7 Steps to Hosting a Successful Virtual Job Fair

Finding the right place to work is tricky which makes people switch jobs from time to time. Similarly, finding the right employees is not an easy feat. To find the right fit, employers tend to organize job fairs. However, over the years, the effectiveness of physical job fairs experienced a lowering demand as the idea of virtual job fairs began to float, soon proving to be a universal success. Today, this format is getting more and more popular, making it generally more comfortable for employers to meet the right employees in a virtual space. 

What is a Virtual Job Fair?

A virtual job fair is basically the same as a traditional job fair, yet being held online. In addition though, a virtual job fair platform also provides organizers with several valuable advantages. Simply put, using an online format, the organizer can attract more people than physical fairs. It cuts down the hassle and enables organizers to hire people faster. Moreover, a virtual job fair is scalable, environmentally friendly, and a cost-effective way to hire people. What more do you even want?

While the benefits of hosting a virtual job fair are many, organizers usually find it perplexing as to how they can host an online event and often get lost in the process. To make it easy for the organizers, this article will provide a step-by-step method of hosting a virtual job fair. Without further ado, let’s begin!

Step 1: Choose the right platform

There are several online platforms for virtual job fairs, and your very first step would be to choose the one that suits your needs. Before making a decision, you should take into account details, such as:

• Communication – how can you maintain contact with your visitors? Is it a simple chat window, or a video conference, or perhaps a conference call? You should pick the most comfortable and effective format not only for you but also for job-seekers.
• Scheduling – how long can your fair be hosted on a specific website? Will they provide you with 12-hours-long access, or will your fair be available online for an hour or so?
• Design – how do all the things look? Is it a virtual lobby with booths and exhibit halls, or several folders with chat windows? Make sure the design is user-friendly and visually impressive
• Customization – how flexible is the platform? Will your requests for customization be entertained? Do you have to select from certain options for the event or mix and match a few to see what works best for you?
• Security – your virtual job fair requires intensive sharing of information amongst various job seekers and employers. Ensure your event provider is offering you a secure platform for the exchange of all sorts of details, public or confidential

Step 2: Define a Budget

The price of your virtual fair may fluctuate depending on several factors. Among them are:

• The number of events you want to host
• The features you want to be added to your fair
• The duration of your event
• The general scope of the fair 

As soon as you have defined the budget, it is time to contact providers of the software to get pricing information.

Step 3: Develop a Strategy

When developing a strategy, you should consider setting goals for your event. This will help you define the narrative of your event and direct the team towards certain objectives. How will you define success? What are the objective you are trying to meet and what are the KPIs that you’re looking to achieve? Think of a date you will hold your virtual job fair and make sure you’ve gotten several months ahead since you definitely don’t want to rush setup and marketing of your event.

Besides, you need to plan and develop your content, including videos, images, and texts for the event. At this stage, you can still decide the scope of your fair and calculate the expected attendance.

Step 4: Describe Job Openings

A virtual job fair is a chance to make a list of all the open positions your company has. According to recent researches, virtual recruiting is generally a better way to lure key specialists to your ranks.

All you have to do is provide the right information. So, your absolute must-haves for the virtual job fair should include, at least, these ones:

• Full list of current positions at your company
• Company locations map
• Current news and, if possible, stock information
• Corporate videos – make them fun and brief
• Downloadable list of benefits people can get by joining your ranks

That’s how you’ll increase your chances of attracting new talents and acquire great specialists. Also, make use of job boards to enhance the hiring processes for job seekers as well as employers.

Step 5: Marketing and Promotion

You might think over all the technical details several steps ahead, but if you forget about promotion and marketing, no one will know about your fair. It is essential to make use of marketing techniques to reach out to your event’s intended audience and maximize your reach, fulfilling the purpose of going online.

There are numerous ways to promote your online job fair. Some common ones include:

• Make use of social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn
• Leverage email marketing
• Use your sponsors and partners for spreading the word
• Add relevant keywords to your event page to improve search ranking
• Request speakers to promote their sessions
• Send out a press release

Step 6: After the Event

After you launch and successfully complete your fair, it is time to follow up with the candidates that you’ve found. Try to track all of them and reach potential candidates. Be prepared to answer additional questions and keep in mind that people usually need some time to make a decision. Perhaps it is time to arrange some personal meetings and interviews. Do not shy away from providing feedback to people and maintaining contact with them.

A virtual job fair is a win-win idea. While companies enrich their rank by acquiring top talent, they also gain access to a large pool of specialists that can come handy in the future for more job openings at their organizations. Additionally, it is a good branding opportunity and, if properly utilized, can get people acquainted with companies, thus, increasing brand awareness. 

About the Author:

Marie Barnes is a writer for Links Management and Bestforacar. She is an enthusiastic blogger interested in writing about technology, social media, work, travel, lifestyle, and current affairs.