Since the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen a major shift in how and where we work. While everyone used to go to a physical office to complete their tasks, now many industries see the value of a remote workforce, and the government is part of that. However, while many managers and human resources teams like the remote aspect, it is not uncommon to have questions about how to recruit the best employees when they can’t be present in the same room.

The answer is to go virtual. There are many perks to having online networking events and recruitment gatherings, and with proper planning and smart strategy, your agency can find the new recruits that you desire. Today we will talk about what goes into a good event, and we will also speak to potential attendees and provide tips for how they can stand out from the crowd.

The Value of Virtual Events

While some people may believe that networking remotely is not as good as meeting in person, it is important to remember that we have been moving in this direction for a while now and that there are many great perks to this setup. For starters, since people don’t need to travel to get to your networking event, you could see an increase in attendance. Not only that, but when people can join from anywhere in the nation, you could also bring in a more diverse audience.

In addition to a greater turnout, your government agency may even save money since you don’t need to set up a physical space or worry about parking, catering, decorations, or other aspects of typical in-person gatherings. It is also more affordable for the attendee since they likely only need to connect to the internet and log in. If you are looking to recruit remote workers, then hosting a high-quality virtual event is likely the answer, but you need to do it right.

The way to do that is to identify your target audience. If you open the flood gates to everyone, you will create more work and higher expenses, but you are also unlikely to find the candidates that are best for your open roles. Your target audience can be defined in many ways. If this is a local government position, then you probably want to find people from that area. If this position requires specific skills, then you can mention those desired skills on your invite, so only those who qualify to choose to attend.

How To Run A Successful Virtual Event

For your networking event to be successful, you need to have a plan of action ahead of time and set goals for what you plan to accomplish. For instance, your goal may be to find candidates to fill the current open roles at your organization. It may also be to create a list of potential employees that you can call upon when future positions become available.

It is also important that you have a moderator in place who can introduce your team, talk to the attendees, and keep the event moving forward. Staying organized is essential so you can say everything you want to say, provide time for all of your attendees to speak, and accomplish all of your goals for the event.