Last week it was announced that JobsDirectUSA.com is organizing the America Hires Virtual Job Fair, an online mega-recruiting event which will run from October 1, 2011 through December 31, 2011 at AmericaHires360.comand aims to connect millions of job candidates with hiring companies throughout the United States.

This week I will address exactly what is a virtual job fair, how it works and how participating in a virtual job fair can benefit H.R. professionals and help them discover quality candidates which otherwise they might not meet in person.

While virtual job fairs are not new I firmly predict that they will eventually replace traditional brick and mortar job fairs. What is a virtual job fair? Simply put, it's an online version of the real thing! Complete with virtual booths Employers have the ability to list all, or as many, job postings which they are presently recruiting for on the web. Candidates on the other hand can bypass the long lines, elevator speeches and go directly for the companies and job opportunities which are of interest to them. 

Candidates often times tell us the most frustrating angle of attending an in person job fair is the large crowds of job seekers, not enough jobs being offered which appeal to them and Recruiters which redirect them to their company website which then makes the job seeker feel defeated and wondering why they took the time to attend in the first place. On the flip side, we hear first hand from Recruiters that Candidates were unprepared, did not know much about their company beforehand and they were unable to connect with a specific candidate which meets the skill set for the positions they are recruiting for. For example, if Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc. is hiring for department managers in their grocery stores they at least need to find candidates with either retail or some sort of management experience. Depending on the crowd turnout, or market, it can be like finding a needle in a haystack. 

Participating in a virtual job fair however is easy and efficient, in fact it requires no travel and can save companies thousands of dollars which would normally be allocated to travel expenses alone.  Companies are able to advertise their job openings on the web and focus on attracting the talent that they are truly seeking. In addition, by taking part in an online event it generates instant visibility on the web which otherwise would be limited to whomever decides to show up in person. Finally, there's the convenience factor of being able to interview prospective candidates directly from your office computer without ever having to leave. 

For the America Hires Virtual Job Fair we've launched a demo version of the Employers Booths page which can be viewed by clicking here. 

The America Hires Virtual Job Fair is in fact the first of it's kind to bring together hiring Employers, Candidates and even Guest Speakers from throughout the United States on a national stage. This would not be possible if it weren't for technology. We hope that you will get excited and join us! 

Employers:

• Virtual booth with company logo display from October 1, 2011 through December 31, 2011
• Booth includes one (1) user account per registered employer
• Unlimited job postings and resume database access
• Job posting distribution to multiple job boards and career sites
• Receive candidate resumes by e-mail or via your company applicant tracking system
• Advertisement on JobsDirectUSA.com and social networks
• Live chat with prospective candidates via instant messenger directly from your office computer

For more information, or to sign up, please visit www.americahires360.com

Sincerely,

Carlos Gil

carlos.gil@jobsdirectusa.com