One America Works hosted its second virtual recruiting event on July 22nd. After the success of the first event in May which focused on Pittsburgh companies, Columbus tech companies decided to use the virtual recruitment model for their own talent recruiting efforts. Even with a global pandemic that continues to rock local economies, there are some companies searching for the right talent to fill key positions. In Columbus, these included Aware, Updox, Upstart, and Veeva among others. 

The trend of tech talent and companies looking beyond the big name players like Silicon Valley and coastal cities for jobs and growth is a story that we’ve been telling for a while. Our work bridges the divide between high-growth companies from the Valley and emerging tech hubs across the U.S. Activities like the virtual recruiting events create new opportunities for tech talent and growth companies to connect in a meaningful way.

Tech Company Participation

The virtual recruiting event attracted 10 growing tech companies with roots in Columbus. As it turns out, the pandemic’s effects on economies and industries like the tech sector are not one-size-fits-all. Some employers are able to hire candidates more quickly than before due to the flipped labor market with larger unemployment rates than the previous ten years meaning more talent to choose from. This is certainly a bittersweet reality that employers are keenly aware of. Additionally, there were skill gaps prior to the pandemic that caused a shortage of qualified workers for many companies. Even if companies can fill those positions now with a larger applicant pool, many are thinking ahead for when the economy bounces back and the skills gap persists.

Quality Participants

Nearly 2,000 recent graduates or dislocated workers were interested in applying. Of those individuals, 438 completed registration to participate in the event. This shows how much the pandemic has changed the landscape for jobseekers. Silicon Valley has struggled immensely with notable companies making sizable cuts. Even though the economy has shown some improvement in the last couple of months, there are still millions of dislocated workers who are uncertain if their jobs will ever come back. On the other hand, recent college graduates or training program completers make their way into a blurry future. When they started, the economy was strong and job prospects were abundant. Now, they are scraping together job search resources and applications with the hope of finding anything. The One America Works-organized events are targeted at these two populations.

Applicant Diversity

Of the virtual recruiting event participants, there was a mix of business-focused, technical, product-focused, and other candidates. Applicants truly spanned all levels of experience with 27% of candidates at entry-level and 60% with at least 3 years of experience, many of whom went beyond that to managerial or director roles. A handful of candidates were students and executive level or C-suite candidates. The pandemic has certainly affected industries and individuals unevenly. Many companies were more at-risk for layoffs, while others transitioned to work-from-home environments quite easily. It’s hard to predict where impacts will fall, but we are happy to be providing these opportunities to people at varying career stages.

Our next event is targeting Indianapolis companies and talent. It will be held on September 18th. At One America Works, we are here to help you find the next right opportunity with quality companies in growing cities. Reach out to us to find out more about how we can support you.