Looking to hire eager young talent? Showcase your job opportunities with a virtual career fair

The class of 2021 is ready to enter the workforce — virtually, that is.

Despite employers making plans to head back to the workplace as COVID-19 restrictions ease, younger employees are looking to secure their jobs in a virtual setting, according to a report by Handshake, a career platform for college students. Eight-seven percent of new graduates would prefer to interview and network online and 71% believe it’s a less intimidating environment for job hunting.

The majority of employers have plans to hire digitally this year: 93% plan to conduct interviews and attend job fairs virtually and 79% plan to continue the practice even after COVID is no longer a concern, Handshake found.

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“The pandemic accelerated our plans to expand our virtual recruiting capabilities,” Julie Grzeda, executive director for early career talent at GE, said in a release. “Companies of all sizes are working to provide more personalized interactions and proactive outreach to share our opportunities with students.”

The job market is undergoing a sea change post-COVID. Employers are preparing for a hiring spree while the majority of employees have plans to look for new job opportunities. But while virtual recruiting is becoming the norm, employers are struggling with identifying qualified candidates in a remote setting. Forty-one percent of employers say virtual recruiting makes it difficult to assess and identify top talent and 31% found it difficult to engage with candidates remotely, according to a survey by Monster.

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However, candidates feel more comfortable in these virtual settings, especially underserved groups like women and people of color, Handshake found. Fifty-eight percent of Black applicants and 57% of LatinX job seekers thought virtual interviews were more fair than in-person interactions. These applicants said they felt less anxious about experiencing implicit biases and were more likely to move forward in the interview process.

“At in-person interviews, most companies ask me about my immigration status before asking about my academic accomplishments,” one student told Handshake in the report. “At the virtual career event, I wasn’t asked those questions and could focus on networking instead.”

Women also felt more at-ease in a virtual environment: 55% of women prefer online interviews, compared to 41% of men, Handshake found. Women said they felt more able to speak up without being interrupted in a virtual setting and 43% said they were more likely to apply for a job after attending a virtual job fair.

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As employers look for more ways to expand their talent pool and hire more diverse and inclusive staff, it’s imperative that virtual recruiting becomes a normal part of the HR process, says Andy Valenzuela, CHRO of HireVue, a virtual recruiting platform.

“The positive is that [the pandemic] is opening up markets and talent that didn't exist before because companies still weren't sure whether they could fully operate in a remote environment,” says Andy Valenzuela, CHRO of HireVue. “Technology doesn't mean the process is impersonal. Technology can create a similar experience and have personalized elements to it.”