Virtual options for jobseekers

Dubai: In this era of online convenience and technical innovation, every-thing from shopping, banking, studying to dating seem to be just a mouse-click away. Job recruitment seems to be moving to a new level as well. Jobseekers can't just post their resumes online or search jobs, they can now participate in a career fair without leaving their homes or interacting face to face with anyone.

Just like any other brick-and-mortar job fair, jobseekers at such an event could visit each employer animated 3D virtual booth and interact with company representatives.

The concept sounds more convenient than conventional job fairs. However, company bosses, HR professionals and jobseekers seem to have contrasting views on virtual fairs.

For Rick Helliwell, Emirates Airlines vice-president for recruitment, virtual job fairs herald an "exciting new future" where technology is harnessed to help companies market their employment brands and career opportunities.

"Career seekers are increasingly utilising the internet to identify their next move, thus it is important for employers like ourselves to be able to convey information on the range of opportunities we have available through new online initiatives," Helliwell says.

David Thatcher of Career Partners, a career management and mentoring specialist firm, says the process of skillfully recruiting functional specialists and senior managers is unlikely to be of much success in online job fairs because of their "limited capability".

"Many executives expect an intimate relationship with the recruiter, who needs to be patient and skillful. Indeed, this is definitely the case with many organisations who use the phenom-enon of "retained search". To enjoy the status of being a retained executive search company, there is a high degree of client interaction necessary.

Virtual recruitment is like the use of holograms in virtual meetings. There is a novelty value and questionable benefit compared to the presence of flesh and blood," Thatcher said.

Nelson, a project manager in Dubai, who asked to be identified only by his first name, points out that virtual job fairs are not as convenient as they seem.

"If I were an employer, I have to be online most of the time for the duration of the fair, and wait for the CVs of applicants... The only difference with the conventional jobsites is that I can do the interviews at my convenience and I can see and talk to the applicant personally," he adds.

Atte Miettinen, chief strategy and business development officer of Friendi Mobile, which is launching a virtual mobile network, says virtual job fairs allow companies to get access to more candidates and make it easier for applicants to approach potential employers, given the lack of physical requirements to travel somewhere to set up booths and interact face to face.

Limitations

"However, hiring people is ultimately about the personality of the candidate and compatibility with the company and team that he or she is expected to work in. And this is something that must be assessed in a face-to-face meeting," Miettinen says.

Bayt.com, a jobsite based in the Middle East introduced the concept for the first time last week as it held a five-day fair. It was expected to draw about 50,000 job applicants.

Rabea Ataya, Bayt.com chief executive officer, said 30,000 applicants registered on the first day of the fair.

Jobseekers have different views as well. Nathaniel Lacsina, an expatriate based in Dubai, says online fairs will spare job applicants of the hassle of travelling from one place to another just to find a job.

It also gives the applicant enough time to prepare on how he should present himself to potential employers.

Ador Bustamante, from the Philippines, says he is cautious about online fairs since the applicant-employer interaction is just too impersonal and the interviewer is deprived of the benefits of a "visual and emotional assessment" in physical interviews.

Do you know anybody who has participated in an online job fair? Was he or she successful in the job search? How was the experience?