Organizer:

RVSHRM

Event Type:

Meeting

Description: This 1-hour educational session equips HR professionals and business leaders with strategies to strengthen talent attraction and retention beyond traditional HR functions. It addresses the universal challenge where organizations claim to prioritize talent but fail to align actions accordingly. The content blends award-winning marketing principles (advertising, employer branding, customer experience), practical everyday changes, and key lessons from the bestselling book Turning Tables: From Restaurant to Real World Success by Bruce C. Bryan. Drawing from high-performance hospitality environments, the book highlights transferable skills—adaptability, proactive service, teamwork, empathy, attention to detail, and relationship-building—that translate to stronger employer brands, enhanced candidate and employee experiences, and sustained retention. Participants gain actionable tools to embed a talent-focused culture organization-wide, improving recruitment effectiveness, reducing turnover, and boosting performance in a competitive talent market.

Learning Objectives (Aligned to SHRM BASK & HRCI BoK):

1. Explain why talent attraction and retention require organization-wide involvement and identify common gaps where business actions misalign with talent priorities. (SHRM BASK: Talent Acquisition, Employee Engagement & Retention; HRCI: Talent Acquisition, Employee Relations)
2. Apply marketing, branding, and hospitality principles (from Turning Tables)—such as proactive service, adaptability, and relationship-building—to enhance employer branding, employee value propositions, candidate experiences, and daily retention practices.

(SHRM BASK: Workplace Culture, Relationship Management; HRCI: Talent Management, Employee Relations)

3. Outline practical, immediate action steps and metrics to build a proactive talent culture across departments and measure impact on attraction and retention outcomes.

(SHRM BASK: Business Acumen, Communication; HRCI: Workforce Planning & Employment)

Relevance to HR Profession (SHRM BASK / HRCI BoK Tie-In): This session directly supports SHRM BASK in the People Knowledge Domain through Talent Acquisition and Employee Engagement & Retention. It aligns with HRCI BoK functional areas including Talent Acquisition, Employee Relations, and Talent Management & Workforce Planning.

Speaker Bio -

      Bruce C. Bryan is an international bestselling author, entrepreneur, and connector of people. With 20 years of experience in the television industry, Bruce managed broadcast advertising departments at television stations in Michigan, Ohio, and Virginia. Winner of the 2006 National Association of Broadcasters “Best of the Best” Sales Promotion award, he now develops and implements creative solutions to everyday business problems.

      In 2009, Bruce founded 5Points Creative, a full-service advertising and marketing firm based in Roanoke, Virginia. Throughout Bruce’s leadership as President of the firm, 5Points received scores of accolades, including numerous American Advertising Awards, Communicator Awards, and Telly Awards. His company was named the “2019 Small Business of the Year” in business-to-business services by the Greater Roanoke Chamber of Commerce. In 2023, 5Points Creative was awarded the Howard Packett Award for Creative Excellence, the Best in Show – Broadcast ADDY.

      In addition to helping businesses succeed, Bruce fosters multiple organizations through volunteer work. He is a founding board member for the national nonprofit Help Save The Next Girl. After six years of running The Down by Downtown Music Festival, Bruce founded The Spot on Kirk in 2015 and remains Past President of their Board of Directors. He also serves as the Chairman of the Board of Directors for Healing Strides of Virginia.

      A lifelong lover of writing, Bruce published his second book in 2025 titled Turning Tables: Everything I Needed to Know about Business I Learned as a Server.  His first book was released in 2021. 40 West: Two Brothers Take the Trip to Mark a Lifetime chronicles Bruce’s cross-country journey with his brother to honor and celebrate their late father. He is also the host of the Radio IQ/NPR program Naturally Curious. It airs on Sunday Night's at 7pm throughout Virginia. Late last year he was recognized by Virginia Business magazine as one of the 100 People You Need to Meet in 2026. For more information about his books, speaking engagements, and radio program, visit his website. Bruce is an avid fan of the Detroit Pistons, Philadelphia Eagles, and the Michigan State Spartans. He also appreciates time with his friends and family; they will be the first to tell you he enjoys the experience of having a great meal or a lovely glass of red wine.

      Bruce and his wife Laurel live in Roanoke and are often busy spending time with their five children and six grandchildren.