Yell joins first UK virtual world careers fair in Second Life - 16 October 2007
Imagine a world where you can interview a multitude of job seekers from around the world without having to ‘go' anywhere; they’ll be teleported to you.Imagine a world where you can have private conversations with forward-thinking and creative prospective employees in a lush, sophisticated and futuristic environment.
Imagine a world where you can be ‘present’ at a job fair and enjoy fantastic brand exposure without having to worry about logistics such as setting up or packing away stands and collateral.
Well there is no need to imagine anymore. That world is here now thanks to virtual reality!
The UK’s first ever ‘virtual world’ careers fair will be held in Second LifeÒ from 16 to 18 October 2007. The event, hosted by recruitment and communications specialists TMP Worldwide, will allow leading employers to tap into new talent from around the world without anyone having to leave the comfort of their own office or home.
KPMG, The Royal Bank of Scotland Group and Yell will use this innovative new channel to connect with job seekers in a relaxed and neutral environment. While both recruiters and job seekers alike can be anywhere in the world, their avatars (computer generated images of themselves) will be attending an online interview.
Candidates will be requested to register for the companies they are interested in at the event website http://www.i-jobsforreal.co.uk.
Each company will carry out some initial screening of candidates and then invite them to an interview in Second Life.
The 3-day ‘virtual world’ job fair will take place on TMP’s UK Island in Second Life from 4-8pm on the 16-18 October 2007. Once candidates enter the 3-D online virtual world, they will be greeted by virtual concierges and escorted to TMP’s virtual office where they will be given basic training on how to interact inside Second Life. They will then be teleported to the employer’s offices on the island where avatar recruiters will greet them and discussions can begin via live chat and instant messaging.
Phil Owers, deputy managing director at TMP Worldwide comments: “We constantly strive to find new ways to reach talent for our customers. By hosting the job fair on Second Life we dissolve all geographical boundaries enabling job seekers from around the UK and the world to connect easily and cost-effectively in a friendly and impartial environment. The targeted marketing approach is consistent with more traditional routes but the experience for the candidate and customer is enhanced”
Isabelle Hung, head of national resourcing at Yell UK, adds: “This is a truly innovative use of new media to reach potential employees. The kind of people who are on Second Life may have just the right blend of determination and customer focus that we’re looking for.”
For further information about this press release, please contact the Yell Press Office.
Notes to editors
About Second Life and Linden Lab
Second Life is a 3D online world with a rapidly growing population from 100 countries around the globe, in which the Residents themselves create and build the world, which includes homes, vehicles, nightclubs, stores, landscapes and clothing. The Second Life Grid is a sophisticated development platform created by Linden Lab, a company founded in 1999 by Philip Rosedale, to create a revolutionary new form of shared 3D experience. The former CTO of RealNetworks, Rosedale pioneered the development of many of today's streaming media technologies, including RealVideo. In April 2003, noted software pioneer Mitch Kapor, founder of Lotus Development Corporation, was named Chairman. Based in San Francisco, Linden Lab employs a senior team bringing together deep expertise in physics, 3D graphics and networking. Note to editors: Second Life® and Linden Lab® are registered trademarks of Linden Research, Inc.
About Yell
Yell is a leading international directories business operating in classified advertising markets in the UK, US, Spain and Latin America through printed, online and telephone-based media. Yell's principal brands include: in the UK, Yellow Pages, Yell.com and Yellow Pages 118 24 7; in the US, Yellow Book and Yellowbook.com; and in Spain, Paginas Amarillas and PaginasAmarillas.es. All these brands are trademarks.
