The virtual hiring process is more and more popular these days, with more companies using it to hire remote workers and freelancers. The process of virtual hiring is not just limited to big companies and corporations. Small businesses are increasingly turning towards this type of recruitment because it helps them save money on office space, equipment, and other resources. 

Steve Edwards grew up in Chippewa Falls, WI and went to the Army right after high school. While in the 82nd Airborne Division in Ft Bragg, NC attended Methodist College at night. Once he got out of the Army, he moved to South Florida to attend FAU in Boca Raton. After college he got into the career fair and hiring event industry.

Leading the Way

After 9 years of putting on in-person events, Steve started putting on virtual events and realized there was a better way so Steve and his business partner, Gary Chambers established Premier Virtual in 2019, a SaaS platform where organizations can host their own events.

Prior to developing the platform, Steve Edwards and Gary Chambers hosted in-person hiring events throughout the country.  They realized that job-seekers preferred to apply online rather than wait in line.  As attendance to hiring events continued to drop, Steve pivoted and announced in 2018 that he was taking his business 100% virtual.  Many colleagues laughed at the idea, but Steve proved he was clearly ahead of his time. They hired a software development team to develop the software that has now powered over 7000 virtual hiring events including the largest ever job fair with over 17,000 job seekers and 1700 companies. 

Under challenges during Pandemic

PremierVirtual is a SaaS company in the virtual event platform industry. This is a rapidly developing sector of tech that was thrusted into the forefront due to the Covid-19 Pandemic.  The pandemic shut everything down and forced companies to find new ways to conduct business.  This included the need for hiring and staffing with limited or no physical interaction.  

Early on there was a lot of confusion and doubt that virtual would work. As time has evolved companies have embraced virtual hiring, which is much more efficient and effective. Now virtual is becoming the preferred option, with hybrid (in-person and virtual) also gaining traction. Virtual events are more cost effective and efficient for both employers and job seekers. 

Steve asserts, “Competition with inferior products have cluttered the industry and turned some people off virtual events. Having the right platform can make or break an event. We continue to invest our money into the platform, making it the best virtual hiring platform on the market.  Other than that, we see organizations that want to return to ‘in-person’ events, and not understanding the value of virtual, or how to integrate it for hybrid events. As we get more organizations embracing this, we believe more will come on board.”

Distinctive Virtual Hiring Services 

Premier Virtual is a digital platform that allows organizations to seamlessly host virtual hiring events, and hire virtually.  Their platform is specialized for hiring and integrates with most ATS systems.  Hosts can use the platform to host national hiring events, or host a virtual open house. The platform makes it very easy for organizations to create hiring booths, meet applicants and offer all of their open positions in one place.  Hiring managers can view resumes, enter into a chat, and invite qualified candidates into a video interview, in just a few clicks. The platform’s reporting features make it easy to download and access all of the information, increasing productivity and improving hiring results. Their analytics are best in class. 

Prioritizing the Client’s Satisfaction

Premier Virtual just received a G2 award for our excellence in customer support. Every review they receive from a client mentions the expert level and access to support as well as the ease of use of the Premier Virtual platform. 

“You don’t wait in line, you don’t send an email and wait, you call us, and our client success manager answers.  You also have direct email and chat options to reach our support team in real-time.  It is clearly what sets us apart from any competitor. We have live staff in the US for all events. We hosted a 24 hour Worldwide hiring event and had live staff available during the entire event. So many companies want to automate their technology but we still have the human touch to help those that need help.” he says

They continually update the features on their platform. Premier Virtual just launched a new search feature and a feature that tracks hires based on client feedback.

“We host focus groups, and are always soliciting feedback from our clients to make our platform the very best in the market.” 

Advice For Aspiring Business Leaders

Don’t take no for an answer and do not listen to your critics. Everyone told me I had a terrible idea and laughed at me. I believed in my heart that this was a viable software and we have now proved that. Build a team around you that has the same passion and loyalty…