Handshake’s third Virtual Fair Benchmark Report is here! It shares trends in student and employer engagement at virtual fairs hosted on Handshake in fall 2021.
Here are 3 main takeaways in case you’re bookmarking it for later:
1. A hybrid of in-person and virtual will become the predominant fair strategy in 2022
Here is a breakdown of career fair strategy by institution from August to November 2021.
71% of students said that meeting employers virtually made it a less intimidating environment to learn about employers compared to in-person. So even as in-person fairs continue to ramp up, maintaining a virtual option is important for engaging all students.
2. Multi-school virtual fairs are on the rise as more institutions collaborate
In November 2021, 1 in 5 virtual fairs involved multiple institutions. Partnering with other schools helps attract a larger pool of employers for your students, and also share administrative work across institutions. For tips on hosting muti-school virtual fairs on Handshake, learn more here!
3. 91K student and employer follow-up conversations were recorded post-fair
Our virtual fair updates in 2021 helped students follow up with recruiters they met 1:1 at virtual fairs more seamlessly. They’re prompted to send a message to recruiters right after their 1:1 session, allowing them to keep the conversation going after the fair ends.
If you’re interested in a deeper dive of your institution’s virtual fairs in Handshake, here are links to pull your own reports. Investigate session no-show rates, student and employer registration trends, and more!
- Virtual Engagement Dashboard
- Student Equity Dashboard
- Employer Relations Dashboard
- Career Fair Saved Reports
- DEI Saved Reports
Review or download the full Fall 2021 Virtual Fair Benchmark Report below:
Handshake-Fall-2021-Virtual-Fair-Benchmark-Report