Virtual career fairs seem to be all the rage these days. Universities and employers are faced with the new reality where organizing recruitment events online is becoming the status quo. Luckily, next to offering very similar benefits to offline events, online career events can also provide unique ways to engage with job seekers.

So, what exactly can you get out of attending a virtual career fair? Let’s have a look at the different benefits for you as an employer.

Increase Brand Visibility and Get Discovered by Talents Everywhere

Online career fairs are a great platform to get your company’s brand out there and make talents aware of your company. Especially for companies in the early stages, but also for bigger companies without big brand recognition, participating in a career fair is a helpful first step in increasing your brand visibility, getting in direct contact with talents to make them aware of the compelling job opportunities you offer. The best part - there are no physical boundaries on who you can reach over the internet.

Change Your Brand Perception

Even if everyone knows you, your brand perception might not be the greatest, whether it’s because your company has taken a hit by recent events or bad PR. Participating in an interactive virtual recruiting event where you can thoroughly engage and network with talents - for example, through formats like sessions, live booths or even 1-1 chats - can help to change the perception talents have about your company. By genuinely opening up, being relatable, and offering the chance for direct contact and interaction, you will positively improve your brand perception for the network of students, graduates and job seekers you’re trying to attract.

Fill Your Hiring Pipeline 

By showcasing who you are and what you stand for, talents will take notice and approach you. Converting these conversations into leads and filling your hiring pipeline with relevant and high-quality talents can be achieved through a targeted online career fair. This is where the virtual environment holds a unique advantage - online career events can be more targeted because it is easier to attract a significant number of relevant participants across a country or even a continent rather than just a city. Furthermore, your hiring pipeline will also profit in the long-term, as passive candidates who attend these events for career inspiration or to explore available career opportunities will keep you in mind and might reach out to you at a later stage.

Hire At The Event

Virtual event hiring is even more attractive compared to offline. In an online career event, as an employer, you are usually able to access the information of participants at least a week in advance. This gives you and your team enough time to create a list of most interesting participants and craft a plan to engage with all of them during the event.

It’s the Type of Online Career Event That Matters

Not all online career events are created equal, and not all offer you all these benefits at once. Based on your employer needs and recruitment strategy, you should carefully analyze and benchmark what type of virtual career fairs or recruiting events will provide the biggest benefit and yield the highest success for your company. If chosen and done right, participating in a online career event can be a great element of your employer branding strategy and subsequent recruiting activities.