Information services firm, Informa has secured a private area within the virtual reality site Second Life for staff to search for career opportunities by visiting departments within the group.

Informa also has the ability to use the social networking site to help communicate perks as part of the overall total reward offering.

Employees can adopt a virtual personality that can take a tour of the business units, each of which has their own building on Informa's 'island', to find out more about career opportunities and the skills they need to develop, by talking to colleagues online.

Tom Humphris, HR director for the maritime and transport division, said: "We don't limit the concept of employee benefits to health schemes, risk assurances and things like that. We also take reward to encompass career development and progression."

The firm plans to trial the programme and then roll it out to the worldwide business in the next three-to-four months.

Informa will also make retail vouchers and a healthcare cash plan available from January 2008.