The man with innovative ideas who is a recruiting industry & Army Veteran, Steven Edwards noticed the lack of the right resources in the job search. He started looking for a better way to connect employers to job candidates and this is when he seized on the concept of virtual job fairs and kept the foundation of Premier Virtual, multi-functional software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform.
Based out of Delray Beach, Florida, Premier Virtual is designed to facilitate hiring and create virtual environments. From career fairs to conferences, these events effectively bridge the gap between technology and human interaction. Steven Edwards and his team have developed a custom-built software at Premier Virtual for licensing; a virtual recruitment platform that has greater functionality and utility for both job seekers and employers. In this ultra-modern age, HR managers are all set for the next evolution of recruiting and the virtual platform by PV can help them in saving their time and money.
More about the Flag Bearer
An influential business leader, Steven Edwards holds an immense success to his credit, having worked in various hiring companies for a decade. He is qualified with a Bachelor in Sociology from Florida Atlantic University.
While sharing about what motivated Steven Edwards to establish PV, the visionary said, “After 9 years managing in person hiring events, I saw the need for a virtual option. When I started building Premier Virtual, everyone thought I was crazy. COVID-19 has accelerated the adoption curve and now everyone needs a solution like this. Even after COVID-19, hybrid events with in-person and virtual options will offer the best opportunity to succeed”, the visionary proudly shared.
Clientage & Corporate Ethos
At present PV serves the clients from various sectors including Workforce Development Agencies, Military/Veteran Organizations, Educational Institutions to Private Companies looking for a platform to conduct virtual hiring events.
Customer focus, reliability, timeliness and effective implementation are some of the major ethos the firm follows to maintain a loyal customer base.
Major Hurdles & the Driving Force
Steven Edwards and his team were developing their software all through 2019 and launched at the beginning of 2020. Their biggest challenge was to maintain this progress so quickly when Covid hit.
“My mother raised me to work hard and go after what I wanted. She always pushed me to be the best I could be. Along the line, I had several mentors that guided me in the direction of success”, the visionary apprised while talking about what keeps him going.
Creating a more Balanced and Equal Industry
Steven Edwards believes the culture of the team is the most important thing in any industry. If the team believes in the leadership and product, you cannot be stopped.
A Day in Steven’s Life & Hobbies
His day begins at 5:30 or 6 am. Steven Edwards does not believe in an alarm clock. Either his body says it is time to wake up or his 4-year-old comes in to snuggle with him and the wife. From there he usually watches some training videos on leadership/sales/self-improvement. He followed the same pattern until his 7-year-old came in. He then gets up and they have some Daddy/Son time, building something or playing, etc.
From there he gets ready for the day. He drops his oldest off at school every day and then heads to the office. The day begins with a Team or Leadership call. Throughout the day, He stays on all different types of calls like development, roadmap, sales, and leadership. Then, Steven Edwards tries to be at home every night for either dinner or bedtime. Once the kids go to bed, the wife and he catch up on the day.
Steven loves spending family time on the weekends. The weeks are so busy that weekends are for the wife and kids. From the boat to the pool to being outside for dinner, it is all about the family.
Steven’s Favourite Book & Show
He is a huge fan of the John Maxwell Leadership series but recently got into Grant Cardones books and training
The Future Plans
Technology has changed the world and is doing the same thing now with recruiting. Virtual hiring events and companies creating 24/7 virtual hiring rooms will be the new norm. Candidates are more than just a resume and want more than just an in-person interview.
Awards & Milestones
The company in its journey has achieved a plethora of milestones. A few of which has been mentioned below
- Premier Virtual powered the record-breaking State of Massachusetts job fair with 1696 companies in 1 job fair. The event had over 1.3M company booth views and 46k available jobs.
- Premier Virtual has been rated a top place to work by several magazines in FL as well as awards on different software review sites. Including top awards for Customer Support, Ease of Use, Most Innovative.
- The CEO Steven Edwards also won the annual Veterans Florida pitch competition in 2020.
A Piece of Advice for female entrepreneurs
Just go for it and bet on yourself. Do not let people tell you that you cannot do anything. People told me I had a crazy idea that wouldn’t work, I bet on myself.
Favourite Quote: Attitude is Everything!!! Be committed to being Obsessed!!!