Virtual Hiring Events: Take the party to the air!
Technology and circumstances have changed the way we interact with the outside world. From virtual wine tasting events to virtual birthday parties to work-related events, we’ve adapted to them all!
In the not-so-long-ago-world, when an organisation had a large number of roles to be filled in a short period of time it either hosted a hiring event or booked a booth at a job fair. But now our reality has moved to the virtual world. Organising virtual hiring events or booths at virtual job fairs is the way to go now. This trend is bound to gain more popularity as organisations realise the many benefits of virtual hiring events.
What’s a virtual hiring event?
It’s an online event, where a company’s hiring team can meet and interact with candidates within a given time-frame. It is essentially a virtual environment that facilitates conversations between jobseekers and the recruiters with the use of various interactive options such as chat rooms, webcasts, and webinars.
You can decide to host your own hiring event or you could hire a booth in a virtual job fair.
Three cheers to virtual hiring events
A virtual hiring event allows you to meet more candidates within a short time with a much lower expense and hassle than an offline event. The benefits of this mode of recruitment far outweigh the disadvantages. Let’s have a look at some of them.
Efficiency wins hands down
This form of recruitment enables you to meet multiple qualified candidates within a short period of time. If managed well, it helps you screen candidates and move them through levels, quickly and efficiently. This mode of hiring is also more cost effective as compared to in-person events that often require travel, rental space and a host of other logistical considerations.
The more the merrier
Virtual hiring events attract more candidates than offline events as candidates do not have to invest time and effort to get to the location. Recruiters also have the added advantage of attracting talent from a bigger talent pool across geographies.
Your brand stands tall
A virtual hiring event is a demonstration of the fact that your organisation is forward thinking, conscious about public health and innovative.
Candidate experience is the cherry on the cake
A well-planned hiring event can enhance candidate experience and ensure that you hire the best candidates. You also will be able to connect with the upcoming generation of digital natives who prefer communication and interacting virtually rather than in person.
A virtual meeting however falls short of certain aspects when compared to an in-person experience. The eye contact, the handshake and other ways are small signs that enable an experienced recruiter to pick the ideal candidate. This relative disadvantage can be overcome by considering this as the first step and following this up with an in-person interview.
In the trenches
So, how do you go about hosting a virtual event? It’s not as complicated as it sounds. All you need is to plan ahead and choose the right partners.
Plan to a Tee
The first step is to hold a session with your recruiters and define what your overarching goals are. Define the type of hire you’re looking for. Discuss and agree on how you’ll interview, get to know, and interact with each candidate.
This will help you decide if you want to conduct a virtual hiring event or book a booth in a virtual job fair.
Platform matters!
One of the most important aspects of planning a virtual hiring event is choosing the right hiring partner as well as a platform. Go for a platform that will suit your overall requirements and the type of candidates you wish to meet. A hiring partner who knows what you want will ensure a well-run event with optimal results.
Make sure that the hiring-event platform allows you to build booths for in-person engagements. You can arrange for a virtual tour of your company and also ensure that you have experienced staffers who could act as your ambassadors in waiting rooms and networking rooms.
Craft a marketing plan
What’s the point of hosting an event if no one walks in! It’s essential that you craft a savvy marketing plan that will spread word and engender awareness of your event. Ideally, you’ll need a month to market your event. You could launch your marketing campaign through social media, career sites, emails, chat bots, etc.
Follow up with the candidates
Make it a point to close the circle by keeping in touch with your candidates, even the ones you don’t plan to hire.
Virtual hiring events are very much a part of the current recruitment landscape. The benefits that this form of recruitment brings to the table means that companies will favour this form of recruitment even in the days to come.