Virtual career fairs attracted everyone's attention primarily, during the pandemic. It’s not that the technology was not available before that, but the lack of infrastructure and customer acceptance were the main problems. The pandemic catalyzed a series of interlinked processes and a fully functional model for virtual hiring came into existence. ibentos has been in the business for over a decade and we have seen consistent growth in business & infrastructure over the years. But the pace at which it has happened after 2020, is truly amazing!
Why Virtual career fairs are gaining popularity?
Virtual platforms are well-suitable for every type of hiring event. Although face-to-face interaction is the best way to judge candidates, it is desirable only after a particular stage in the hiring process. Virtual platforms for initial screening make the recruitment process fast, efficient, economical and convenient for recruiters, candidates and organisers.
Virtual platforms allow automation at multiple levels of the hiring process. Resume filters, resume tracking, auto screening, and interview scheduling are some of them. Also, virtual platforms are scalable and flexible and large data transfer along with enhanced networking and performance measurement & analysis. They may lack physical interaction but they have to be credited for their advantages and the way they have revolutionised the recruitment world. That's what justifies their unanimous popularity among recruiters, candidates and organisers.
Virtual career fairs and their impact on the recruitment market.
Virtual technology has greatly impacted the hiring industry. So much so that it is hard to believe it has been adopted merely a few years back. It has altered the choices & preferences of recruiters & potential candidates up to an extent that there’s no going back. The entire system has undergone a major revamping and let’s understand how!
Recruiter's perspective……..
● Remote working has become the new accepted norm.
● They are not apprehensive about trying virtual platforms anymore.
● They desire a bigger talent pool.
● They are not reluctant to cross international boundaries to enhance their workforce.
● They prefer to economize the hiring process with technology aid.
● They have acquired the taste of automation & hiring-specific tools, such as Resume filters & resume sorting, candidate tracking, faster screening, interview scheduling and more. And are not ready to compromise on them in any way.
● They wish to have flexibility & liberty to introduce new screening criteria & selection methods which are different for different portfolios.
● The power of Artificial Intelligence has been realised and well appreciated. Its usage at multiple levels of the hiring process is on the rise, specifically in pre-event marketing.
● Recruiters still prefer physical interaction at the final stages but certainly don't want to deal with large crowds of aspirants.
Candidate’s perspective……
● Candidates prefer virtual participation as it saves them from hopping between different metropolises. They do not want to spend on travel, food and lodging unnecessarily for the initial phases of hiring.
● Candidates desire a broader spectrum of choices in terms of pay packages, work culture, employee perks and growth opportunities.
● They have the option of working remotely, so they do not hesitate to try for international careers. Virtual career fairs let them achieve this most efficiently.
● They prefer automated tools to find & compare the best career options.
Organiser’s Perspective……
● Organisers want to provide a comprehensive hiring platform that has high speed, flexibility, scalability, accuracy, technology support, greater functionality and is economic for their participants. All these advantages come as a package with virtual platforms.
● Through AI-enabled marketing tools in virtual platforms, it is easier for organisers to identify and approach target customers.
● With the same budget, the organisers are now hosting multiple hiring events catering to a different set of candidates, depending on the recruiter’s demands.
● They are now having larger audiences for every hiring event they host.
Virtual career fairs and their future!
Virtual technology is growing at a surprising speed. With the metaverse coming into the picture, it is hard to predict the exact structure of virtual career fairs in future. However, we at ibentos, have studied the changing marketing needs. Considering the extended creative limits & flexibility provided by virtual technology, we have foreseen some hiring trends for the future.
- Traditional Virtual career fairs
These conventional hiring events, operating entirely on virtual platfroms, invite candidates & recruiters from all or specific industries. They cater for all job types including freshers & experienced ones. Example: Hiring events for IT industries, Automobile industries, Fashion, Pharmaceuticals, Engineering Consultancies & Construction services etc.
- Hybrid Career fairs
A large group of recruiters still prefer physical ways of talent acquisition. However, they do not want to compromise on the technological tools, speed, accuracy, flexibility and numerous other advantages that virtual technology offers. Hybrid platforms are perfectly suited for them as they offer technological advantages in combination with in-person elements wherever required. Thinking logically, the physical recruitment drives will turn hybrid in the future.
- Demand-specific Career fairs
Virtual technology has saved both time & resources for organisers and given them the flexibility to come up with demand-specific hiring formates. The organisers that have been hosting a few hiring events annually can host a dozen of them with the same budget. As the total cost per event drops considerably, the organisers are now trying different approaches and coming up with discrete hiring events. Eg: Mass recruitment for freshers, Hiring events for experienced candidates only and more. This trend is going to increase and we may get to see more creative formats in future.
- Passive Career fairs
Do, you think that career fairs always involve recruitment? Well, that's not true! There are some events that companies host just for brand promotion. Eg: Training workshops, Value addition & certification courses, Resume writing lessons and Employment workshops etc. These events may not involve active hiring but are an excellent chance for amateurs to gain experience and contacts. Such events will also be in trend in the coming years.
Virtual/Hybrid career fairs are and will continue to be a popular medium for recruitment in future. In a country like ours, which has one of the biggest young populations & largest economies in the world, there is an abundance of talent and the parties who need them. There is a big scope for a recruitment business, but so is the competition! Therefore, the organisers need to be competent, innovative and adaptable to be in the market. As far as Virtual/Hybrid Platfroms, Marketing & technology adaptation are concerned, ibentos is there to help you!
If you need professional guidance & fresh ideas for your upcoming hiring events do contact us at https://ibentos.com/virtual-job-fair/.
Explore our Virtual/Hybrid/Metaverse product gallery at www.ibentos.com!
