HR Malaysia

Virtual Job Fairs Attract Recruiters and Talent Worldwide
by Brent Arslaner

The bright side to today’s turbulent economy is that layoffs, acquisitions and buyouts are driving seasoned talent into the labor market. But to capitalize on the availability of top talent, many companies will need to overhaul their recruiting processes and procedures.

Today more than ever, it is essential to explore new techniques to identify and engage with qualified workers, maximize recruitment budgets and bypass the ineffective recruitment tools of yesterday. The question for many talent managers remains: What is the magic ingredient? One answer lies in virtual environments and virtual job fairs.

Virtual environments use 3-D renderings to replicate a convention center that features a main hall, an exhibition floor, a resource center and a job center. During the virtual job fair, recruiters interact with job seekers in real-time and deliver presentations in the conference hall. Following the event, a hiring company can continue attracting candidates and building its brand through the virtual environment.

Virtual job fairs enable job seekers to see and hear company presentations, interact live with company representatives and submit their resumes. Not only is this scenario more cost-effective compared to hosting a physical event, it supports global participation and offers increased productivity to recruiters because they never have to leave their desks.

Companies are attracting higher-quality candidates with virtual job fairs because the job seekers can conveniently access the events online, from anywhere, and without fear of taking time off from a current job – or even worse – being “outed” by a co-worker or boss.

In fact, according to a survey conducted by Unisfair, 64 percent of HR managers believe the hiring cycle could be reduced through virtual job fairs, and as a result, 40 percent of hiring managers are exploring the technology. Respondents, which included more than 100 U.S. human resource managers, sited the most important reasons for hosting a virtual job fair as: ease of use (84 percent), ability to screen applicants (76 percent), reduced costs (75 percent) and access to candidates (72 percent).

Consider KPMG, for example. Last fall, the global network of professional services firms created a 48-hour recruiting fair to provide graduates and experienced professionals from around the world with information on hundreds of job opportunities. The event allowed the company to more effectively coordinate the efforts of 250 recruiters in 45 different countries, and produce an event that reinforces KPMG’s global brand and underscores the company’s innovation.

The KPMG World Jobs Fair reflects a remarkable transformation in how KPMG member firms are attracting talent in a global economy, and a transformation in the way professionals are seeking employment. The event, which was attended by more than 11,000 people from 150 countries, allowed job candidates to easily explore opportunities and potential careers with the company. With 12,000 resumes uploaded during the two-day event, it also gave KPMG an opportunity to tap into a global workforce of qualified professionals and recent graduates.

In today’s tough economic times, every company needs to ensure that when it is able to hire, the candidates selected are the very best choices for the organization. And while the recruiting landscape continues to present challenges, an emphasis on innovative technology, combined with a willingness to try new approaches, can create rewarding opportunities for employers and employees alike.

[About the Author: Brent Arslaner is a vice president at Unisfair, a virtual event provider.]