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The Power of Digital Events For GovCons

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Editor’s Note: This Article Has Been Updated April 12, 2023

Are you Zoomed or webinar-ed out yet? 
Many GovCon employees are feeling the Zoom-Gloom as it’s often referred to and for good reason. While there’s a new webinar opportunity (or several) every week, it may feel overwhelming to know which to attend and which to avoid.

Digital Event Attendance for GovCon Employees

To keep the Zoom-Gloom, and mind-numbing doldrums at bay, we have a few suggestions on how to schedule your digital event attendance.  

  • Only plan to attend one digital event per day and no more than 2-3 per week. 
    We get it, you’re looking for opportunities to see and hear people other than those in your home but attending too many digital events in one week is going to burn you out and tank your productivity. 
  • Get on the ideal mailing lists!
    In your industry, you already know your top 5 companies from which you consume content. Make sure you’re in-the-know when it comes to new releases, opportunities, and digital events by signing up for their e-newsletters. If they don’t have one, or if you prefer to keep it out of your inbox, follow them on their social profiles. Most businesses in our industry are using LinkedIn, Twitter, and possibly Facebook in addition to their email outreach or website blog. 
  • Change the landscape for what to expect. 
    BOOST and govmates have definitely led the charge here when it comes to changing the way the government does digital. From virtual matchmaking opportunities to institutes, and digital expert panel discussions we do our best to make sure that you’re not attending yet another Zoom meeting.  You can be informative and have a personality, digitally. Trust us, we’ve tried it. 
  • Register Ahead of Time
    If the topic is of interest to you but you’re not sure you can 100% commit register anyway. Typically, you’ll get a calendar invite and a reminder the day before and many times (unless there are certification credits involved), there will be an opportunity for a replay. Billable work comes, and goes, at a whim these days in the form of calls, online meetings, and coffee chats. If you’re able to hop on last minute you may miss out if you haven’t registered in advance. Worst case, you miss the live interaction but you can catch up on the replay later.  

Digital Event Hosting Suggestions for GovCons

Now that we’ve discussed attending events, we need to touch on hosting events.  

(As a slight side elbow to those of you reading, BOOST will continue to participate in and host virtual learning and webinar opportunities, so keep an eye on your email.)  

If you’re planning on hosting a digital event for your government contracting organization (which we do suggest if you’re looking toward growth), here are some things to consider:  

  • Choose a moderator. 
    Having someone to keep speakers on track, pay attention to the chat and questions, as well as facilitate the slides is going to go a long way in the smooth transition of the event overall. 
  • Plan to partner with other GovCons.
    Two heads, or two communities, are better than one. Including partners and business friends in the planning of your digital events will allow for spirited discussions and a difference in opinions. This provides a healthy variety of content and feels more like a conversation than a presentation (and we know how much we all dreaded college lecture sessions). 
  • Market, Market, Market your GovCon. 
    Once you plan your event, start marketing your GovCon event right away. Send email invitations to your list as a whole as well as from your leadership to those key individuals in your community that you’d like to attend. Share the registration link on your social media regularly leading up to the event and tag your speakers/partners/moderators as well to increase visibility. Finally, be sure to send a reminder email 24 hours and potentially 1 hour before the start of your event and make sure to follow up with a survey and/or replay link to encourage your position as a resource to your audience.  

We highly recommend our slate of digital events and invite you to take part in our upcoming opportunities as the federal year continues (you can request updates to our digital events here). If you’re thinking of hosting a digital event of your own and don’t know where to start, BOOST now offers done-for-you webinar hosting and facilitation! Connect with our Director of Marketing for more information here.  

Employer Branding | | The Missing Piece of Your Recruiting Strategy 

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Editor’s Note: This Article Has Been Updated on September 20, 2022

Here’s a little–known fact: GovCon recruiting is the money-making department you didn’t know you had. If your GovCon recruiting strategy is considering your employer brand, and your hiring process reflects that brand through great candidate experience, then your employee retention rates should be looking great and your costs low. If there is a disconnect anywhere in that ecosystem then it all crumbles, expectations aren’t met across the board, people quit or get fired, and your costs just skyrocketed, making you re-do all of your strategic pricing. (Scary, right?) 

Recruiting GovCon Employee Candidates

Finding quality GovCon candidates quickly is essential to your bottom line, as is keeping them retained and not having to backfill them. That whole cycle starts with GovCon recruiting, and your employer brand. When we say “employer brand” we are referring to the unique pieces of your government contractor company and culture that set you apart from other employers.  Your employer brand is comprised of elements like your Glassdoor reviews, the voice and tone of your job descriptions, the media (social and news-oriented) on your organization, and of course what people experience when interacting with your brand as a customer OR as a candidate or employee. In order to attract quality candidates in a market flooded with more jobs than talent, your employer brand is the most important differentiating factor you have control over. Your brand isn’t some logo or fancy webpage, it’s how people experience your government contractor organization, it’s what they think of when they think of your organization specifically. Your employer brand begins with the hiring process and how your recruiting process is designed to reflect that. 

Take the Stress out of GovCon Recruiting

Why Should Candidates Choose Your GovCon?

If candidates have multiple options in terms of GovCon organizations looking for someone like them, why should they choose you over someone else? What makes you stand out? Do you have a great company culture or mission that would attract candidates? Or would it at least help them take your Recruiter’s phone call? When looking for hard-to-find and highly sought-after talent (Everyone wants the A-Player!) you have to bring something to the table in this talent shortage.   

Here are a few questions to ask yourself to determine the strength of your employer branding:   

  • Do your GovCon have a social presence?
    If the answer is yes, does it mirror your mission and values? Does it adequately speak for your company in a what-you-see-is-what-you-get type of feel?     Do you have the projects you’re really proud of showcased on your website? Does your website promote diversity in practice? 
  • Do your GovCon have Glassdoor reviews?
    In the     GovCon industry specifically, positive (and realistic) Glassdoor reviews are paramount to inviting and retaining top talent.  

Here at BOOST we work with our clients on building their brands day-in and day-out to help differentiate themselves in a saturated market. We craft recruiting strategies specific to each search we take on because one size does NOT fit all. We love to help government contractors strategize and grow! Let’s chat, today.