Career Show: Covid “shook up” the business

Simona Kharizanova is the co-founder of one of the biggest career fairs in Bulgaria Career Show. Trust for Social Achievement Foundation which manages Earning by Learning project  recently became a partner of the leading expo.

Ms. Harizanova, what do you think our activity and partnership could enrich your network?

The mission of the Trust for Social Alternatives deserves admiration. The activities of the Career Show and the Trust for a Social Alternative certainly have many points of contact with social relevance. Through our partnership, we are reaching out to new people who are looking for career opportunities to provide them with those opportunities. It is also one way to bring more attention to issues of inclusion and socially responsible policies. Together, we are working towards creating a supportive work environment where there is no room for barriers to employee development.

We find it beneficial to work with businesses and specialist mediators in job search and career development, as one of our main goals is to facilitate the process of finding and preparing for employment for young people from vulnerable groups. Do you think that business in Bulgaria is “opening up” in employing more diverse groups of youth?

I believe that business is definitely moving in that direction globally, including here. More and more attention is being paid to strategies against discrimination in the workplace. In recent years, the problem of discrimination, in society in general and in business in particular, has come to the forefront of public attention. Therefore, the efforts of business are aimed precisely at achieving maximum equality. A simple but significant example of this is the new standards for CV preparation. For many business representatives, it is quite normal for a CV not to include information such as a photograph, date and place of birth, family status. This is done to ensure that candidates are selected on the basis of their experience and skills, limiting as much as possible information that could lead to discrimination based on age, location, race, etc. I am convinced that business is moving in a direction where the competencies of candidates are the determining factor in their hiring.

In this regard again and because of the Covid pandemic of course, what new trends are you registering in the job market?

The COVID pandemic and all the challenges it has created may prove to be the “wake-up call” for business. More and more companies have realised that productivity is not confined between office walls and are offering fully remote working options where company operations allow. Serious emphasis is also being placed on strategies to maintain the mental and physical health of employees, developed as the implications of prolonged lockdown and their projection on professional performance have become clear. This is confirmed by the entries for the Best Employer in Bulgaria – Career Show Awards. The categories in which employers are most actively applying relate specifically to social responsibility policies, training and development strategies and strategies for maintaining the physical and mental health of employees. The adaptability shown by businesses in the last 2 years is amazing. In early 2020, we have noticed a caution in recruiting new additions to the teams given the uncertainty. Our observations are that the labour market is now slowly starting to recover.

Do you have data on how many people and companies have been able to find jobs and therefore suitable employees through your exhibition and network? Do you have data and examples of hiring people from another ethnicity or culture?

After each Career Show, we invite employers and candidates to share their feedback. Over 90% of the feedback we receive is positive. Participants who attend our events are motivated people, actively developing their skills and investing in their future. The majority of employers say they have found suitable candidates for their open positions. We regularly receive communication from candidates who have attended past editions of the Career Show and share that they found the event extremely helpful in finding suitable career opportunities for themselves.

Our team believes that the focus should not be on the race and ethnicity of participants, but on their skills and abilities.

Do you think businesses and companies in our country benefit from diversity in their teams and should focus more efforts in stimulating this process?

I believe that business representatives in Bulgaria should have an active inclusion policy and give more visibility to it. Both business and society benefit from the full inclusion of young people from vulnerable groups. In order to encourage good examples in this direction, we have included a special category in the annual Best Employer Awards – “Tolerance and Inclusion Strategy”, which aims to give deserved recognition to the efforts of companies in creating a favourable working environment for employees from different groups.

How has the Covid pandemic affected your business, has there been a drop in demand and potential supply? How many employers are you expecting this year?

The pandemic is a challenge for us, as it is for everyone involved in the event business. Naturally, technology helped us. In addition, virtual events have one great advantage – they remove physical boundaries and enable candidates to find new opportunities for themselves wherever they are.

As I mentioned, caution on the part of employers was noticeable at the beginning of 2020, when the situation was still unclear and companies had not developed their strategies to deal with the crisis. Our observations are that the period of caution is passing. Employers who participate in career events are actively looking for new additions to the teams. We do not see a significant decline in the demand and supply of new opportunities. This year’s edition of the Career Show will be held in a hybrid format. Live at Sofia Event Center on September 29 and online on September 30. In the two days of the event, we expect 200 employers and 8,000 candidates to participate.

Are you planning anything new for this release or next year?

Since this year, our expo has grown into a full-fledged career community for professional and personal development. Members have free access to monthly themed events dedicated to improving their professional skills, supporting their career development and maintaining a good work-life balance. We have taken care to invite proven experts from the HR industry, career mentors, psychologists and successful people to share valuable experience and advice for a successful career and a happy life. In addition, participants have year-round access to current job offers from leading employers. Anyone interested in joining our career community at the Career Show can do so by registering for free on our site.