The 5 Key Benefits of Virtual Job Fairs

The 5 Key Benefits of Virtual Job Fairs

Virtual job fairs enable career candidates and employers to connect in real-time via audio, live chat, and video chat while saving money and time in the process.  Virtual job fairs are cost-effective, are the ideal platform to consider in these unprecedented times, and provide your company a competitive advantage. Not only does it benefit employees but helps the potential employees and students get the jobs that they are looking for.

If you’re still having trouble deciding between an in-person or virtual job fair event, consider the following 5 key benefits of virtual job fairs beloww.

  • Analyze your virtual job fair with quantifiable results – by using the metrics that result from your virtual event, you’ll be able to analyze the success of it much easier.  You’ll be able to document the actual number of sign-ups, attendees, and candidates that were hired, and then use this information to generate reports for future reference.  This will also enable your team to leverage this information so they can improve your recruitment marketing and candidate acquisition strategies.
  • It’s easier to promote your event – since virtual job fairs are conducted online, it’s much easier to promote them through job posting boards as well as social media platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and more.
  • Pre-screening talent will save you time – in addition to engaging more individuals, virtual job fairs enable you to hire the right candidates faster.  You can pre-screen prospective employees and if qualified, be scheduled for an interview immediately.  Furthermore, you can integrate your HR team’s calendar directly with a virtual job fair, thereby making it easier to automate interview scheduling.
  • Virtual job fairs are more cost-effective – another significant benefit of a virtual job fair is the cost savings and return on investment you’ll realize.  With traditional, in-person job fair events, you have to rent a venue and consider the costs of beverages, food, and logistics.  It’s no secret that the cost of airline tickets and hotel rooms for candidates and employers can add up quickly.
  • You’ll attract more candidates one of the primary benefits of hosting an online job fair is the ability it provides to reach a larger, more diverse group of prospective career candidates.  Not only will you be able to communicate with a larger talent pool, but you can interview candidates in different cities, states, and countries.  Consequently, it creates more opportunities for attracting top-tier candidates.

No matter the size and type of business you own and operate, you can benefit from holding a virtual job fair.  To learn more, call Premier Virtual today at (561) 717-9717.

Tech Tuesday: Virtual Hiring Events are the ‘New Norm.’

As Covid-19 and the social distancing epidemic has entered a less severe stage, hiring is increasing, but the talent pool is still lagging.

A trend that has not changed is that virtual hiring events and career fairs continue to grow and establish themselves as the new norm as a hiring strategy for many organizations.

According to Handshake, a career networking platform aimed at college students, 80% of hiring will remain virtual for the foreseeable future. A Gartner poll of 334 human resource leaders recently found that 86% of organizations incorporate new virtual technology to interview candidates and onboard new hires. While virtual hiring existed before the pandemic, employers have seen COVID-19 as a means for accelerating virtual recruiting overall.

Despite the obvious advantages of pre-screening candidates from your desk, why are virtual hiring events so effective?

After powering more than 3,500 events, Premier Virtual has proven to its clients that virtual hiring events are much more efficient than in-person events.  Being able to connect with candidates in our virtual platform increases the intention and maximizes the use of everyone’s time.  Being able to communicate with multiple candidates simultaneously and invite the right prospects into a one-on-one video interview, accelerates the pre-screening process and increases the odds of finding the best candidate for the position.

Our mobile-friendly platform allows candidates to attend literally from anywhere in the world.  As more jobs offer remote access, hosting a virtual hiring event positions your organization as forward-thinking, and candidates appreciate the flexibility; in fact, offering flexibility has quickly become the number on ‘perk’ your company can offer.

The physical cost-reducing benefits are a big win for many companies.  The cost associated with venue or travel becomes $0, plus the reduction in travel time often increases productivity.

Job seekers that have had the experience of waiting in long lines to speak to an employer love the ability to avoid all lines in a virtual event. Now they simply register, log in, and go directly to the employer’s booth they are interested in.  On our platform, they can research the company, view all the job openings, and enter into a chat in a matter of seconds.  If the employer wants to know you better, they can invite you into a video interview right then and there! We’ve seen job offers made and accepted on the spot!

A recent event for Spokane Workforce, which is traditionally held in person, was moved to virtual instead.  The director Mandy obtained 81 organizations and 387 attendees for this event with almost perfect attendance. There were also 272 resume submissions. It’s why we like to say that ‘Hiring Happens Here’.  Achieving these results in an in-person event is nearly impossible to recreate right now, and with this kind of success, why would you?

As Mandy tells us, candidates could easily register, log in, and ‘move about’ the event freely with no concerns about their safety or social distancing.  They could engage with employers, learn more about the openings and quickly enter into chats or video interviews.  The employers were thrilled with the results, many of which attended a virtual hiring event for the first time.

The Premier Virtual platform includes a dedicated Success Team to ensure your event runs as smoothly as possible.  Your company is trained on the platform and best practices to host and market your event from day one.  Premier virtual also offers live training for employers attending and a complete training video library. It’s all there in case you need it, but the platform is so easy to use and intuitive it only takes a few minutes to become a pro.

The results that we’ve seen from powering this many job fairs prove there is no need to go back to in-person only.  Some of our clients offer hybrid events that offer in-person access and leave the virtual door open for everyone else who prefers the convenience and efficiency of attending online.

No matter the option, it’s clear that virtual hiring events and career fairs are the new norm, and if your company wants to remain competitive in the job market, you need to add this tool to your hiring strategy today.

For more information or to schedule a free demo, visit PremierVirtual.com.

The Benefits for Choosing Hybrid Hiring Events

The world is going hybrid. Are you ready? 

Premier Virtual is, and with its future-focused technology, its team plans to lead the charge. 

Talking in-person or virtual. Which one do you want to do? There’s no need to choose one when you can do both.

Why? Because the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. 

Future-focused technology company Premier Virtual supports the push for hybrid events, meaning, in-person events should also incorporate a virtual platform for the best of both worlds. 

Premier Virtual recently executed a case study to see how many people would show up for an in-person versus virtual hiring event at South Florida Tech Hub.  

There were less than 100 in-person attendees, but there were more than 500 virtual attendees. By offering both options, they were able to expand their candidate pool and employers were able to meet candidates in person and on the virtual platform.

The benefits don’t end there. Choosing a hybrid route when it comes to the hiring process prevents ATS systems from weeding out qualified candidates. 

A recent Harvard Business report revealed that ATS, which is an applicant tracking system, is responsible for blocking or disqualifying many qualified applicants. How? 

By ranking relevant keywords, skills, degrees, credentials, responsibilities, and other qualities that indicate to a hiring manager or recruiter that the applicant is qualified for the position. This becomes an issue because some applicants can get lost in the ample applications that are coming through the system. 

A hybrid option resolves these issues by allowing hiring managers to take matters into their own hands. They can meet candidates in what Premier Virtual calls a “virtual hiring room.” 

With the company’s technology, recruiters are able to schedule an ‘open-house on set days and times where candidates can meet and chat with recruiters.  If there is a fit, the recruiter can enter into a pre-screening interview, and then decide if the candidate should be scheduled for a more formal interview.

Given the circumstances of the past two years, we can no longer solely rely on in-person hiring career fairs and events. Virtual hiring is the future, and companies should start preparing for it. 

Choose Premier Virtual for Online Hiring Events

Premier Virtual fosters innovation and strives to provide solutions to complex virtual problems. Through building relationships based on integrity, trust, honesty, transparency, and teamwork, the tech-forward company always gets the job done.  If your company would like to host a virtual hiring event, contact Premier Virtual today.

The Future of Hiring is Here Now!

Why Virtual Career Fairs Are The Future For Job Seekers And Employers Alike, From Premier Virtual

Most employers these days expect potential employees to connect online, and the virtual career or job fair has become a highly utilized tool in the global business world. Prior to COVID-19, some companies held virtual or hybrid career fairs, however, the standard of most industries was to host an organization-based, or industry-specific in-person career fair. COVID-19 forced things to accelerate rapidly, and online recruitment and hiring became the norm. Now, as the business world starts to recover, the virtual career fair is here to stay. 

Premier Virtual, led by CEO Steve Edwards, has developed an innovative, customizable virtual event platform that led the way when industry worldwide had to learn how to operate solely in the digital space. Premier Virtual has powered 2,500 virtual job fairs, connecting 25,000 employers to over 250,000 job seekers, and believes that this new frontier is the best of both worlds, benefiting job seekers and employers alike. 

For employers the benefits of a virtual career or job fair are plentiful: 

  • Virtual job fair events draw a larger number of applicants and can reach a greater geographical area, bringing in a more diverse group of candidates. Virtual job fairs have a higher rate of attendance 70% than in-person events, 50% according to data from Brazen.
  • Virtual job fairs embrace technology and forward-thinking, which can lend itself to a positive company image and brand reputation.  
  • More efficient use of time, virtual events require far less planning and setup, do not require extra staff, there are no extras like catering, parking, etc. 
  • Far more organized, ability to streamline the process and target candidates with specific qualities and skills. As well, virtual career fairs will attract candidates that are comfortable with technology and working in the digital space. 
  • Allows for a more targeted applicant pool and sets up a larger network and pipeline of potential employees for future positions. 
  • Less costly than in-person events, very low overhead, and a good return on investment. 

For job seekers, the virtual job fair has become a very welcome alternative to the long lines, confusion, lack of focus, and chaos often experienced at an in-person career event. Along with convenience there are several reasons job seekers are on board with the transition to virtual career fairs: 

  • Less time consuming, and far more convenient., making these events more accessible to people who may not otherwise have time or the means to attend. Rather than a trip across town, they can log in and join in from a place and time that works for them. 
  • Many candidates find in-person career fair events to be very stressful, full of anxiety, and with a lot of pressure to make a perfect first impression. Taking away that level of stress of meeting in person has been a welcome change for many job seekers, allowing them to feel more comfortable, and make more genuine connections with prospective employers. 
  • Improved candidate experience and more engagement from candidates before events, as well as two-way interaction, allowing candidates to be more involved. 
  • Virtual career fairs are far more reliable than job boards, and allow candidates to vet potential employers, and learn about them before interviewing. 

Premier Virtual is the number one workforce development site in every state; the company is dedicated to lead the way, break new ground, and set the bar for virtual career fairs worldwide. Learn more and connect with the Premier Virtual team on the company website, https://premiervirtual.com.  

High Schools to Offer Virtual and Hybrid Career Fairs

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:

  1. Viewing resumes before the start of the event.
  2. Manage multiple chats at the same time.
  3. Real-time reporting
  4. Number of students are in your booth,
  5. Number of resumes submitted,
  6. Number of interviews completed,
  7. Number of job offers
  8. 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.

A Top Virtual Career Fair Platform!

We are proud to have been selected by Select Software Reviews as on of the top Virtual Career Fair Platforms on the market!

This award comes after less than 1-year since we powered our first virtual hiring event.  We have now powered over 1,200 events, making it possible to connect nearly 15,000 employers with 150,000 registered jog-seekers.

We take great pride in what we do, and it’s always nice to be recognized by the industry when the work is paying off. Here is a link to the full review: https://www.selectsoftwarereviews.com/reviews/virtual-career-fairs-premier-virtual

 

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