What are the most effective ways to use virtual career fairs for global recruitment?

1 Define your goals and target audience

Before you start organizing your virtual career fair, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve and who you want to reach. Do you want to fill specific roles, build a talent pipeline, or raise your employer brand awareness? Do you want to target local, regional, or global candidates? What are the skills, qualifications, and preferences of your ideal candidates? Having a well-defined goal and target audience will help you choose the right platform, format, content, and marketing channels for your virtual career fair.

2 Choose a suitable platform and format

There are many platforms and formats available for hosting virtual career fairs, such as webinars, live chats, video interviews, or gamified experiences. You should choose the one that best suits your budget, goals, and target audience. For example, if you want to showcase your company culture and values, you might opt for a webinar with interactive Q&A sessions. If you want to assess candidates' skills and fit, you might prefer a video interview or a gamified challenge. You should also consider the technical requirements, accessibility, and user-friendliness of the platform and format for both your recruiters and your candidates.

3 Create engaging and relevant content

The content of your virtual career fair should be engaging and relevant to your target audience. You should provide information about your company, your values, your opportunities, and your application process. You should also showcase your employer brand and your employee value proposition, highlighting what makes you unique and attractive as an employer. You can use different types of content, such as videos, podcasts, blogs, infographics, or testimonials, to convey your message and showcase your personality. You should also tailor your content to the specific needs, interests, and expectations of your global candidates, taking into account their cultural and linguistic diversity.

4 Promote your virtual career fair effectively

To attract and register candidates for your virtual career fair, you need to promote it effectively through various channels and platforms. You should use a combination of online and offline methods, such as social media, email marketing, job boards, career websites, blogs, podcasts, or flyers. You should also leverage your existing networks, such as alumni, referrals, or employee advocates, to spread the word and generate buzz. You should also segment and personalize your communication to your target audience, using the appropriate language, tone, and style. You should also create a clear and compelling value proposition for your virtual career fair, highlighting the benefits and opportunities for the candidates.

5 Execute your virtual career fair smoothly

On the day of your virtual career fair, you need to ensure that everything runs smoothly and professionally. You should test your platform and format beforehand, and have a backup plan in case of technical issues. You should also prepare your recruiters and presenters, providing them with the necessary training, tools, and guidelines. You should also engage and interact with your candidates, providing them with a positive and memorable experience. You should answer their questions, solicit their feedback, and thank them for their participation. You should also follow up with them after the event, keeping them informed and interested in your opportunities.

6 Evaluate your virtual career fair results

After your virtual career fair, you need to evaluate your results and measure your return on investment. You should collect and analyze data and feedback from both your recruiters and your candidates, using metrics such as attendance, engagement, satisfaction, conversion, or retention. You should also identify the strengths and weaknesses of your virtual career fair, and the areas for improvement. You should also celebrate your successes and share your learnings and best practices with your team and your stakeholders.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?