How Does A Job Fair Work in this Virtual Era?
Job fairs are the cornerstones of an employer’s recruitment strategy. Job fairs or career fairs are recruitment events where a job seeker and employer come together. The purpose here is to establish a connection and discuss potential employment opportunities. Meanwhile, job seekers can come across different options, such as a government job fair or workforce development organizations. But how do job fairs work? What about virtual job fairs?
Types of Fair
Fair for job seekers is generally held by a large organization. It is a platform that includes multiple employers together in one place. One of the best types of the job fair is the college job fair. The campus career center organizes these.
College career fairs allow students to get the job and also help them explore their field and build relationships. Meanwhile, you may come across government job fairs. Here, workforce development organizations collaborate with a state-run municipal unemployment office to provide education and resources.
Fairs run by the government are essential as it stimulates the local economy. Likewise, some industry organizations host job fairs for their members. While most of these fairs include multiple employers, many large companies may also host their own career fairs as a part of their recruitment policy.
What Does a Fair Look Like?
Job fairs can be large or small. However, no matter the type, the striking similarity is the structure. These fairs include booths for multiple companies or recruiters in one centralized space. Now, this could be either a physical venue or a virtual event platform.
The employers stay at the booth for the duration of the event while the seekers go from counter to counter to address the recruiters. Throughout the event, job seekers have the opportunity to ask the recruiter about the position, company culture and the application process at the booth.
Meanwhile, a recruiter will speak with prospective candidates to learn more about their knowledge and experience. Further, they’ll determine if they’d like to move the candidate further along the pipeline.
The Rise in Virtual Job Fair
Due to the pandemic, there has been a transition in the job fair. Virtual job fairs utilize an online platform to unite employers with job candidates. These types of job fairs let a candidate connect via text chats, video, or audio calls.
Besides, the event only requires an internet connection, job seekers, and recruiters who may join from anywhere without reaching a specific location. Some of the benefits include lower event costs and access to a broader pool of candidates.
When conducting a government job fair virtual, candidates need to enter the employer’s virtual repository and then join with a recruiter for a discussion. However, the recruitment materials include a pre-screening questionnaire and employee testimonials.
Job fairs offer a lot of additional highlights that make it easier to follow up with candidates effectively.
Ready to participate
As far as recruitment events are concerned, job fairs allow candidates to meet with their potential employees. This gives both parties an idea of what they should expect.