Biz Talk - Business Blog Roanoke and Beyond

Join the Talent Revolution 

Jobzcafe.com turns the recruitment process upside down as it revolutionizes the career search.  This new recruitment model doesn’t start with posting a job; it focuses on showcasing a company and the region as an attractive work environment to attract career minded job seekers. The local region includes Roanoke, Salem, New River Valley, Lynchburg, Martinsville, Danville and Smith Mountain Lake businesses.

Ira Kaufman, Developer and Marketing Strategist says,

“We designed jobzcafe to revolutionize the recruitment process and dispel the myth that there are no inspiring jobs in the region.  Jobzcafe attracts a richer talent pool of job seekers and fosters regional economic growth.”

Online it offers companies the ability to showcase their work environment as a career destination using videos, employee testimonials and social media.  Job seekers can showcase their talent by posting resumes and applying online.  Offline, jobzcafe provides regional events for job seekers to interact with seeker resources to improve their skills as well as networking events with area employers. Companies benefit from various recruitment marketing strategies utilizing Jobzcafe and their partners.

David Ferraro, Senior Recruiter, Virginia Tech University comments,

“Jobzcafe is a talented group of thoughtful, knowledgeable professionals who are truly dedicated to improving your overall recruiting function through innovative and masterful strategy. They excel at expertly demonstrating their knowledge of social media and advanced recruiting techniques, utilizing a customer service and dedicated-partner approach which exceeded our expectations.”

Virginia Tech, City of Roanoke, HSMM, Express Employment Professionals, Delta Dental and CCS-Inc are among companies being showcased on the site.  The talent pool contains over 2600 resumes, including many young professionals wanting to stay or re-locate to the Roanoke and New River Valleys.

Kathy Tisinger, Career Center Manager, Roanoke Higher Education Center says,

“I think jobzcafe.com is an innovative, progressive concept for the Roanoke Valley.  To my knowledge, nothing like this has been tried before.  It gives job seekers a comprehensive platform to search for careers, while at the same time obtaining information on job searching skills and education available that can help them meet their career goals.”

Jobzcafe builds awareness of career opportunities and assists job seekers to improve their skill sets. The result - jobzcafe generates a consistent pool of qualified active and passive candidates. 

Stuart Mease has been working as Special Projects Coordinator for the City of Roanoke.  His main goal is to attract and retain young professionals to the region.  He comments,

“The jobzcafe model will completely alter how local companies position themselves to attract talent, and how resources are made available to job seekers.  Jobzcafe has the potential to be very successful and integral to the economic growth in the region.”

Jobzcafe uses an Integrated Marketing Strategy combining advertising on television, radio, and billboards with social media including their blog, Jobz Talk and a presence on Facebook and MySpace.  Check out our Facebook page.

For more information and to find out how your company can be showcased as a career destination contact Adrienne Barnett, HR Strategist, at 540-563-2249 or visit them on the web at www.jobzcafe.com.

December brings many Roanoke families together for the holidays.  Native young people return home to visit family and friends.  Stuart Mease and the City of Roanoke, along with MyHometownJobs, will capitalize on the young professionals returning to the area by hosting the second annual Roanoke Holiday Career and Lifestyle Fair on December 28 at the Roanoke Civic Center Exhibit Hall.

Last years event was a huge success with over 800 people attending the event, most of whom were young professionals. It was promoted with 15 unique media exposures including traditional marketing as well as social media. 

What a great opportunity for businesses in southwest Virginia to exhibit!   The companies participating this year should see results exceeding last years.  In addition to the job fair there is also a special video gaming event being planned to attract more attendees. 

For more information about the event and to become an exhibitor, contact Stuart Mease at stuart.mease@roanokeva.gov.

For Immediate Release

Dublin VA – On September 26, 2007, employers in the New River Valley will have a unique opportunity to meet potential employees including seasonal workers, technically trained entry level employees, recent college graduates, and experienced professionals.  Job seekers will have a chance to meet some of the region’s finest employers who have positions ready to be filled.  Job seekers do not have to register in advance, but should come dressed for success and bring copies of their resume.  Employers can register online and should register before September 12.  The $95 registration fee for employers includes an exhibit booth, shared interview room, and lunch for two company representatives.

September 26, 2007
10:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
New River Valley Mall
782 New River Road
Christiansburg, Virginia

Visit New River Valley Job Fair Expo for more information, including a list of participating employers and the sponsoring organizations.  Media inquiries are welcome.

Contact: 
Marty Holliday
New River/Mount Rogers
Workforce Investment Board
540-633-6764
mholliday@nrvdc.org

David Moore
Institute for Policy and Governance
205 W. Roanoke Street
Blacksburg, VA 24061
540-231-8954 (office)
540-230-6914 (cell)
dmoore@vt.edu

This is a great opportunity for young professionals to meet potential employers.

In last weeks Biz Links post I included an article about two Roanoke businesses featured in Business Week.  Congratulations are in order for these two local businesses.  The article, Hands-Free HR, When does outsourcing make sense? interviewed Chris Nininger, owner Bug Man Exterminating with his experience using a PEO (professional employer organization) to outsource his HR and payroll services.  Payroll Solutions Plus is owned by local businessman, Len DeShano. 

"Nininger uses Payroll Solutions Plus in Roanoke, Va., to oversee the human resources duties - from payroll and insurance administration to writing employee handbooks." 

Check out both company websites to learn more about these businesses.  Again, congratulations to Chris Nininger, Bug Man Exterminating and Len DeShano, Payroll Solutions Plus.

Attracting and retaining young professionals has been addressed by many in the Roanoke and New River Valleys.  I recently learned of a new organization for our area young professionals.   NewVA Connects is a young professional organization affiliated with the Roanoke Chamber of Commerce.  Their mission is "Through action, voice and interaction, NewVaConnects will make the region a more vibrant and welcoming community of opportunity for young professionals."  They have also recently started a new blog.

Roanoke City has also recognized the fact that we need to retain these young people in the Roanoke Valley.  Stuart Mease was hired by the City of Roanoke, to create programs and events, both social and professional, with existing regional entities to retain and attract young adults to the city and its surrounding region.

We posted on our blog an article asking businesses to step it up.  I would be interested to know what your business is doing to help retain these young professionals.  Post your comments here.

Will work for food, gas, rent… I am a young college graduate from southwest Virginia looking for employment in Roanoke.  I am looking for a professional job to pay for food, gas and rent.  If you are hiring please call me for an interview.

Sound familiar?  This is a scenario familiar to our young professionals living and wanting to stay in Roanoke.  But, without years of experience how many Roanoke businesses will give them a chance?  This is a sad situation in our current local job market.  We are losing talented young adults to areas within a 3 hour drive of Roanoke.  They are relocating to NC and Northern Virginia.

Brandon Turner touched on the situation in his article in the Roanoke Times.  Turner wrote "Here is a question for businesses: How do you realistically expect my generation to gain experience if nobody will hire us?"  So what can we do to retain these young professionals in the Roanoke area?  Stuart Mease offered a perspective of the job seeker on his blog, Connecting People. 

Roanoke businesses need to rethink their employment strategy. Hiring and training college graduates allow the region and the workforce to grow and build a sustainable workforce. The solution is in your hands!!

ADOPT THE WORK ETHIC YOUR GRANDPARENTS HAD…

A price to be paid for success.  Almost invariably those who have reached the summits worked harder and longer, studied and planned more assiduously, practiced more self-denial, overcame more difficulties than those of us who have not risen so far. — Barry C Forbes

You must adopt a strong employment work ethic if you are to become a highly valued employee.  Most employees and young professionals say they have a strong work ethic.  Most managers disagree.  As Dr. Phil would say, you have to "get real" about your work ethic if you want to become a highly valued employee.

You don't need to work yourself to death to become a highly valued employee.  You also don't need to become a workaholic.  You do need to create a strong work ethic.  Instead of wasting time looking for shortcuts to success that don't exist, take the path less taken.  That path is good old-fashioned hard work.  Attitudes toward work have changed as different generations have come and gone and hard work got a bad reputation along the way.  Regardless of your generation, hard work is a necessity if you're to become a highly valued employee.  Push your limits and you'll be amazed at how much you can grow and thereby increase your value in the employment and job market.

White collar or blue, hard-working people and young professionals bring pride, honor and dignity to a job well done.

Contributing Author - Donna Tatum

(Roanoke, VA  June 18, 2007)  Roanoke Biz2Biz is proud to announce the addition of Susan Moore to our staff.  Susan will serve as Sales and Business Development Manager.  Susan brings with her more than 20 years of sales and marketing experience.

Susan will be working with our existing clients as well as introducing the new expansion of Roanoke Biz2Biz to “Fine Dining”, “Choice Shopping”, “Services” and “Health Linx”.  She will also be offering our clients an opportunity to expand their market beyond Roanoke with the addition of our new website www.vabiz2biz.com.

“We're excited to have Susan join us as she adds a new dimension to our team”, says Ira Kaufman, President of Roanoke Biz2Biz.  “Her experience and passion will deliver new sales opportunities to our clients.”

Roanoke Biz2Biz serves as a marketing arm for small to medium sized businesses providing tools and connections helping them generate results and revenue.

For more information:

Patsy Stewart
Operations Manager
PO Box 14094
Roanoke, VA 24038
540-563-2249
info@roanokebiz2biz.com

We recently posted about an job fair, Roanoke and New River Valley Career and Lifestyle Fair, that was to be held at Virginia Tech.  In light of the tragedy that event was cancelled.  Stuart Mease, event organizer with Roanoke City and the sponsor, MyHometowJobs.com, have thought outside of the box by planning an electronic job fair on the very popular college student social networking site called Facebook.com beginning this Friday, May 11 and concluding on Friday, May 18.

Businesses interested in listing career opportunities, especially internships, in the Electronic Job Fair on the Facebook group page should contact Stuart Mease by midnight, Thursday, May 10.  The listings will include a snapshot of your employment opportunity with a link to your email.

Delta Sigma Pi business fraternity, the presenting partner on the fairs, will be promoting the group and eFair within the Facebook communities at Virginia Tech and other local colleges and universities.

MyHometownJobs.com will also offer a special discounted rate to companies participating in the job fair.  For more information contact Tom Fraticelli at tomf@wdbj7.com or 540-985-3642.

We encourage local businesses to help retain young adults in the area by participating in this unique online event.  For more information contact Stuart Mease  stuart.mease@roanokeva.gov or 540-853-2384.

How many times a day do you Google?  Yes, I mean Google not giggle.  With today's technology when you are inquiring about someone or something you are most likely to Google them to find out everything you can.  You want to identify their online identity. 

Just how important is an online identity?  An employer may research a job applicant using a Google search.  He may find his Facebook or MySpace identity or find him on the blogosphere.   Wall Street Journal reporter Sarah Needleman recently wrote How Blogging Can Help You Get a New Job.  Needleman shared how corporate recruiters are "surfing blogs to unearth job candidates, expanding their talent pool and gaining insights they say they can't get from résumés and interviews."

What about your company's online identity?  When someone Googles your business name do they see a stud or a dud?  How are you branding your online identity?  Your webiste can reflect your brand as well as a corporate blog.  Debbie Weil, author of The Corporate Blogging Book, and quoted in the above Wall Street Journal article writes in her blog "No matter how big your brand, you have a better chance of controlling the online conversation around it by hosting your own blog."

Here's a challenge!  Google your company's name and evaluate the search results.  This is your Online Identity or Brand.  If you are not satisfied, here are 8 Steps to a Branding Strategy.