a built-in one-on-one video interface do not compare with speaking in person, these tools do make it very easy for the recruiter to meet with candidates and get to see if they are a good fit, right on the spot.

Hybrid Events – Flexibility to reach the greatest number of qualified candidates.

So, while in-person hiring events remain a popular option for recruiters that enjoy face-to-face interaction, the limitation of social distancing, as well as traditional limitations of being available to travel to an in-person job fair make hybrid the best option.

Most often in-person job fairs attract the unemployed jobseeker. A hybrid event allows highly qualified candidates who are employed to also attend. These virtual attendees can quickly log on before work, or during a lunch hour, attend and apply online, whereas attending in-person might have been impossible.

Now Premier Virtual has launched a QR code generator that hosts and employers can use at live events. These QR codes enable attendees to quickly access the event and employers virtual hiring booths which means that all of the activity can be tracked. Now employers can simply download the resumes they received at the event for easy follow up, and attendees can keep notes as well. This is the best of both worlds because you gather all of the data that comes with virtual events in an in-person setting.

The Pros and Cons of Hosting Virtual Events:

Pros:

Reduced Costs – The logistics of a physical event can be daunting. Renting a venue, printing badges, selling tickets, food, clean-up, etc., all drive up costs, time, and resources. These are all eliminated with a virtual event.
Broader Reach – with zero travel time, anyone from anywhere can attend. In a state like Florida which attracts people from across the U.S., many citizens that want to move have a unique opportunity to attend a virtual job fair and land a job to facilitate the move. In industries in high demand like technology and medicine, you don’t have to limit your job pool to the local population. Also, external factors like poor weather, or emergency events do not affect virtual events, so there is very little chance for interruptions or cancellations.
Increased Productivity – hiring managers can meet with multiple job-seekers simultaneously, and do not have to make the job candidates wait in long lines. Being able to view resumes and start video chats makes it easy for recruiters to choose who they believe will be the best fit.
Reporting – platforms like Premier Virtual offer detailed reports that make virtual events much more efficient as well. Each employer will know, who visited their booths, and who submitted a resume. Each recruiter can rank the candidates and easily set up follow-up interviews.

The Cons

Less personal connection- for recruiters that put a high value on the physical handshake, there is nothing a virtual event can do to replicate that. The personal face-to-face experience is very immersive, so virtual events have to work harder to attract and keep the attendee’s attention.
Distractions – If the job seeker is at work, or multi-tasking it will be difficult to remain focused on the event. It is easy to get distracted when attending virtually, which can hurt retention or the job candidate not attending each booth that matched their qualifications.
Overwhelming – when an event has 300 or more booths, it can be overwhelming for the job seeker. This can create anxiety for a jobseeker that is trying to visit each booth to see what jobs are available. New options that allow job seekers to get a ‘matching job report’ and a job-seeker journey are being added to make their experience more positive
Downtime – although the Premier Virtual platform has not suffered any significant downtime, there is a chance the platform or the attendee’s internet connection is interrupted. This can cause a poor experience and be very frustrating if it occurs during a live interview. Technology doesn’t always cooperate and can be a bigger issue for areas of the country with less service or less broadband access.

Which Event is Right for your next Career Fair?

If you have not hosted a virtual event, here is a chart that helps illustrate the options:

	Face-to-Face	Virtual	Hybrid
Most Effective Communication	X
Faster Turnaround		X
Cost Savings		X	X
Increased Collaboration	X
Greater Reach			X
Flexibility & Convenience			X
Relaying Complex Info	X
Reduced Travel Cost		X	X

If you would like to get free advice on which option is best for you, please contact Premier Virtual online or at 561-717-9717 to schedule a no-obligation consultation with one of our advisors.

We have powered over 6,000 virtual hiring events, where 60,000+ employers have connected with over 650,000 registered job seekers. Our best-in-class platform and experienced success managers are here to ensure you host the most successful virtual career fair possible.

We look forward to meeting you, so you can make the most informed decision to reach your company’s staffing goals.

Questions to Ask When Choosing a Virtual Job Fair Platform

Sergio on March 31, 2021

Top 10 Questions to Ask When Choosing a Virtual Career Fair Platform

An effective virtual event platform is first and foremost, easy to use, at all levels. The participants need to have little to no learning curve, resulting in a positive user experience. It’s equally important for the host and other participating organizations or vendors to be able to quickly ramp up, which requires excellent support and a knowledgeable sales team.

With this in mind, all of your questions ultimately should address whether or not the features make the event easier to set up and use. After all, even the best technology is useless unless it makes sense to everyone.

Some platforms focus more on certain types of events than others. For example, if you have a trade show or a career fair, some platforms will offer more features and benefits because they specialize in such events. For this article, we will focus on platforms that specialize in virtual career fairs.

1) How will my recruiters or hiring companies communicate with the candidates?

The best platforms offer easy-to-access chat features that allow candidates to initiate a conversation with the recruiters. Also, there should be an integrated video chat, as well as an option to add whichever video platform your company already uses. This is important in the case of government agencies that may have firewalls or restrictions that do not allow for third-party teleconferencing access. You don’t want to be troubleshooting that the day of the event.

In addition, it’s important to understand if the chat is one-on-one or group chat. The best platforms offer one-on-one chat with the ability for the recruiter to quickly access a list of pre-programmed answers to be able to chat with as many applicants as possible. Finally, advanced chats will follow a candidate throughout the event, meaning the job candidate doesn’t have to wait in that recruiter’s booth (or in the queue) to receive an answer before moving on. At any time when the recruiter answers, the candidate will receive that answer in their chatbox.

2) What happens if the candidate or hiring company has an issue registering or during the event?

For the job candidates, registering for the event includes adding all of the contact info, uploading their resumes, and so on. This should be as easy to navigate as possible. Make sure to ask for a demo to see how this process works since many of the issues reported during the event revolve around user login, and uploading information. This holds true for the hiring companies that want to customize their booths, adding bios, links, and downloadable documents. With any issue, the best platforms offer 24/7 support and quickly respond to requests through either email, chat or even live calls.

3) How many recruiters can participate at the same time?

The best platforms offer an unlimited number of recruiters to participate. Typically events receive a large amount of foot traffic as soon as they start, so having extra recruiters at the start of the event is a good strategy. Each recruiter must understand how to access their admin dashboard and how to chat with a candidate or invite them into a video interview.

4) Do you offer training?

This leads to the next question…how will the host, hiring companies, and candidates be trained to use the platform? Again, the most important feature is ease-of-use, but when it’s a user’s first time, there will be some getting used to it. All platforms should offer a library of detailed training videos for each type of participant. These videos should be readily accessible as soon as the participant registers. Also, the best platforms offer a dedicated account manager that will schedule an onboarding call to show you exactly how the platform works, and make sure everyone on your team is ready. Beyond that, you can ask if they offer any other live webinar or group training options for your employers or registered job candidates, that are helpful the day of the event, usually just before it goes live.

5) How quickly can I set up and launch my event?

If you have an urgent need, you’ll want to know how quickly you can start using the platform. Premium providers make it easy for you to set-up, so that you can host your first event literally within 24 hours. This flexibility can save you in a pinch, but as with any successful event, you will want sufficient time to promote and get everyone trained ahead of time.

6) Is pricing based on the number of booths or resumes?

This is a very important question since some of the best-known platforms do have charges for booths or resumes that exceed a certain threshold. Your initial price may be based on 100 booths or resumes, and if you go beyond that you are charged accordingly. This can be prohibitive and results in charges you did not budget for. The best platforms offer a flat rate price, with no upcharges. Pricing can also be discounted when you sign up for yearly, or multi-year licenses that are paid upfront. Keep in mind, the more you use the platform the more value it offers, and the less you pay per event on a flat-rate/licensing model.

7) What kind of reports will I receive?

The data collected and reports you receive, offer some of the biggest benefits of participating in a virtual career fair. Your employers or hiring managers will love it when they receive a complete list of who attended the event, who visited their booth, a copy of all the questions asked, and of course, all of the resumes submitted. The best platforms offer real-time reports that update as the event goes on, and some have integrated APIs that automatically move that data to your existing CRM tool. You can also ask if there are reporting tools such as ‘ranking a candidate’ or other ways to make notes during the event which are very helpful to improve the follow-up process.

8) How many people can be on the platform at the same time?

The reliability or stability of a platform is ultimately the most important factor. If the platform crashes or lags, it will interrupt the event, causing candidates to leave or have a poor experience. Make sure to ask if the platform you are considering has had any issues like this, or you can check their reviews on reputable sites like G2, Capterra, and Select Software to see what others have said. Premier Virtual recently powered an event for the workforce board in Virginia that saw over 15,000 job candidates and over 350 employers on the platform at the same time, with no downtime! That’s the kind of reliability you want to know your platform will provide.

9) Can I use the platform for other types of events or purposes?

It’s amazing once you have this tool, how many other purposes you can use it for. Make sure to discuss with your sales rep all of the different possibilities including things like; internal training, onboarding, webinars, trade shows, etc, and see how the platform can be adapted to handle these requests. Once you start using the platform for other purposes you add more value, reducing your cost per event and increasing the return on your investment.

10) Is there a wait time between events, or can I host unlimited events?

Finally, make sure to ask if the use of the platform is truly unlimited when you license it. Some platforms require you to wait up to 14 days between events which can limit your options. The best platforms do not require any wait time between events and believe me, you will want to use the platform as much as possible once you have it!

If you have any other questions, please feel free to contact us to schedule a free demo so we can address any other needs you may have.

Powering Hiring Events for Workforce Development Boards

Sergio on March 29, 2021

In less than 1 year, Premier Virtual has compiled an impressive list of workforce development board clients.

Clearly, Premier Virtual has become the leader in virtual hiring events among workforce boards. There are many reasons for this, starting with the flat-rate pricing that Premier Virtual offers. Beyond that the technology, features and dedication to customer service make this the number one option among workforce boards across the nation.

It makes sense that the South Florida based company is the official virtual platform for CareerSource Florida on a statewide level (24 boards), but we are also the statewide board for:

Massachusetts (17 boards)
Virginia (16 boards)
Wisconsin (11 boards)
Tennessee (24 boards)

Premier Virtual is also powering virtual job fairs for workforce boards in:

Texas (17 boards)
California (18 boards)
Ohio (5 boards)
Colorado (2 boards)
Maine (1 board)
Maryland (1 board)
Minnesota (1 board)
New York (1 board)
Utah (1 board)
Washington (1 board)

In addition, there are several job training agencies that have chosen our platform including:

New Jersey – Department of Economic Development
N.Y. Schenectady Job Training Agency

If your workforce board, school board, or related government agency is looking for an economical virtual platform that is rated best-in-class, please schedule a demo to see how we can help.

Low Unemployment Fuels Case for More Virtual Career Fairs!

Sergio on March 17, 2021

Yes, the workforce is slowly recovering from the 10.0 magnitude earthquake that it suffered in March of 2020. To put things into perspective Florida’s unemployment rate had dropped to 2.8 percent in January and February 2020, which, together with November 2019, became the lowest recorded unemployment rate since the series began in 1976.

With the onset of the Coronavirus outbreak, the unemployment rate spiked to 13.8 percent in April 2020, handily surpassing the prior peak rate of 11.3 percent experienced in January 2010 during the Great Recession. The change was breathtaking. Over the space of two months, the unemployment rate shifted from a near 50‐year low to a near 50‐year high.

Today, the new unemployment report (March 16th, 2021) states that Florida has dropped back down to a 4.8%. The Sun-Sentinel reports that there were still 482,000 Floridians who remained jobless out of a workforce of slightly under 10.1 million, the state Department of Economic Opportunity said Monday.

Economic development promoters made a point of noting that the state rate is now below the U.S. jobless figure of 6.3% for January. While those are all great numbers to report, it might worry hiring managers and companies that have open positions and are struggling to find qualified candidates.

That’s why the companies that quickly implemented a virtual hiring event strategy were able to meet their staffing needs. Virtual events increase the job candidate pool, make your company more competitive and relevant, and allow you to build relationships that can strengthen your potential candidate ‘bench’.

The Hiring Lessons we Learned from COVID

Virtual is the ‘New-Normal’

There are a lot of lessons and some that we are still learning. A few of them stand out over the rest. First and foremost, COVID accelerated the pace at which companies turned to virtual or remote hiring by 3 to 5 years. The lesson is, we need to be as prepared as possible and have back-up or contingency plans in place because this was not the first disruption and it won’t be the last.

Let’s face it, without a Pandemic, the vast majority of us would have been complacent with the status quo, hosting and traveling to in-person job fairs. COVID disrupted that severely and new options had to be embraced because doing nothing was not an option.

Besides the threat of ‘social distancing disrupting the workforce, the truth is everything continues to migrate more and more online. Just as retail will never be the same, and foot traffic to retailers will continue to decline, hiring will never be the same. Virtual hiring events have been embraced by everyone who has participated in an event, and for those who haven’t, it’s just a matter of time.

If the U.S. business owner has proven to be anything, it’s resilient, and resilience often requires the ability to quickly pivot. The schools, companies, and organizations that pivoted quickly and adopted virtual hiring events early in the Pandemic have proven how much more efficient, effective, and ultimately successful it has proven to be.

The Only Constant is Change

The second lesson is one you’ve heard before; the only constant is change. We learned that just about everyone prefers to apply online, rather than wait in-line. Virtual hiring is the evolution of hiring, the next step, and clearly the better option. It made it much easier for organizations to hire more efficiently and effectively, and for job-seekers to attend and get hired! Although many were reluctant at first, one step into the virtual lobby, and everything changed!

These events mirror in-person events, and attendees can quickly see exactly what is being offered, and how to find what they are looking for. Being able to chat or even video-interview on the spot for a job that they are interested in is a total game-changer. Ask any job-seeker that attended a virtual job fair, and the large majority will tell you that it was highly productive.

The same holds for the hiring companies that can get a much better feel for a candidate than they can from reading a resume on Indeed. The additional real-time engagement allows candidates and recruiters to ask more questions and rate candidates based on their responses.

The post-event reporting allows recruiters to gather much more information from a virtual event than they ever could during in-person events. This allows for better follow-up and a higher likelihood to make an offer to the right candidate, rather than the only candidate.

We’ve seen the difference in our own hiring efforts. An ad on Indeed will get you resumes, but that’s just the very beginning of the process if you’re lucky enough to receive one from a qualified candidate. In our last job posting, we received zero resumes, and it was an entry-level position.

On the contrary, a recent statewide job fair that the Premier Virtual platform powered in Virginia had 350 hiring companies, and over 15,000 registered job-seekers. The event was hosted by the workforce board of Virginia, Virginia CareerWorks. It shattered every previous record for a career fair and also taught us another valuable lesson.

This statewide career fair would have been impossible if not for the virtual platform. Could you imagine choosing a location in Virginia, where 350 companies would travel to set up and 15,000 job seekers would travel to attend? The logistics and expenses and time to plan would be so massive, it would most likely be impossible to pull off in a timely manner, not to mention the unmanageable lines that 15,000 job seekers would have to stand on.

So, back to our current 4.8% unemployment rate, it’s great if your company is fully staffed, but what company really is? Improving our company means having the best people possible, which requires different strategies in and of itself, like developing a bench.

But if you think you can rely simply on a job board like Recruiter or Indeed, then you’re not putting yourself in the best position to succeed. Job candidates now want to know as much about you, as you do about them, and they don’t want to schedule an interview and travel to your office to do so. They would much rather get that all done online, during your virtual career fair, from the comfort of their home (or car or coffee shop).

It saves everyone time and wasted energy if the job or job-seeker was not a good fit in the first place. It also gives your company more accessible to the working job-seeker, than a company that does not offer virtual job fairs. Now that both the job seeker and hiring manager have fully embraced these virtual events, there is no going back, and why should you. Virtual or remote hiring is simply a better way to hire.

Finally, I’d like to leave you with one thought. If you do plan on turning to in-person events, make sure to offer a ‘hybrid’ option. This allows any candidate or employer that cannot or chooses not to make it in person, an opportunity to still participate without the need for more space or travel expenses.

This is the evolution of hiring, and once you integrate it into your hiring strategy, you’ll never go back to in-person only job fairs and hiring events. If your company, school, or organization is looking for a virtual hiring event platform option, please contact us for a free demo and see how Premier Virtual is setting the standard in our industry.

561-717-9717

High Schools to Offer Virtual and Hybrid Career Fairs

7 Reasons to Add Virtual Career Fairs to Hiring Strategy

Virtual Career Fairs: The 5 Most Common Questions Answered!

Video Conferencing Software for a Virtual Career Fair?

Is Your Workforce on Board?

Premier Virtual Set to Launch Version 2.0!

In-Person, Virtual, or Hybrid Career Fairs, Which is Best?

Questions to Ask When Choosing a Virtual Job Fair Platform

Powering Hiring Events for Workforce Development Boards

Low Unemployment Fuels Case for More Virtual Career Fairs!

Why PV

Resources

About Us

Copyright 2022 Premier Virtual. All Rights Reserved.

Privacy Policy and Website Terms of Service

Request Pricing

Request a Demo