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Imagine this: You’re a job seeker who hears about a virtual hiring event at a well-known company. This is perfect; you’ll be able to meet recruiters virtually, get your resume noticed, and hopefully secure an interview with a hiring manager. You head to the registration page and try to find additional details about the event, like where to sign up. But instead of finding what you’re looking for, you have to hunt for registration information by endlessly clicking.
Sounds like a recipe for disaster.
Virtual hiring event registration pages need to be captivating, intuitive, and informative. As a recruiter running a hiring event, you need to build a registration page that’s going to compel candidates to register and submit their resume. You need them to act now.
Wondering how to get started? Here’s a step-by-step guide for how to build an effective registration page for a virtual hiring event or virtual career fair — the first step to making your recruitment event a success.
What Is a Virtual Hiring Event Registration Page?
An event registration page (a.k.a. virtual hiring event landing page) is a web page where candidates can learn about a virtual hiring event and sign up to attend the event. The registration page should include essential elements, such as the event details, custom branding, and a sign-up form.
Many recruiters underestimate the value and importance of a virtual hiring event registration page. Writing up some quick copy and then forgetting about the page is a one-way ticket to disaster. Here’s why the registration page is so crucial to event success:
- Makes it easy for candidates to know when, where, and how to register for and attend the event
- Allows employers to collect vital attendee data so they can learn about candidates and follow up easily
- Lets candidates build a connection with the employer before meeting recruiters or hiring managers
- Tells candidates how the event will work and what to expect
- Empowers your event promotion efforts and highlights your company story
Worried about the nitty-gritty and technical aspects of creating a registration page? Not to worry — the Live Recruit platform makes the entire set-up process simple and easy. In fact, many of our clients set up their registration pages in less than 5 minutes!
How Do I Create an Effective Virtual Hiring Event Registration Page?
The Different Elements of a Virtual Hiring Event Registration Page
Include the logistical details about the event, such as the name, when it’s taking place, the duration, the time zone, and the recruiters attending the event. All of these details let candidates know what to expect.
Here are the different registration page elements and details you should include:
- Event Name: Go with a name that’s creative but makes it clear what your event is about. For example, if it’s a nursing hiring event, consider including the term “RN” or “Nurse.”
- Timing: Choose a date and time that’s convenient for candidates. For example, if you’re hiring security guards, consider scheduling an event during the day since many security professionals work night shifts.
- Duration: We recommend keeping most events between 3 and 4 hours to prevent recruiter burnout and ensure that the event is efficient.
- Logo: This will display at the top of the registration page and it’ll help build employer brand awareness.
- Registration Banner: This appears at the top of the registration page and it’s where you can highlight the name of the event and the date and time.
- Registration Text: Add headlines and paragraphs explaining why someone should attend the event and how the event works for attendees.
- Open Job Positions: This is where you can input the jobs you’re recruiting for. You can include the occupation and speciality. For example, a marketing recruiter may include “Marketing Associate” as the occupation and “Demand Generation” or “Event Marketing” as the specialty.
- Sign-Up Form: This is where candidates can register for the event. On the Live Recruit platform, this will be automatically generated based on the details the recruiter inputs during the event-building process.
- Upload Documents Feature: This allows candidates to upload their resume and any other relevant documents, such as a cover letter or samples of their work.
- CTA: This button guides candidates to your conversion goal — to get them to sign up for your event. They’ll need to click the button (“Register”) in order to take the action you’d like them to take.
General Best Practices for Virtual Recruitment Event Landing Pages
#1: Create a Compelling Offer
Lost time is never found again. Your virtual hiring event may be free, but you’re still asking candidates to give up a valuable resource: their time. You need to motivate candidates to register by crafting a compelling, worthwhile offer. Why should they join your virtual hiring event? What can they expect to gain? An effective registration page will focus on the needs of candidates — not your own. What visitors to the page want to know is: “What’s in it for me?” Make sure you’ve answered that question effectively. To get started, many candidates want to know who they’ll be meeting, why the hiring organization is a great place to work, and that there’ll be opportunities to meet hiring managers.
#2: Focus on Getting Candidates to Register
Your registration page should be centered around one objective: getting candidates to register for the virtual hiring event. Everything else on the web page — from the event details to the headlines and images — should drive candidates to register. Additionally, make sure your CTA buttons are easy to find and clearly labeled. Consider using bright colors, such as neon green, and include one CTA button toward the top of the page and another directly below the form. They should also be clearly labeled, i.e., “Register” or “RSVP.”
#3: Showcase Your Recruitment Team
A major selling point of a virtual hiring event or career fair is the recruitment team. Candidates want to know that they’ll be meeting with people who can tell them about the company and help them secure a job. That means credentials matter. On the registration page, showcase recruiters and hiring managers who’ll be attending the event. Include their name, headshot, and current job title.
#4: Experiment With the Registration Page
Each time you host a virtual hiring event, experiment with one or two elements of the landing page. As you figure out what works and what doesn’t, your pages will become more effective at getting sign-ups. For example, you can experiment with the sign-up form fields, headline, images, and registration text. If you’re running an A/B test, only test one element at a time. If you change too much at once, it’ll be difficult to figure out what worked and what didn’t.
#5: Give Attendees Something to Look Forward To
Your registration page should include elements that make your virtual hiring event or career fair a can’t-miss for candidates. Include quotes from past attendees and current employees, memorable visuals, and a compelling headline that captivates their attention.
#6: Set Expectations
Before signing up for a virtual hiring event, candidates want to know what they’ll be getting into. In addition to highlighting the date and time and other basic details, your registration page should answer questions like: How long will I be meeting with a recruiter? Will I be on video? And how do I join the event?
#7: Use Engaging Images
We’re wired to gravitate toward graphics. In fact, images are processed by our brains 60,000 times faster than written text.1 That’s why it’s not surprising that images can make your registration page more visually appealing and effective. They can also help you tell your employer brand story. For example, images of happy employees at your organization can create positive emotions in attendees, strengthening your brand’s image. Choose high-quality images where the subject is in sharp focus and either centered or slightly off-centered. Also, make sure there’s good exposure and keep the rule of thirds in mind.
#8: Make Sure Your Registration Page Is Optimized for Mobile
The number of smartphone users went from 2.1 billion in 2016 to 2.87 billion in 2020 (and that number is only growing), so having a mobile-responsive registration page is more important than ever.2 There’s a good chance your registrants will find the page on their smartphone, whether they click on a Facebook ad or open an email. Fortunately, when you build a registration page on Live Recruit, the platform will automatically provide candidates with a mobile-friendly experience.
#9: Write Clear Copy
Clear and understable writing is highly effective. A good copywriting trick to keep in mind is: write in a way that a middle school student could easily comprehend. Candidates should be able to understand your copy even if they’re only half paying attention. If you want to test the copy for clarity, ask a friend or colleague with no knowledge of the event to read the registration page. Make sure they can quickly and easily summarize the main points you’re trying to convey.
#10: Utilize SEO Keywords
Using the right SEO keywords can boost your search reach and get more eyeballs on your registration page. Find relevant keywords by utilizing a keyword search tool, such as Google Ads or Google Search Console, and then include them organically as you write the page.
#11: Be Consistent With Your Employer Brand Messaging
We’re living in the era of candidate engagement, so it’s crucial for employers to express themselves clearly and consistently. Make sure the messaging on your registration page is consistent with what’s on your career page. Tiny details, from the wording to your images, can impact how candidates view your employer brand and whether they want to work at your organization.
#12: Keep the Main Elements Above the Fold
Content that’s “above the fold” will be visible as soon as the registration page loads. In other words, it’s the first thing on the screen before a user scrolls down. Why does this matter? Because candidates will spend around 57% of their time on the content above the fold.3 Plus, users take around .05 seconds to decide whether they’ll leave or stay on a web page, so you want to make sure they’re engaged right away.4 The takeaway? Keep the most important elements of your virtual hiring event — including the call-to-action, date/time, and value proposition — above the fold. However, don’t cram too much information into one area; this could overwhelm candidates, causing them to leave the page.
Wrapping Up: Building Registration Pages for Virtual Hiring Events
Creating an effective registration page is the first step toward hosting a successful virtual recruitment event. The Live Recruit platform makes it easy to build beautiful registration pages and promote your events. In addition, using Live Recruit will give you access to our team’s 19+ years of recruitment marketing experience, ensuring that you attract top talent and fast-track the hiring process.
References:
- Eisenberg H. Humans process visual data better. Thermopyale Sciences and Technology. Published September 15, 2014. Accessed June 29, 2021.
- Mobile phone internet user penetration worldwide from 2014 to 2019. Published August 31, 2015. Accessed June 29, 2019. Published by Statista Research Department, & 31, A. (2015, August 31).
- Fessenden T. Scrolling and attention. Nielsen Norman Group logoNielsen Norman Group. Published April 15, 2018. Accessed June 29, 2019.
- Lindgaard G, Fernandes G, Dudek C, Brown J. Attention web designers: You have 50 milliseconds to make a good first impression! Taylor and Francis. 2011.
