t used to be that career fairs brought recruiters and job seekers under the
same roof, usually in a large hotel ballroom where hordes of anxious applicants
dressed in business attire and carrying manila folders filled with résumés and cover
letters queued up to meet prospective employers.
Brick-and-mortar career fairs still exist, of course, but
virtual job fairs are gaining in popularity. The look and feel are the same as traditional
job fairs, but with virtual company booths and avatars—the online images of people—covering
the ballroom floor.
The difference is that the networking between job seeker and
recruiter takes place online, which both sides can access by logging on to a specific
Web site at a designated time and date.
Virtual job fairs are hosted either by a single company or
by a group of employers that partner to promote the event. Recruiters and candidates
meet remotely through online texting or by Web camera, meaning a single recruiter
can potentially contact thousands of candidates without leaving the office.
Several factors have pushed the popularity of virtual career
fairs in the last two years. Companies have grown comfortable with using online
recruitment tools in general—such as job boards and social networking—and are willing
to be more experimental. The attraction of such cyber-events is understandable,
says Andrew McIlvaine, director of interactive solutions, mid-Atlantic region, at
Bernard Hodes Group.
"They are practical and efficient in reaching Gen Y talent
and can bring down the cost of talent acquisition," he says.
Companies including Unisfair, CollegeGrad.com and organizations
such as the National Association of Colleges and Employers are offering virtual
job fairs as demand for the events surges. Unisfair, a San Francisco-based host
of online job fairs, expects events to more than double this year, says Brent Arslaner,
Unisfair’s vice president of marketing.
Arslaner says the company will organize about 50 virtual career
fairs this year. Online traffic also is growing, he says. Previously, just a few
hundred individuals would pop up looking for jobs at the virtual career fairs. Today,
that number averages 1,500 to 2,000 participants.
Big brand employers, such as Microsoft, Cisco Systems and
IBM, are trying out virtual fairs. But McIlvaine cautions that organizing such online
events require the same level of planning required for a live career conference.
"Some companies think that putting on a virtual job fair is
as easy as clicking a mouse," Arslaner says. "That is not the case at all."
Companies are advised to take special measures to ensure the
success of their events. Arslaner says employers must define what they hope to attain
by participating in a virtual career fair. They need to be as specific as possible
about the type of talent they want to hire—skills sets, the level of seniority and
whether they need certifications. The wish list helps organizers create an advertising
strategy to target the appropriate audience and bring in talent with the desired
characteristics.
One of the biggest mistakes companies make at virtual career
fairs is understaffing, says Nov Omana, managing principal of consultancy Collective
HR Solutions. Being short on staff is a concern, because it means candidates will
have to wait a long time before interacting with a company representative. There
is software to help recruiters manage the volume of candidates visiting their virtual
booth, but it can only do so much.
"At the end of the day, you need enough manpower so you can
provide adequate attention and create a positive experience for the job candidates,"
Omana says. "Otherwise you run the risk of tarnishing your brand."
It’s important to remember that understaffing isn’t always
caused by poor planning; sometimes it’s a byproduct of weak support from the recruiting
team, McIlvaine says.
"Problems will arise if not everybody has the same level of
commitment," he notes. "The people who are championing the virtual career fairs
need to be able to sell it across the company."
He says training is essential in rallying support, particularly
because most people are unfamiliar with virtual career fairs. McIlvaine recommends
holding meetings to ensure that everyone understands how these events work and what
everyone’s contribution will be.
Despite the potential for glitches, virtual career fairs are
likely to keep growing, says Steven Rothberg, CEO of CollegeRecrutier.com.
"As long as they continue to draw Gen Yers, companies will
continue to be interested in them," he says.
Rothberg isn’t surprised that virtual career fairs are becoming
more popular among Generation Y.
"They don’t have to spend money on travel or go through the
hassle of printing out résumés," he notes. "And as an added bonus, they don’t have
to put on a stuffy business suit."
Workforce Management Online, May
2008 -- Register
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