Employers – students want virtual recruiting to stay: here’s what you need to know

Employers – students want virtual recruiting to stay: here’s what you need to know

COVID may increasingly feel like it’s moving into the rear-view mirror thanks to vaccinations. Indeed, students will be back on campuses in the autumn. In-person careers events will be possible again too.

But things have changed over the last 18-months. The virtual world of recruitment has opened up a lot of flexibility and innovation.

We can learn from the U.S. on this front, where adoption has been even more widespread during the pandemic. Across the pond, Handshake data found that 87% of students said they still want some virtual element in their career events post-COVID. Meanwhile, 92% of employers and higher ed institutions plan to host virtual or hybrid career events in autumn.

With this in mind, here’s a guide for UK employers on how students feel about virtual recruitment –?and how to use it to create win-win situations.

1. Virtual recruitment can help boost diversity and inclusion

Student candidates from non-white backgrounds can face additional issues beyond the usual stresses of careers fairs or recruitment. Additional concerns about the implicit or explicit bias of prospective employers can weigh on the minds of anyone who has experienced discrimination in the past. But there are fewer barriers when virtual processes mean students can connect with employers directly ahead of a careers event or interview. Again, US research found that white students were the only ethnic group to prefer in-person versus virtual interviews.

By tapping into virtual recruitment and making more direct connections, employers can build wider, more diverse candidate pools. The students they meet aren’t just those that rise to the surface because they like the hustle and bustle of in-person fairs. They are the candidates who show promise, who have made an effort to reach out virtually, or who have the best qualifications for the job.

1. Keeping careers fairs online or hybrid means cost-effective direct recruitment is possible

In addition to helping drive diversity, having an at least partly online model for careers fairs can take the cost out of direct recruitment for employers. As the light at the end of the COVID-19 tunnel shines brighter, the job market is on an upswing, with many positions opening up for early career candidates and a lot of applicants waiting to kick off their careers in earnest.

What this does mean though is that the number of applications employers receive will be huge. Finding top talent in this environment can be difficult, expensive or time-consuming. But one advantage of virtual careers fairs is that they enable employers to directly target students that fit the bill ahead of time, having 1-on-1 conversations and encouraging them to apply for upcoming roles if suitable. Taking this direct recruitment approach outside of this context is certainly a lot tougher and more costly, so take advantage.

1. Flexibility can aid students and employers alike

Flexibility is a huge string to the bow for virtual careers fairs. Those who become overwhelmed in loud, busy environments may struggle as a result to give the best account of themselves, regardless of how skilled or able they might be. This is particularly pertinent for neurodivergent people. Meanwhile, not being bound by location can make life significantly easier for those with disabilities.

The benefits of virtual recruiting – such as a wider, more diverse talent pool, scaled engagement, and data to back their approach – can have a huge impact for employers. What’s more, the costs and lost hours spent sending reps to all the corners of the UK can be recouped or reduced with a virtual or hybrid recruitment model. Employers can now reach qualified students anywhere, unlocking talent pools once deemed too far away.

As part of our Early Careers Talent Recovery Fund, launched exclusively for UK universities, Handshake is proud to be hosting a series of Virtual Careers Fairs, offering thousands of students and employers to connect - completely free of charge. We’re inviting employers to join an impressive roster of companies including Tik Tok, Expedia, PWC and the Royal Air Force, who are already signed up to one of our fairs. For more information, please visit: joinhandshake.co.uk/virtual-careers-fairs.?