Grace Hopper Celebration 2023: What We Saw
The Grace Hopper Celebration was chaotic, but Yello customers still found success.
Students turned into marathon runners, lined up for hours just to get a few words in with a recruiter. It was a mad dash as candidates elbowed and sprinted to secure their spot in front of the big-name employers. Some employers left feeling like they had survived an epic battle, with a few even considering an early evacuation from the conference, citing “crowd fatigue” and “candidate combat” as their reasons.
The aisles were so packed that it was like navigating through a human traffic jam, including candidates blocking the road to corner recruiters as they made their way to the restroom.
It appeared the majority of candidates in attendance indicated that they needed VISA sponsorship, which contributed to very long lines at the companies who provide sponsorship. Unfortunately, most employers indicated they do not offer sponsorship for entry level roles. Along with the high volume of candidates, employer attendance at the conference was down compared to previous years which further contributed to long wait times.
Like we saw at NBMBAA, several employers told us they weren’t there to recruit for open roles in their early career programs. Instead, they were attending to take advantage of the opportunity to market themselves within the tech industry and build pipeline for future roles.
Despite its challenges, the conference was successful for Yello customers who used the platform. Our customers’ use of Yello to capture and evaluate candidates in real time helped them navigate the chaos, stay organized, and meet with a high volume of candidates.
Here are 5 things that contributed to our customers’ success:
- They were prepared. Yello’s fall prep resources drove adoption and understanding of the platform. Yello clients had at least 1 person on their team who knew Yello very well and could assist their colleagues who may not have been as familiar with the tool.
- Their teams were supported. Customers highlighted Yello’s customer service and said that we continue to outshine our competitors from a support and service perspective.
- Yello’s best-of-breed event software enabled them to to efficiently manage long lines and handle obstacles with ease.
- Data-driven insights helped them plan a successful event strategy and measure the success of their efforts after the fact.
- A focus on candidate engagement. Yello customers leveraged email and sms campaigns to engage students before, during, and after the event.
Interested in learning more about how Yello can help with your early talent events?
