Guide For a Successful Virtual Hiring Event

While in-person hiring events have advantages, virtual hiring events are certainly the last word in modern-day recruiting. Initially, many found the transition from the physical to the virtual world very difficult, but nowadays, everyone is slowly getting used to it.

Because of the several benefits of virtual hiring events, many large companies have already moved from in-person recruiting to virtual hiring platforms. Education systems have also discovered all the benefits of the virtual world, giving students the opportunity to fulfill their obligations from the comfort of their homes. Virtual events have proven to be a beneficial and time-saving approach to connecting aspiring students from around the world with the world's best companies.

Before we get into some virtual hiring event ideas to make your event a success, let us explain what a hiring event is.

What is a virtual hiring event or hiring expo?

Hiring event, often referred to as job fair, hiring expo, career fair, or recruitment event, is an event typically hosted by companies, educational institutions, or recruiters that offer onsite interviews to interested candidates. They often revolve around specific industries, areas of functional competence, or groups of workers (such as recent college graduates).

Virtual hiring events have proven to be more reliable, practical, and economical than physical hiring events. Virtual hiring events revolutionize the hiring process by allowing employers to interview large numbers of candidates just like they would at an in-person hiring event, without being restricted to physical locations. Employers can conduct virtual interviews over the phone or via video conference, whichever works best for them and their applicants.

A virtual recruiting event uses a virtual hiring event platform to streamline the planning process, which is the primary differentiator between an in-person and virtual hiring event.

If you decide to conduct a virtual hiring event, you'll be happy to know that it's rather simple to do so. This virtual hiring event guide will show you how.

1. Set goals for the event

Before you get into the planning process of your next virtual hiring event, it is essential to set clear goals for the event. Do you want to fill specific job openings, build a pipeline of qualified candidates, or something else? Having a clear goal will help you plan and organize the event more effectively. Boosting brand awareness, engaging and educating candidates and/or employees, and developing stronger sponsor/partner relationships are some event goals that could shape your event planning process.

2. Develop a comprehensive plan

The next step in organizing a virtual event is to draft a clear and concise plan with everything from initial objectives to outcomes. This schedule includes hiring event dates and times, budget constraints, expected guest list, and agenda. There are several factors to consider, such as the expected number of attendees, staffing, additional software, the cost of the virtual career fair platform, the companies and recruitment agencies you will be partnering with, and the resources dedicated to the event. Submit the draft to the main stakeholders. This idea can also serve as a template for sales presentations to prospective sponsors and business partners.

3. Choose the right virtual hiring event platform

Hosting a few video calls is insufficient to constitute a virtual job fair. It is a complicated procedure with numerous components. This is where a virtual job fair platform might be worth your weight in gold! When choosing a virtual career fair solution, keep in mind the target audience for your event as well as the components that will be beneficial and crucial to its success, such as customer support, customization possibilities, interactive tools, security, and analytics. These are all the questions you should ask a virtual hiring platform vendor before choosing your virtual hiring platform.

b2match virtual hiring event platform offers you features that ensure you will successfully organize your virtual hiring event with ease. The platform consists of applicant profiles, which allow job seekers to create and customize their profile to appeal to potential employers, company pages, which allow companies to create their page and entice job seekers, and job boards, where businesses can publish searchable job posts that can be enhanced with files, images, and videos.

When it comes to networking during an event, there is no other virtual hiring event software better than b2match! To ensure that each participant's needs are addressed and that they connect with the appropriate participants, b2match uses AI-powered matchmaking. This artificial intelligence event matching technology improves match quality and user engagement.

Companies and applicants can connect or arrange any kind of in-person, hybrid, or virtual B2B meetings using the search feature and filters. Companies and applicants can use the search feature and filters to connect or schedule any type of in-person, hybrid, or virtual B2B meetings they wish. Participants can also schedule individual or group sessions, which can be arranged in advance.

It is advisable to use an online hiring event software to handle all the work so you can concentrate on the other aspects of the event, including attracting businesses and ensuring your applicants get the ideal job placements they deserve.

4. Invite prospective businesses

The following step is to send invitations to your online hiring event. Make a list of the companies you want to invite. You can include companies that have already shown up at your hiring events, are pertinent to your academic departments, or are appealing to your applicants. Try to make invitation packets that include information about booth setup and how to manage the event's digital side. Develop a diverse business list to ensure more recruiting opportunities for your candidates. You can send the invitation to the HR representative or the company president. Ensure that you keep a spreadsheet of your responses.

After that, you should inform and invite your job candidates. Tell them what to bring to the event and the agenda. Don't forget to remind them to have their resumes ready and to gather any other documentation that employers could require throughout the hiring process. Additionally, advise them to dress accordingly so they won't be taken off guard if a video interview occurs. It is also a good idea to distribute the list of businesses so that people may plan whom to visit before the event and conduct some pre-fair research. Ensure that you give some hiring event tips to your applicants to make their experience more enjoyable.

5. Promote your virtual hiring event

Even the most carefully planned events won't be successful if the right audience is unaware of them. There are several good ways how to promote your virtual hiring event. Without a doubt, you need to advertise your virtual career fair before it happens through social media platforms, PR channels, email campaigns, and joint advertising with other businesses. To promote your job fair and reach as many people as possible, try using integrated marketing campaigns and a variety of marketing platforms. Additional methods include creating marketing toolkits for partners and exhibitors and asking them to advertise the event. As a result, you'll have less work to accomplish and be able to interact with more people.

With the help of the b2match virtual hiring event software, you can easily figure out how to create an event landing page with editable content. An event landing page is a website designed to provide prospective attendees with all the specific information they need to decide whether to register for your event. b2match makes it easier to communicate with people from all over the world by allowing users to customize the page in different languages. You may also design a mobile-friendly, optimized version of your landing page to guarantee that every participant has the same experience.

Even with a wide range of digital marketing tools at your disposal, you should consider implementing email marketing, as it is still the most efficient channel for reaching customers who are already interested in your company. You may write and send emails to attendees, imported contacts, and other organizers directly from the b2match virtual hiring event platform. Additionally, b2match provides editable event advertising email templates with pertinent participant information, links, and buttons for quick access to an event page. Each template corresponds with the event email marketing timeline, meaning templates are designed for each stage of the event.

6. Test the software

The only difficulty when conducting a virtual hiring event is learning how your virtual platform works. Ensure your team has received enough training on the event's technology, any relevant apps, and the schedule for the actual event day. Proper preparation is crucial. Because of this, you should let stakeholders use the technology and perform test applications. It is also advised that one of your team members logs into the virtual environment about 20 minutes before the hiring event starts as an attendee, to verify your audio and video capabilities.

Don't be alarmed if something goes wrong. b2match will help you during setup and provide you with advice on how to make the best possible version of your event. The event customer support will highlight aspects that might be interesting or beneficial for your event and offer advice on improving participant engagement. To ensure everything is functioning efficiently, you can even run a quality check on the entire configuration before the event is published. If something goes wrong, customer service will help in fixing all problems as soon as feasible. Support is available by chat, email, and mobile app.

7. Analyze reports

Throughout your event, you'll get a lot of great data insights. These statistics at online job fairs also include successful, long-term employment. You can use data analytics software to evaluate the effectiveness of your virtual career fair but collecting feedback directly from partners and potential employees is encouraged.

Ask them to describe the event's highlights and any ideas they have for making it better. Keep in touch with applicants who have spoken with your recruiters. Reach out to possible candidates who have not yet applied or may have more questions using the contacts that recruiters gathered.

8. Follow up with attendees

You probably put a lot of effort into expanding your network of contacts and building your talent pool, so you shouldn't let them fade. Sending thank-you notes via email and social media to participants, partners, and everyone who contributed is wise if you want to raise awareness of your event, build credibility, and expand your audience. You can gather valuable information about what worked effectively from follow-up surveys after the virtual job fair so you can replicate and improve on it the next time. They also provide insight into areas that demand refinement by presenting appropriate post-event assessment questions.

Overall, the key to a successful virtual hiring event is planning and preparation. You can make your virtual hiring event a success by setting clear goals, choosing the right platform, and providing support for attendees. Successful hiring events require extensive planning and research, but the good news is that b2match offers a wide range of tools that support the success of your event. Additionally, it assists you in setting up your virtual event at each stage.

If you want to learn more about how to host a virtual hiring event or how to plan a hiring event, be sure to check out our tips for great virtual recruitment events.