Tag Archives: Talent Connect

Paint the Cedar Valley Purple | UNI Employer Event

UNI will be hosting a morning employer event on Tuesday, August 5^th from 7:30 -8:30am, to educate employers on developing and running internship and part-time student programs. The intent will be to educate employers on how to best utilize these types of training programs to obtain (and retain) talent in the region, and there will also be a student panel there to discuss what students are seeking from employers when it comes to training opportunities. If you know of anyone who may benefit from this information or who may be looking to set up a student employee/training program, please pass the word along!

And this event, while hosted by UNI, will be run in coordination with the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber.

Need a creative way to find the right talent for your organization? Connect with UNI Career Services (in partnership with the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber) at a Breakfast Training Session that will cover:

How to locate, hire, and keep students for part-time positions, internships and full-time positions
Learn how to create a basic internship program
Listen to a student panel on what this current group of UNI students seek from employers

Hire Smart. Hire UNI.
7:30 – 8:30 am, Tuesday, August 5
Cedar Falls Visitors Center – Continental Breakfast Included
Register Now (limited space)

Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber seeks Director of Business Services

DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS SERVICES

The Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber seeks candidates passionate and skilled in helping businesses become more successful in the Cedar Valley economic area to become our Director of Business Services. This person will plan, develop and implement economic development initiatives for business retention & expansion; including create, lead and execute workforce development initiatives and events that promote job creation, and workforce recruitment & retention in basic industry sectors and related value-added industries. Also, this person will help businesses overcome barriers to expansion in the Cedar Valley, collect and report information regarding the plans, opportunities and barriers for growth of our wealth creating businesses and targeted institutions as well as deliver “economic gardening” services to growth-oriented basic businesses. They will also provide a critical feedback from business into programming and government relations.

Requirements include a Bachelor’s degree with specialization in economic and community development or business and at least 3 years of related experience; computer skills, including Microsoft Office; and social media knowledge. Knowledge of Synchronist and client management software helpful. Comprehensive knowledge of business development, factors affecting business and community vitality, as well as community and economic development required. Problem solving in ambiguous situations, ability to maintain confidentiality and a passion for the success of free enterprise are all required skills and talents for success in this role. The successful candidate is expected to be part of a fast pace work and collaborative team that is results driven. Competitive salary and benefit package included. Please send cover letter, resume and references to:

SSommerfelt@cedarvalleyalliance.com. Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber, 10 West Fourth Street, Suite 310, Waterloo, IA 50701.

To see the full description and instructions click here.

Meeting in the Middle: Attracting Talent to Cedar Valley Job Opportunities

– Britt Jungck, Director of Business Services & Workforce Development

Recruiting quality employees can be one of the most stressful and competitive tasks in any company. We have jobs in the Cedar Valley and the job seekers have choices.

So who is winning this battle for talent? Lately, almost every company that I talk to is hiring for at least one position or projecting a hire in the next six months. Numerous Cedar Valley companies are adding dozens to their staff teams each year; some having an easier time than others.

The biggest factor in determining a company’s hiring success is their level of engagement with the community and potential job seekers. If we are talking about recruiting the emerging workforce (young professionals and college graduates) then this is a vital ingredient to success. Millennials rarely apply to an unknown company. They want to work for an organization that meets their aspirations, and if they haven’t heard of your business, they probably aren’t dreaming of working there.

Usually when I start talking about community engagement, many HR Directors begin to roll their eyes. I’m not saying you have to pass out frisbees to every college student or offer pizza and beer to every young professional you know. But, thinking through your recruitment strategy and whether it represents what’s effective in 2013 might be a good idea. In fact, there are many things you could probably do to connect with more people that cost LESS money.

Job Fairs-Starting with the obvious, job fairs are a great way to meet a large number of potential candidates in one day. However, you have to carefully plot how your image plays to the attendees when planning your booth. This does not mean simply dusting off the old bowl of butterscotch discs. Today’s employers need to be engaging. Props, displays, games, surveys, thoughtful giveaways( instead of consumables), music, computers, bright colors, and representatives that fit the same demographic as your potential candidate(s) are all a great start.

The Cedar Valley needs to have a greater, more active and engaging, presence at our local job fairs, especially those on college campuses. Why? Because rumors determine image. If they see you and like you, they may want to be you. If they see you and are bored with you, they may spread the word. If they don’t see you at all, you’re invisible. As a community, we have such a breadth of successful businesses, we should never settle with giving a lackluster impression of the Cedar Valley. And other towns are showing up to compete!

Strategic involvement-What’s your market? Go there. If you need to hire 30 software developers and technical sales professionals, you can’t just put an ad on Indeed.com and hope someone stumbles upon your company. Where do the best people come from? Offer internships (that pay). Where do software developers hang out? Offer coupons or Groupons for their favorite coffee shop or bar. Do they have kids? Get your brand at all the soccer tournaments and talk about your flexible schedules. You have to maneuver the market to be successful.

One local company is showing great promise with this, wanting to connect with college students, they decided to help on move-in day at the dorms. Free labor? That makes an impression! Another had free cocoa available at the first, cold outdoor football game. Yet another is using an “office decorating allowance” to cater to those who feel their work environment is important in their decision. The point is, be unique. Don’t be another empty table or desperate plea in an advertisement. Be something positive that is going to inspire your future employee to apply.

The Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber is committed to both providing recruitment ideas to its investors through career fairs and panel discussions (see our event schedule!), but we are also working with young professionals to get to know their community. We will be sponsoring five bus tours, featuring more than 60 companies and organizations, to help foster ideas for job seekers. These events have an added bonus of being able to show off our gorgeous community to those who might not venture around as often.

The truth is, we have a lot to offer. Hundreds of job opportunities. Fast succession potential. Creative, growing employers. We just have to reach out with new methods, as talent and as employers, to connect the dots and get (people) hired.

Former GMAC Employees Invited to Cedar Valley Talent Connect Job Fair

The Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber is hosting a job and opportunity fair for former GMAC employees looking for employment and career development opportunities.

CEDAR VALLEY of IOWA (January 18, 2013)—On Monday, January 28^th, from 10am-1pm, the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance and Chamber (GCVAC) will host a job fair for former GMAC employees looking for new positions at the Isle Casino Hotel Waterloo. This fair, a part of the Alliance & Chamber’s “Cedar Valley Talent Connect” program, will feature local employers who have expressed a need for talent skilled in customer service.

In addition to career opportunities, a number of higher educational institutions, including UNI and Hawkeye Community College, will be present to discuss in-demand training programs and coach interested persons through the application process.

“Good communications skills are always in high demand. The experience of the former GMAC workers combined with our low unemployment rates, make us optimistic that employment connections will be made at this event,” states Brittany Jungck, Director of Business Services with the Alliance and Chamber.

Former GMAC employees with questions about this fair can contact Brittany Jungck, Director of Business Services at the Alliance & Chamber office: (319) 232-1156. A direct link with information about this event and other Talent Connect services can be found here: http://cedarvalleyalliance.com/talentconnect

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UNI graduates fare well in today’s economy

The University of Northern Iowa hosted its annual fall Commencement Saturday, Dec. 15. As hundreds of UNI students graduate and begin to look for employment opportunities, the December job outlook is more important than ever.

According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers Job Outlook for 2012, the overall top B.A. degrees in demand by employers this year are finance, accounting, and computer and information sciences, followed by electrical and mechanical engineering. UNI has a number of majors that align with these needs.

According to Matt Nuese, associate director of UNI’s career services office, UNI graduates seem to be faring well in today’s economy. Nearly 84 percent of last year’s graduates secured jobs or were continuing their education upon graduation, according to the 2011 Career Services Graduate Report.

It appears that many UNI graduates are staying within the state. During the last three years, three-fourths of all UNI graduates were employed in Iowa. The top employers of UNI students include Wells Fargo, John Deere and Waterloo Community Schools.

For more information, contact Bob Frederick, director of career services, at 319-273-6857 or robert.frederick@uni.edu.

Cedar Valley Talent Connect Job Fair Scheduled to Serve Former Hostess Employees

The Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber is partnering with Cedar Valley IowaWORKS to host a job fair for former Hostess employees looking for opportunities for employment in industrial positions, logistics, and maintenance.

CEDAR VALLEY of IOWA (November 27, 2012)—On Friday, November 30st from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm, the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance and Chamber (GCVAC) will host a job fair for former Hostess employees looking for new positions. This fair, a part of the GCVAC’s “Cedar Valley Talent Connect” program, will feature approximately twenty, local employers and will be held at Schoitz Room of the Waterloo Center for the Arts, 225 Commercial St. Waterloo, Iowa. Displaced workers with an interest in careers in industrial positions including production workers and material handlers, truck drivers, warehouse personnel, and maintenance will be the focus of this event. The GCVAC is partnering with Cedar Valley IowaWORKS to make direct connections with as many, former Hostess employees as possible. “Brittany Jungck and our entire Economic Development team, along with our partners at IowaWORKS and the Rapid Response team are committed to making unemployment a short-lived condition for former Hostess employees,” said Steve Dust, CEO of GCVAC. Employers interested in participating in the fair can contact Brittany Jungck, Director of Business Services at the GCVAC office: (319) 232-1156. A direct link with information about this event can also be found by clicking here.

Opportunities Left by PFG

The well documented but still emerging bankruptcy of PFGBEST placed the Cedar Valley of Iowa in the national headlines. In the wake, nearly 200 people were left out of work, financial obligations to global investors, suppliers, and a variety of other interests, including the GCVAC remain unmet. Though this event and its fallout present challenges, it also opens doors of opportunity for Cedar Valley businesses and GCVAC to respond with practical and creative solutions.

A state of the art building filled with advanced information technology infrastructure is now available for growth of a Cedar Valley business, or a new corporate citizen. Further, the availability of former PFG and MyVerona employees provides an opportunity for local companies to hire well trained and highly skilled talent in a wide range of jobs.

To facilitate this, the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber established Cedar Valley Talent Connect. In cooperation with our local economic development partners, workforce agencies and the GCVAC investor base, Talent Connect facilitates the match of PFG’s displaced job seekers with businesses looking to hire through job fairs, and web-based tools for sharing resumes and job postings. Beyond the immediate circumstances, Cedar Valley Talent Connect will be further developed and deployed to respond to ongoing demand for skilled, talented people in the Cedar Valley.

The national and regional media attention is providing opportunities to accentuate our talented people and expanding businesses. By concentrating on helping you, our investors, to match your open job opportunities with available PFG talent, and seeking future uses for the extraordinary, available headquarters building, we’re working to keep the demise of PFG from overshadowing the great things that are happening all over the Cedar Valley economic area. We will continue to use the attention drawn by this unfortunate event to present the stories of success of our businesses and talented people of the Cedar Valley. Our – your – resilience and determination to succeed is the correct, lasting storyline.

Grow Cedar Valley