Employees channel the vigor of any business, and the workforce keeps everything operational and alive, the true unsung heroes behind the curtains. And any successful company knows the importance of acquiring the best talent in the industry and keeping them to their side before competition is given any chance to snatch them away.
However, due to COVID-19’s relentless negative impact on the world economy, even traditional recruitment strategies are no longer safe because of the health and safety hazards a typical in-person interview would cause. As a result, we’ve seen a dramatic slowdown in hiring for all livelihoods across different walks of life, and that’s not considering the jobs that were lost and laid-off during 2020. But, it has allowed the spotlight to land on Virtual Job Fairs, which now begs whether this recruitment method will soon become the norm for all businesses moving forward.
A Recruitment Strategy Born Out of Circumstance and Necessity
There’s no denying that this shift in the recruitment process to speed up the adoption of Virtual Job Fairs was born out of circumstance and necessity. People need jobs, companies need talent, but we can’t afford to put anyone’s health and safety at the risk of infection. So, it’s only natural that the ball moves to the court of the digital world, a future we must soon learn to accept.
- Risk of COVID-19: Before COVID-19, it was normal for multiple companies to hold week-long career prospect events that would consolidate all the bright, young, and talented individuals into one spot for them to screen. However, the concept is no longer possible due to the risk of infection, and social distancing guidelines would no longer allow for these events to happen no matter how strict the rules are to be followed.
- In-person Events Are Costly: Apart from the health and safety aspect, we can’t forget that the global pandemic has also slowed down cash flows and weakened demand in certain industries that aren’t largely digital. However, holding in-person career prospect events is costly, with expenses ranging from the venue to its organization. In contrast, Virtual Job Fairs are more affordable by a considerable margin which helps companies screen talent at a fraction of the cost.
What Are the Benefits of Virtual Job Fairs?
Furthermore, even after considering the circumstances that lead us to this point wherein Virtual Job Fairs are more in favor, inherent benefits make them more efficient and effective than traditional recruitment methods and strategies. And to help understand why a full digital recruitment process might soon become the future of talent acquisition and job seeking, we must know them as well.
#1 Increased Accessibility
Unlike in-person interviews and coming to a venue, Virtual Job Fairs are accessible anywhere, which means you get a wider pool of talents and candidates. For example, anyone interested in a rising tech startup or working for the top companies in this digital revolution would have a better chance of living close to Silicon Valley. But in this new normal of remote workspaces, the location wouldn’t matter as much in the foreseeable future, and holding the event online makes employee background screening more efficient.
#2 Less Time Intensive
Large-scale in-person events require a lot of planning that could last up to several months, which means they are very time-intensive compared to Virtual Job Fairs. In contrast, choosing to conduct your interviews and employee screening through an online platform won’t take as long and would only require you to send invites and market the event earlier to let the word spread. As a result, you wouldn’t need to tie down as much work and valuable resources, allowing you to spend the resources saved on other important matters.
#3 Highlights Virtual Competencies
Last but not least, while technical skills are still reviewed and explored during in-person events, a Virtual Job Fair can immediately highlight individuals equipped with essential virtual competencies. You can easily weed out average candidates and find great minds from the crowd, saving you all the trouble because their actions will speak for themselves. Plus, with JP Morgan’s tech overhaul plans, it’s no doubt all that tech talent will come in handy as we step into a new era of business.
Adapting New Recruitment Norms in Business
Overall, the recruitment marketing industry is in a transformational period, and we are witnessing a shift from traditional methods onto online platforms. And while it may appear to be something temporary, accounting for its benefits and versatility, it will be no surprise to see Virtual Job Fairs become the new normal in the recruitment process.
