Tag Archives: military hiring

Veterans, the True Workplace Minority!

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veterans minority

Over the course of my 24 year career in the United States Army, I have met hundreds of people who were all too willing to shake my hand and thank me for my service; I have had countless offers to buy my cup of coffee. Some have even been willing to give up their first class seats on one of my many flights across our great nation.

“Support our Troops” is proudly displayed at businesses and civic buildings across the country. Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and Coast Guardsman across the country are welcomed home from a deployment with open arms. It’s a far cry to the reprehensible behavior of our country displayed to our returning heroes from Vietnam. Our country, it seems, has learned to separate the politics of war from those who actually serve to fight it. Despite the support of the general population, we can’t look past the minority status our veterans face every day in terms of employment.

soldiers_military_usaIt’s estimated that only about 10% of the U.S. population can even call themselves military veterans. Furthermore, a recent Pew Study showed that at any given time, less than 1% of the population is wearing the uniform. The fact is, the overwhelming majority of Americans have never served in the military. The DoD estimates that over half of the youth in the U.S. population between the ages of 16 and 21 do not meet the minimum requirements to enter military service. This lends itself to why veterans are deeply seated in the minority in both the general population and in the civilian workforce. As a result, Veteran unemployment continues to hover several percentage points above the general population.

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Understandably, it is difficult for someone who never served in the military to appreciate the immeasurable experience a military member brings to the workplace. A 20-something-year-old corporate recruiter probably has little understanding of what an infantryman does or can do. Most recruiters not familiar with military service struggle to understand rank and what it means to be a sergeant for instance. While military jobs and duties may differ from those in the civilian world, there are real skills and experience that a service member brings to an organization. The skills and experience may not be readily discernible to the vast majority of corporate recruiters. As veterans, we must do a better job at our own skills translation both on our resumes and during the interview process. This will go a long way toward helping the civilian recruiter to understand our experience and what we are capable of. This will ultimately stem the tide of military resumes that are automatically funneled to the “rejected” pile.

invisible woundsVeteran unemployment is further exacerbated by the many unfounded misconceptions that continue to plague our national treasures. Post-traumatic stress, lack of civilian skills, rigid operating environment, and workplace violence; you name it and veterans have been labeled with it. There are real visible, and invisible wounds, that many service members have to live with. However, the media and poor information have contributed to a fear among many recruiters that veterans may bring “baggage” to the workplace that would prevent them from performing their duties. The statistics however show that issues like PTSD affect no greater percentage of veterans than it does within the general population. There are valuable resources available to companies and veterans alike through organizations such as Veterans 360 and the Wounded Warrior Project It takes courage for a hiring manager to set those fallacies aside and welcome veterans to the team.

We have been helping companies hire veterans for over 35 years!

We have been helping companies hire veterans for over 35 years!

Perhaps the best way to “support our troops” is to ensure they have gainful employment after their dedicated term of service. Let Forward March Inc. show you how to get the most out of military talent with our comprehensive training program and military talent pipeline services. Combined, we have 110 years of combined military service with over 35 years dedicated specifically to hiring veterans. We have unmatched experience with proven results. Within the military, we leave no one behind. Is your organization willing to do the same for our veterans?  

~ Article written by Jason Caswell, Forward March Inc – Director of Training and Talent Pipeline Services

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If you want to get started hiring veterans Forward March Inc stands ready with a special offer. On November 17th we will be holding our Camouflage to Corporate Conference in San Antonio, Texas. This is an outstanding opportunity for companies and organizations to learn how to get started hiring high quality military talent. The information in this conference has helped many other companies to develop highly successful hiring strategies, military pipelines, and learn how to retain quality military talent. Click here to learn more…

Our Camouflage to Corporate Conference can get you on the fast track to developing a Veteran Talent Pipeline. November 17th, San Antonio, Texas.

Our Camouflage to Corporate Conference can get you on the fast track to developing a Veteran Talent Pipeline. November 17th, San Antonio, Texas.

Veterans, Transitioning Military Personnel, and their families are encouraged to meet with employers at this free event.

Veterans, Transitioning Military Personnel, and their families are encouraged to meet with employers at this free event.

Set Your Veteran Hiring Goals High for Mission Success

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Military Hiring for Mission Success

We post often on this blog the various attributes and skills that today’s veterans bring to the workplace. The value of our veterans to employers is immense, and employers who recognize this and harness their talents reap immeasurable rewards within their organizations. You can read some of what we have written about the value of veterans in the workplace here. Don’t take our word for it, check out what Syracuse University, Military.com, and Forbes all have to say.

Forward March Inc can help your company or organization learn how to find, attract, hire and retain high quality veteran talent. We can teach you how to form a strong veteran culture within your organization and we can teach you how to retain the veteran talent that you hire. Our proven methods and strategies can help your company or organization join the ranks of those companies who are celebrated as veteran or military friendly employers. Most importantly our proven strategies are customizable and scalable to your organization.

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Military.com 35 Best Veteran Employers 

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Military Times Best for Vets 2014 

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Top 100 Military Friendly Employers from Military Friendly 

If you are a company that is looking to add veterans to your organization then you will want to reserve the date of November 17th. This is the date of the Camouflage to Corporate Conference and also the VET Networking Event, both hosted by Forward March Inc. Forward March Inc. is committed to continuing our 35+ year history of bringing veterans and companies together to make careers happen! Details can be found here. Make sure you check out or Corporate to Camouflage Conference where we teach businesses and organizations the art of finding, attracting, hiring and retaining veteran talent.

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Your Company Needs Veterans!

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VETERANS U NEED THEM

High quality military talent… It’s what your company or organization needs!

Did you know that approximately three quarters of the age eligible population of the United States couldn’t qualify for military service?

Did you know that, according to the DOL, less than ten percent of the U.S. population are veterans?

Did you know that almost thirty percent of veterans over the age of twenty-five have a bachelor’s degree or higher?

Did you know that veterans frequently leave military service with valuable certifications and training that is highly sought after by companies?

Did you know that the average military veteran brings a wealth of experience, leadership and management skills, communication skills, and experience working in a variety of environments and situations?

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Today’s veterans are among the most educated, technically savvy, and diverse group of veterans in our nation’s history. Today’s veterans even, at their lowest levels of rank, have experience in working in diverse environments, putting leadership training to use in the workplace, working in trusted environments, and communicating clearly and directly. Veterans transitioning out of the military today have certifications and training in a wide variety of fields including, but not limited to, truck driving, mechanics, engineering, IT and computer networking, IT security, and much more.

We have been helping companies hire veterans for over 35 years!

Forward March Inc. (FMI) has experience working with companies to build a highly successful military talent pipeline. We have helped companies learn how to find, attract, hire and retain high quality military talent for energy related jobs from truck drivers to managers and engineers. We take all the guesswork out of the process of attaining a powerful veteran workforce.

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The Camouflage to Corporate Conference will be held on November 17th, in San Antonio, Texas. This powerful conference has a reputation for helping companies and organizations learn about the process of finding and hiring veterans. Attendees will come away with valuable knowledge to get them started with hiring high quality veteran talent. FMI will also give a detailed overview of how we can bring our customized and scalable solutions to your organization to help you achieve mission success.

Veterans, Transitioning Military Personnel, and their families are encouraged to meet with employers at this free event.

Veterans, Transitioning Military Personnel, and their families are encouraged to meet with employers at this free event.

This conference will be very special as FMI will be rolling out our Veteran Employment Transition Networking Event. This event will be from 1pm to 4pm on November 17th and will focus on connecting veterans and transitioning military with companies, organizations, and educational institutions. FMI has over 35 years of collective experience bringing veterans and companies together and is very proud to be able to facilitate this very special opportunity. FMI is a company of veterans committed to helping veterans. This is why there will be no charge to veterans and transitioning military or to companies, organizations and educational institutions who want to attend.

To learn more about the Veteran Employment Transition Networking Event and how to register for free on our website, click here.

While this outstanding event is in conjunction with our Camouflage to Corporate Conference, admission to the Conference is separate. To learn more about Camouflage to Corporate and how to register on our website, click here.

Forward March Inc Military Hiring Guide

Forward March Inc Military Hiring Guide

Retaining Top Military and Veteran Talent

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Secretary of Defense

Part 3of a special 3 part series:

Finding the right veteran talent requires a solid military talent recruiting strategy with an executable and measurable plan. Interviewing veteran and military talent requires a certain level of expertise in military skills translations, understanding military lingo, and even interpreting the DD 214. The bottom line is this; finding the right military talent for the right position requires hundreds of man-hours in the recruiting, screening, interviewing, and hiring process.  Unfortunately, all that time and energy is lost when retention rates are low.

Here are some key takeaways for an effective veteran retention strategy.

Onboarding:

Effective onboarding allows new hires to get adjusted to the culture of the company and understand performance aspects of their job quickly and easily. It allows them to learn the attitudes, knowledge, skills, and behaviors required to function effectively within your organization.  Effective onboarding includes:

  • Giving the veteran a written plan of objectives and responsibilities. Within the military culture, this is an expectation.
  • Conducting formal orientations.
  • Introducing the new employee to the team. Veterans need to feel like they belong to the team.
  • Assigning a veteran mentor to capitalize on the brother and sisterhood that exists within the military profession.
  • Indoctrinating the veteran into the company’s culture, mission, and values.
  • Addressing questions or concerns immediately.
  • Being aware of physical limitations, should they exist.
  • Motivating veterans by giving them purpose and direction.

meetingVeteran Resource Group:

A great way to support your veteran employees is to create a veteran employee resource group. The purpose of the veteran employee resource group is to share knowledge across the organization in every aspect of recruiting, hiring, retaining and recognizing the veteran population. Here are ways the veteran resource group can help:

  • Assist in developing veteran hiring strategies.
  • Recognize veteran employees during company events.
  • Coordinating observations of Veterans Day, Memorial Day activities, and service birthdays.
  • Providing assistance, through care packages, phone cards, letter writing and all other means of support, to those currently deployed.
  • Support current National Guard and Reserve members.
  • Mentor veterans who recently left the service.
  • Generating support for veteran hospitals and homeless shelters.
  • Develop organizational partnerships with veteran service organizations.
  • Provide moral and psychological support for your veteran employees as needed.
  • Involve the veteran’s family.

national guard and reservesSupport Guard and Reserve Members:

First and foremost, being a member of the National Guard or Reserve should not be a hiring deterrent. Second, the best way your organization can support your country is by supporting your National Guard and Reserve employees. It’s important to foster a culture in which your company supports and values the employment and military service of members of the Reserve Component.

It is not only the right thing to do to support guard and reserve military personnel, it’s also the law! Under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA), employers have specific obligations to support their Reserve Component members.

  • The law guarantees the right to take time off from work to meet your military responsibilities during weekend drills and annual training.
  • A military member who leaves a civilian job for voluntary or involuntary service for extended periods of time is entitled to reemployment in the civilian job (with accrued seniority) if he or she meets certain criteria.
  • Discrimination in hiring is unlawful. It is also unlawful to fire someone for being in the National Guard or Reserve, or to discriminate with respect to promotions or other benefits of employment.
  • It is unlawful for you to make the employee use vacation time while in the performance of military duty.
  • You are not required to pay an individual for time not worked due to service, although many organizations do.

Communication is the key to a lasting partnership between the service member, your company, and the military unit. Here are others ways to help your current guard and reserve employees:

  • Learn more about the role of the National Guard and Reserve. Attend open houses and public functions at local military units. Talk about the National Guard and Reserve with military and civilian leaders in your community.
  • Get to know your employees’ military commanders and supervisors. Ask them to provide you with advance notice of their annual military duty schedule.
  • Provide the service member the time and flexibility to perform his or her military duties.
  • Put your support in writing by signing a Statement of Support for the National Guard and Reserve. Publicly show your support and appreciation for all those who serve.

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Military veterans are a loyal, hard-working, and well trained group of individuals that will enhance an organization’s ability to accomplish its mission. But loyalty only goes so far and veterans will stay with your company if you give them a reason to stay by keeping them busy, giving them focus, and above all, purpose.

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Employees turn-over is expensive, but Forward March Inc., has the solution for keeping veteran employees engaged. Companies with strong veteran cultures enjoy many benefits to include greater productivity and professionalism as well as higher referral rates. We can help your organization develop a very strong veteran culture with both new and existing veteran employees. If your organization is up to the challenge, FMI has your back!

Forward March Inc Military Hiring Guide

Forward March Inc Military Hiring Guide

~ Article written by Jason Caswell, Forward March Inc – Director of Training and Talent Pipeline Services

Presidential Proclamation — National Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Week, 2014

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NATIONAL EMPLOYER SUPPORT OF THE GUARD AND RESERVE WEEK, 2014

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BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

On the eve of our Nation’s birth, a courageous people stood up to the tyranny of an empire and declared their independence.  They proclaimed the values of equality and justice and fought a revolution to secure them.  In 13 colonies, farmers and tradesmen laid their lives on the line, picked up arms, and answered their new country’s call to defend freedom.

Throughout our history, patriotic Americans have always stepped up in our Nation’s time of need.  It is in this spirit that our National Guard and Reserve members carry forward a proud legacy of service and sacrifice.  This week, we honor all those who stand ready to defend our way of life and the families, employers, and communities who support them.

More than 1 million citizen-Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen serve our country in the National Guard and Reserve.  They live in our communities and work in our cities and towns.  We know them as our teachers, coaches, and doctors — but when a crisis strikes or the strength of our military is needed, they leave the comfort of their civilian lives to protect our Nation.  Members of the Guard and Reserve have responded to disasters at home and have served tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Our country is grateful to all our Guardsmen and Reservists and the employers who stand behind them and their families.  By providing workplace flexibility and helping the advancement of their civilian careers, employers ease the burden on those who serve and their loved ones.  And we appreciate all our country’s businesses that go above and beyond in small and large ways to recognize our patriots.  We know that when it comes to supporting our Nation’s heroes, everybody can do something — every business, every school, and every American.

The United States has a profound obligation to care for those who serve in our Armed Forces, and my Administration will keep providing unprecedented support to the members of our military.  We have increased access to Federal education benefits for service members and their loved ones and worked to improve our veterans health care system.  This year, in conjunction with First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden’s Joining Forces initiative, we launched the Veterans Employment Center, an online tool that connects veterans, transitioning service members, and their families with employers who are seeking to leverage their skills and talents.  It is the first Government-wide program to bring career resources and job opportunities together in one place.  My Administration will keep engaging all sectors of society to give our military communities the support they have earned.

During National Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Week, we salute the heroes in our everyday lives.  As a Nation, let us renew our commitment to serve the families who represent the best of America as well as they serve us.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim September 21 through September 27, 2014, as National Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Week.  I call upon all Americans to join me in expressing our heartfelt thanks to the members of the National Guard and Reserve and their civilian employers.  I also call on State and local officials, private organizations, and all military commanders, to observe this week with appropriate ceremonies and activities.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this  nineteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord two thousand fourteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-ninth.

– BARACK OBAMA

(re-posted from The White House website here)

Attracting Military and Veteran Talent

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Part 1 of a special 3 part series:

So you’re looking for the perfect candidate to fill critical positions within your organization. You’re looking for someone who is hardworking, well-educated and an expert planner. You’re looking for someone who has a “mission first” attitude and has a proven ability to face adversity with positive outcomes. You have in mind a candidate that understands and practices diversity in the workplace and who has a respect for policies, procedures, and regulations. You ask yourself, does this perfect candidate even exist? The answer is a resounding YES! The perfect candidate is the American military veteran.

So now that you have identified who the perfect candidate is, the next question is how to find them? Drawing military and veteran talent starts with developing a military hiring strategy. Here are five practices to help your organization attract veterans.

  1. Develop a solid military recruiting strategy. Developing a strategy begins with the company’s vision. This should be a top down driven initiative with specific, measurable, and achievable goals that the entire organization understands. Once a plan is made, recruiters and hiring managers must then be trained and resourced to execute the plan. Furthermore, performance reviews should be tied to veteran hiring performance to ensure continued success.
  1. Leverage existing veteran employees. What better way to attract veterans than engaging current employees who have served. They have not only talked the talk, they have walked the walk. They understand the military transition process and can assist in military skills interpretation and veteran interviewing. The bottom line is this: a brother and sisterhood exists within the veteran population. Veterans who believe in their organization want to share it with others.
  1. Market your organization as the veteran employer of choice.  Building your organization’s brand as a veteran friendly company is key to military hiring success. Part of this branding is leveraging current veteran employees and telling their success stories within the company. Create military specific brochures and other military marketing collateral when attending military hiring functions and use veteran employees as recruiters at such events. Create a veteran hiring site on your company webpage. Send veteran applicants a separate email thanking them for their service when they apply. Make veterans feel welcomed before they even step foot in your company.
  1. Get engaged with the military community. In order to find the veteran employee population, your organization must be engaged in the veteran community. Establish partnerships with non-profit veteran organizations such as the American Legion or Veterans of Foreign Wars. Get to know people at local military transition centers and make routine visits to reach out to those leaving military service. Establish relationships with local National Guard and Reserve units. Encourage employees to get involved with volunteer programs supporting veterans.
  2. Don’t forget about military spouses. When developing a veteran recruiting and hiring strategy, do not forget about the military spouse. Although they do not wear the uniform, they possess many skills employers are looking for. Just like the service member, the military spouse is flexible, adaptive to change, conscious of cultural and regional differences, and focused on getting the job done.
We have been helping companies hire veterans for over 35 years!

We have been helping companies hire veterans for over 35 years!

Attracting military talent can be an overwhelming task, especially for those organizations that do not understand military culture. Forward March’s team has over 110 years of combined military experience with over 35 years dedicated specifically to hiring veterans. FMI can train your staff to attract, hire, and retain top military talent. We have a comprehensive Military Talent Hiring Guide and outstanding training that can get your department staffing positions very quickly. We can also help you to develop a pipeline and hiring strategy for success and train your human resource department on all the best ways to recruit military talent. If your company is committed to hiring military veterans, let FMI show you how.

~ Article written by Jason Caswell, Forward March Inc – Director of Training and Talent Pipeline Services

Welcome to the New Forward March, Inc. Website

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At Forward March, Inc. (FMI) there is never a dull moment. We like to say that we are moving, shooting, and communicating at a high rate of speed.  FMI is growing fast and expanding both in our numbers of customers as well as in the number of transitioning and veteran men and women that we are finding amazing careers for. We are a company of veterans deeply committed to helping veterans in a multitude of ways. We are providing outstanding career opportunities for transitioning military men and women as well as veterans with our customers such as Tesoro, STARUS Medical Group, and Iron Horse Ranch.

Employment

At FMI we can barely contain our excitement about all the new career opportunities we are providing to transitioning military men and women and veterans. Check out our Jobs page at http://www.forwardmarchinc.com/jobs.html to find out the latest companies working with FMI to grow their military talent pipeline.

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This month we are proud to roll out our new company website as well as our brand new Military Hiring Guide which helps companies learn about military talent acquisition and transition to build a better veteran talent pipeline.

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FMI is also very excited to announce our San Antonio Camouflage to Corporate Conference set for Monday, November 17th, 2014. Space for this conference is limited so we encourage you to register today! The FMI Camouflage to Corporate Conference will help your company or organization learn valuable information on how to better find, attract, hire, and retain transitioning military and veteran talent. This is an amazing conference that can help your organization start building a robust military talent pipeline!

There are always new things happening at FMI and we encourage you to subscribe to our news feed and to bookmark our website www.forwardmarchinc.com so that you can keep up with all the great services and opportunities we post.

~ Article by Tobin Pilotte, Directer of Marketing and Technology for Forward March Inc.