What can your company do by tapping into the military community's talent pool? The winners of the 7th Annual Patriots in Business Awards are: chief executive Thayer Leadership at West Point recognizes companies that excel in supporting active duty military, veterans and their families through innovative employment initiatives and business practices. Every year, chief executive asks leaders from companies that have received this award to share their experiences supporting the people they serve. Here's what they had to say:
“Be proactive and make plans.”
JJ Sutherland, Scrum CEO
Industry: Consulting
Percentage of workforce from military community: 28%
Seven years after Scrum joined the Veterans SkillBridge program, CEO JJ Sutherland is having a hard time containing his enthusiasm. “I say to other leaders in the industry, 'Understand this: For the last six months of a veteran's military career, the U.S. government pays them. And you are this great leader. 'You can get it for free,' he says. “This is without a doubt the best public-private partnership I know of.”
Hiring veterans and military spouses is a natural fit for the consulting firm founded by West Point graduate and former fighter pilot Jeff Sutherland (J.J. Sutherland's father). there were. “We know what a resource our veterans are to this country, and what a great resource they are in the civilian world in terms of skill set, mindset, leadership experience, drive for excellence, and sometimes just sheer grit. We have a fundamental understanding of the value we can bring to the department,” Sutherland said.
SkillBridge, a Department of Defense program designed to help military personnel transition to civilian life, connects active-duty military members with work experience opportunities in the private sector. Military members can participate in training, apprenticeships, or internships in certain industries for up to 180 days while receiving military pay and benefits.
“By the end of their internship, we will have trained them and improved their skills enough to build a career in our industry as a transformation consultant,” says Sutherland. “This is also a competitive advantage for us, as the perspective brought by veterans who are trained to adapt and overcome is invaluable to our private sector customers.”
Scrum, on the other hand, provides comprehensive training and onboarding programs and pairs veterans with mentors who advise them on career development. “This is not about unpaid work; you need to be proactive and have a plan,” Sutherland says. “We're being organized and systematic about how we train, upskill and plan the deployment of our employees. If you think about it, it's a win-win.”
“Meet them where they are.”
Nathan Meisgeier, President of Werner
Industry: Transportation
Percentage of workforce from military community: 20%
Looking back at more than 20 years of employing military veterans and their spouses as truck drivers, mechanics and transportation managers for his trucking business, Nathan Meisgeier is quick to acknowledge the turnaround in business. “We see this as a way to serve our country, but frankly we're also doing it for selfish reasons,” he says. “Veterans come to us with a great set of hard skills like logistics, engineering, and cybersecurity that translate directly into what we do. Waiting inside or figuring out how to deal with scheduling issues feels relatively manageable.”
In addition to his role as a pioneer in the Department of Labor's thriving truck driver apprenticeship program and his participation in military employment programs such as SkillBridge, Werner has decorated 13 of his trucks with military themes. The company has invested heavily in recruiting veterans, including equipping them with wraps. Visited 250 military facilities nationwide. “You have to meet them where they are, and that’s probably not going to happen on LinkedIn,” Meisgeier says. “While each truck costs six figures to purchase and the wrapping is not cheap, this vehicle is a recruiting tool that also serves as a way to recognize and honor veterans and their spouses.”
Over the past 10 years, Mr. Werner has employed more than 10,000 veterans and veteran spouses. Meisgeier points out that a strong program like this doesn't happen overnight, and urges business leaders interested in military recruitment plans to take their time.
“Start small,” he says. “You can't wake up on Tuesday and have zero veterans in your workforce and then on Wednesday have 20%. The ability to manage the government bureaucracy involved is something that develops over time. , the reward is worth the patience.”
“Train and teach effectively”
Mark Steffe, CEO, First Command
Industry: Financial Advice and Coaching
Percentage of workforce from military community: 91%
Recruiting from the military aligns well with First Corps' mission, which has been providing financial planning to members and former members of the military since 1958. “Our founder, Carol Payne, is a former lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force who vowed that service members and their families who sacrificed their lives for our country would never have to worry about having enough money in retirement,” said CEO Mark Payne. Steph says. “That directly led to hiring retired officers and military spouses.”
The company has a long history of working with programs like Hiring Our Heroes and SkillBridge to help veterans obtain financial qualifications, and many of its hires come from customer relationships. “If one of our advisors thinks a client is a good fit, they broach the subject and make an introduction,” says Steph, who is developing a “portable” career path for military spouses. This is the company's recent focus.
Well-educated and knowledgeable about the economic challenges facing military families, military and female spouses have long been an untapped talent pool. “Many companies are reluctant to hire military spouses because they typically have to relocate every two to three years,” Steph says. “The unemployment rate for military spouses is 24 percent to 26 percent, and when underemployment is factored in, it's closer to 50 percent.”
Supporting military members and their spouses as they transition into professional roles goes beyond recruiting, he added. “We work diligently to find, effectively train, and mentor the right people,” Steffe says. “We put a lot of effort into helping them succeed, and our retention rates reflect that.”
“We have to commit the resources of our efforts.”
Tim Best, Recruit Military CEO
Industry: Recruitment services
Percentage of workforce from military community: 58%
For more than 30 years, Recruit Military has been helping employers of all sizes in all industries find and recruit military members, but Recruit Military, the premier military-to-civilian recruiting firm, says a change has occurred. CEO Tim Best said. “Enlightened leaders realize that the military community is constantly replenishing its workforce with truly talented people,” he says.
Best, who joined the company after serving as an Army special operations attack helicopter pilot, outlines three steps business leaders can take to successfully access the military's talent pipeline.
First, identify avenues for military talent to thrive within your organization. “This goes beyond a strong skills match to include availability and buy-in from internal stakeholders such as hiring managers,” Best says.
Second, once you identify a location, “you have to put in the effort” by providing the tools and talent needed to make it successful, he says.
Third, think long-term by thinking beyond hiring in your current opening. “It's about creating programs and processes that can be codified to become more efficient over time,” Best says. “Companies need to approach this the same way they approach university recruiting programs.”
“Creating an environment for success”
Wayne Peacock, USAA CEO
Industry: Sources of funding for military families
Percentage of workforce from military community: 24%
CEO Wayne Peacock said USAA's intentional approach to including military members in its workforce is a natural outgrowth of the organization's overarching mission to provide insurance, banking and retirement solutions to the military community. It states that there is. “Those who have actually lived military life can share that experience more broadly with their civilian teammates and do their best to help us all understand their issues and provide them with great service.” Sho.”
In addition to working with partners like Hiring our Heroes, USAA recruits through job fairs and community outreach efforts focused on military and veterans, and has a strong onboarding program. “We know from our experience with transferred veterans that purpose is important. We want them to understand that the value proposition that was clear in the military is important and how it can be applied to a corporate environment. “We help them do that,” Peacock says. “What we teach in the military is mission-first, so it's really important that no matter how you explain the purpose of your enterprise, you explain it beyond the bottom line. .”
It is also important to provide a roadmap for how different military skills translate to enterprise needs. “Help veterans connect the dots and understand, 'If I have skills A, B, and C, I can apply them to jobs A, B, and C,'” Peacock says. . “It's much better than saying, 'Hey, why don't you come here and try to find your way?'” Once you create an environment for success, you'll be incredibly successful. You will notice that it continues. ”
