Boca Raton-based Premier Virtual acquired by global Careerminds

Premier Virtual Founder @ career fair

Today, Premier Virtual announced that the company has been acquired by the global firm Careerminds.

Recognized among the “Top 100 Companies to Work for in Florida,” Premier Virtual is a multifunctional software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform designed to bridge the gap between technology and human interaction. Founded in 2019 by Steve Edwards, a longtime recruiter and industry pioneer, the company enables organizations to host virtual job fairs and online hiring events more efficiently and effectively.

Careerminds was founded in 2008 as a contemporary provider of global outplacement services combining cutting-edge AI job search technology with personalized, one-on-one career coaching for all job levels across any geographic location around the world. Their modern approach allows the company to deliver industry leading metrics that result in job seekers landing in new jobs in an average of less than 12 weeks.

Premier Virtual enables Careerminds to expand its outplacement capabilities through a virtual-recruitment platform that offers greater functionality and utility, while fostering a more personal connection between job seekers and employers.

Founder & President of Careerminds Raymond Lee

“With the ever-evolving shift to hybrid and remote work, job seekers and employers alike are seeking an innovative outplacement approach that’s aligned with the new world of work, and in a more meaningful, personalized way,” said Raymond Lee, Founder & President of Careerminds.

“Acquiring Premier Virtual allows us to offer a more robust, one-stop solution of unparalleled capabilities and technology to better support our global outplacement platform, clients, and participants in career transition.”

Careerminds’ newly acquired asset, Premier Virtual, provides unique competitive advantages such as enhanced user analytics, as well as the interactive ability to chat one-on-one or launch a video interview, directly through the platform. Catering to virtual job fairs and hybrid events, the virtual-recruitment platform’s in-depth analytics offer key insights into user behavior which then can be exported to clients’ CRM and applicant tracking systems (ATS), streamlining the hiring process and eliminating the friction of converting data into a new system.

Founder of Premier Virtual Steven Edwards

“Since launching in 2019, Premier Virtual has always been a future-focused company, leveraging the latest innovations to provide our clients with the most successful solutions,” said Steven Edwards, Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Premier Virtual. “Through this acquisition, we can continue to transform the outplacement and recruiting industry by fueling the intersection of leading technology with the human experience.”

Prior to the inception of Premier Virtual, Steve spent just shy of a decade working in-person career fairs and in 2019 took the leap to build his startup. Following changing trends in the industry, Steve knew he had something special. Steve joined the 1909 accelerator program, FAU Tech Runway’s Venture Class 8, and a member of South Florida Tech Hub hosting one it’s first official virtual career fair with the nonprofit mid-pandemic – when everything went remote!

Steve Edwards has since become an expert speaker in the space of remote work, the future of work, and remote hiring. He has been a TEDx Boca Raton speaker and featured in prestigious media outlets such as Forbes. Premier Virtual has won multiple awards and received many recognitions for their innovation.

To date, Premier Virtual’s platform has powered over 7,000 virtual hiring events, which has helped more than 70,000 companies connect with over one million job seekers in all 50 states. The company has worked with higher education institutions, government entities, nonprofits, workforce development agencies, health systems and more across the country.

Under the acquisition terms, Steve will remain the President at Premier Virtual and retain most of the company’s staff. The platform will now be able to target even more job seekers connecting them directly to hiring companies no matter what state the are in. To learn more about Premier Virtual, click here.