Developing Military Hiring
Programs – an Overview
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Use #HireAVet and @ValueOfaVeteran
© 2012 The Value Of a Veteran (all rights reserved)
1
Meet Your Presenter: Lisa Rosser
• Recently retired as a Lieutenant
Colonel in US Army Reserves
• 22 years of active & reserve military
service
• Background in telecommunications,
operations, and human resources
• Masters in Human Resource
Management
• Formerly an HR business
consultant for a Global Fortune 500
consulting firm (8 years)
© 2012 The Value Of a Veteran (all rights reserved)
© 2012The Value Of a Veteran (all rights reserved)
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Components of Military Hiring Programs
Retention Program
Outreach Strategy
Training Program
Sourcing Strategy
Skills Crosswalk
Education (Leadership, Recruiters,
Hiring Managers, Supervisors etc.)
Identify Champion, Program Mgr (Dedicated Recruiters & Advisory Team)
Present the Business Case (get support => staffing, funding, budget)
© 2012 The Value Of a Veteran (all rights reserved)
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What are the main reasons employers give for
not including veterans in their workforce
planning?
I don’t think they have
the skills to do what
we do here
We’re more focused
on women &
minorities right now
I can’t figure out what
they know how to do from
reading their resumes
They don’t have a
college education
I need someone
who can lead, not
just follow orders
I need someone with
more technical
experience
I don’t have the budget
for niche job sites or
placement firms
My positions require
certain certifications
or credentials
Why bother? They’re
just going to get called
up anyway
© 2012 The Value Of a Veteran (all rights reserved)
I’m not risking bringing
PTSD into my workplace
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Reason #1
The reason I don’t
recruit military? I
don’t think they have
the skills to do what
we do here.
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© 2012 The Value Of a Veteran (all rights reserved)
What Comes to Mind When You Think About
What We Do In The Military?
Photo Courtesy of U.S. Army
Photographer: Staff Sgt. Mike Pryor
Photo Courtesy of U.S. Army
Photographer: SPC Jeffery Sandstrum
© 2012 The Value Of a Veteran (all rights reserved)
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Veterans Have the Skills you Want to Hire
Foreign Area Specialists
Construction
Food Service
Contracting / Purchasing
Postal Operations
Marine
Specialties
HVAC
Intelligence
Media/Graphic Arts
Satellite
Plumbers
Pilots
The military has over 7,000 job
positions across more than 100+
functional areas and 81% of these
jobs have a direct civilian equivalent.
Engineers
Material
Handling
Welders
Police / Security
Air Traffic
Controllers
Lawyers
Doctors
Finance / Accounting
Telecommunications
Medical
Specialties
Mechanics
Transportation
Human Resources / Training
/ Recruiting
Machinists
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Nurses
Supply Chain / Logistics
IT / Computer
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Veterans Have the Skills you Want to Hire,
cont.
Just by serving in the military, veterans gain skills that
are transferable:
• Project management
• Personnel management
• Training/instruction
• Counseling
• Operations
• Interpersonal communication
• Leadership
• Problem solving / decision making / trouble shooting
• Process improvement
• Requirements gathering
© 2012 The Value Of a Veteran (all rights reserved)
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Reason #5
The reason I don’t
recruit military?
Many of my
positions require
candidates to have
professional
certifications or
licenses.
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© 2012 The Value Of a Veteran (all rights reserved)
Special Programs Exist to Help Service
Members Obtain Civilian Credentials
Military programs fund some or all fees for professional
credentialing exams for enlisted members
– Army Credentialing Opportunities Online (COOL)
https://www.cool.army.mil/
– Navy Credentialing Opportunities Online (COOL)
https://www.cool.navy.mil/
– Air Force Credentialing and Education Research Tool
(CERT)
https://augateway.maxwell.af.mil/ccaf/certifications/programs/
© 2012 The Value Of a Veteran (all rights reserved)
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Elements of the Business Case for Actively
Recruiting Veterans / Veterans with Disabilities
1. Veterans have the skills you
need & are an under-tapped
resource with a huge pipeline
2. Compliance – Office of Federal
Contractor Compliance
Programs (OFCCP)
3. Tax credits & other cost
savings
4. Business development
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Financial Incentives / Cost Savings Realized for
Recruiting Veterans / Veterans with Disabilities
1.
Employment tax credits
a)
b)
2.
Federal - Work Opportunity Tax Credit
(WOTC)
State – varies
Funds for training
a)
b)
State Workforce Investment Act (varies)
GI Bill
3.
Tax credits for accommodations (small
businesses)
4.
Relocation benefits
5.
Security clearances
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Cost Savings: Work Opportunity Tax Credit
Maximum WOTC for Hiring Veterans
Qualified Veteran Category
Hired on or before November
21, 2011
Hired after November 21,
2011, but before January 1,
2013
1 – Food stamp program
$2,400
$2,400
2a – Disabled and hired
within 1 year active duty
$4,800
$4,800
2b – Disabled and
unemployed ≥ 6 months
$4,800
$9,600
3 – Unemployed ≥ 4 weeks
but < 6 months
$0
$2,400
4 – Unemployed ≥ 6 months
$0
$5,600
Go to http://blog.thevalueofaveteran.com/ and search on “WOTC” for details on how to attain the credit
© 2012 The Value Of a Veteran (all rights reserved)
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Now that I know
why I should be
recruiting
veterans – how
can I identify
which veterans
will be a good fit
for my positions?
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© 2012 BigStock Photo
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An All Too Common Scenario
An Army First
Lieutenant
approaches a
recruiter at a
military career
fair…
The recruiter
says…
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“ Let me take a look
at your resume.
Why don’t you tell
me a little bit about
your experience and
what you think you
can do for our
company.”
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An All Too Common Scenario, cont.
The applicant replies:
“ I’m a 90A, and I just finished up as the S1 for the
728th. I ran the battalion PAC and was responsible
for OERs, NCOERs, awards and all eMILPO actions.
Until we came out of the box in October, I was XO for
the 308th Quartermaster Company. Before that I was
a combat transport platoon leader in charge of 45
soldiers and 13 HEMTTs and generators.
My ETS date is in two months, so I am really eager
to find out what the ‘real world’ has to offer and
where I might fit in. All of my experience is listed in
my resume.
Do you have any positions for someone like me?”
© 2012 The Value Of a Veteran (all rights reserved)
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An All Too Common Scenario, cont.
Do you have
any idea
what the
lieutenant
just said?
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First two questions to ask…
• What is your grade?
• What is your Military Occupational Code?
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Officer and Enlisted Grades
A few things to understand
about “grades” versus
“ranks”:
• Grade structure is common
across the Services
• Rank equivalent to those
grades may differ from
Service to Service
© 2012The Value Of a Veteran (all rights reserved)
Service
Rank
Grade
Army
Major
O-4
Navy
Lieutenant
Commander
O-4
Air Force
Major
O-4
Marine
Corps
Major
O-4
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Example: Grades and Descriptions
Category
Grade
Range
General Characteristics
Junior
Officer
O1 – O3
• Has between 1-4 years experience (O-1 and O-2) up to 9
years (O-3)
• Leads organizations of 40-120 employees
• Mission-focused; provides prioritization and direction to the
senior-level enlisted members for execution.
MidGrade
Enlisted
E4 – E6
• Has typically 3-15 years experience
• E-5 serves as first-line supervisor (3-6 employees);
oversees and directs day-to-day tasks of junior enlisted; E-6
typically supervises 1 or more E-5’s
• Responsible for individual training and the development ,
maintenance, and utilization of the junior enlisted member’s
potential
© 2012The Value Of a Veteran (all rights reserved)
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There are Tools to Help You Translate the
Military Jargon
O*Net Online can help you decipher these resumes
and cross-reference your hiring needs with military
skills
– Can search by
Military
Occupational Code
(MOC) (i.e., 90A)
– Can also search by
military job title (i.e.,
“Unmanned Aerial
Vehicle Operator”
– Can crosswalk
military occupation
to civilian equivalent
© 2012 The Value Of a Veteran (all rights reserved)
http://online.onetcenter.org/crosswalk/
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Use the Military Recruiting Sites for More Info on
MOCs (particularly combat arms MOCs)
•
http://www.goarmy.com/
•
http://www.navy.com/
•
http://www.airforce.com/
•
http://www.marines.com/
•
http://www.gocoastguard
.com/
© 2012The Value Of a Veteran (all rights reserved)
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Now I’ll feel
more confident
reading the
resumes and
speaking with
service
members…
Where can I find
veterans to
recruit???
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Almost a Dozen Approaches to Finding Military
Talent – Many are Free or Low-Cost
• Military placement firms
• Military job boards
• Military career fairs
• Military publications
• Military professional associations
• Military post/base transition centers
• National Guard and Reserve units
• College Campuses
• Government resources
• Non-profit groups
• Social networking sites
© 2012The Value Of a Veteran (all rights reserved)
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Military Job Boards
Companies that host military job
boards offer some or all of these
services:
• Ability to post jobs to their web
site
• Access to resume database
• Opportunities to exhibit at
military-specific career fairs
• Opportunities to advertise your
company either through web site
banners and/or printed
publications
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Military Career Fairs (Virtual & Physical)
© 2012 iStockPhoto
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Military Transition Publications
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Military Post/Base Transition Centers
Each service calls its transition center something
different:
• Army = Army Career and Alumni Program (ACAP)
• Navy = Fleet and Family Support Center (FFSC) /
Transition Assistance Program
• Air Force = Family Support Center (FSC)
• Marine Corps = Marine and Family Services / Career
Resource Management Center
• Coast Guard = Work Life Staff Transition Relocation
Manager
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National Guard and Reserve Units
The Army Reserve has a special program called the
Employer Partnership of the Armed Forces to assist
employers with finding Army National Guard and
Army Reservists to fill open positions
• Provide URL to your career website or post jobs individually
http://www.employerpartnership.org/
© 2012The Value Of a Veteran (all rights reserved)
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Government Resources
State employment agencies have Veterans
Representatives who can assist employers with
finding veteran talent:
• Disabled Veterans Outreach Program (DVOP)
specialist
• Local Veterans’ Employment Representative (LVER)
Search http://www.servicelocator.org/
to find DVOPs/LVERs servicing your
area
© 2012The Value Of a Veteran (all rights reserved)
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Government Resources, cont.
Each of the military services has a wounded warrior program,
and most of them actively seek to connect with employers who
are interested in hiring veterans with disabilities.
Army Wounded
Warrior Program
Marine Corps
Wounded Warrior Regiment
Air Force
Wounded Warrior
Navy Safe Harbor
(for Sailors and Coast Guard)
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Student Veterans
The Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) is a
college training program that produces
commissioned officers.
• Graduates have many of the same qualities as Junior
Military Officers (JMOs) (without the 30% finders fee
that placement companies charge)
– Security clearances
– Leadership
– High GPA’s
• Contact the ROTC program directly or work with your
existing contacts in the college career centers
© 2012The Value Of a Veteran (all rights reserved)
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Source 8: College Campuses , cont.
Links to colleges and universities with ROTC
programs:
• Navy -
https://www.nrotc.navy.mil/acad_addresses.aspx
• Army –
http://www.goarmy.com/rotc/find_schools.html
• Air Force http://www.afrotc.com/colleges/detLocator.php
Note: Air Force and Navy Officers have an Active Duty commitment
immediately following graduation. Army officers can choose between
Active Duty or Reserve/National Guard commitment.
© 2012The Value Of a Veteran (all rights reserved)
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Source 8: College Campuses , cont.
Check to see if your local campuses (or any campus
you normally recruit from) has a Student Veterans
of America chapter www.studentveterans.org/chapters/
To communicate your job openings /
internships / campus visits, contact the
operations director at
operations.director@studentveterans.org
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Great! Now that I
know where to
find veterans –
how do I get
them interested
in working for my
organization?
© 2012 Jupiter Images
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Components of Effective Marketing to
Veterans
1. Customized marketing collateral
2. Designated info for military on career
website
3. Means to build a relationship with your
military recruiting team
4. Opportunities to learn about your
organization and how their skills will
be of use
5. Global outreach – in person, in print,
and virtually
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Website – Designated Information Page
www.mantech.com/careers/careers.asp
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(all rights reserved)
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Website – Designated Information Page,
cont.
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http://sodexohiresheroes.com/
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Website – Cross-Reference Your Needs With
Their Skills
Display
in a
matrix
format
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(all rights reserved)
http://www.csx.com/index.cfm/working-at-csx/joboverviews/military-experience/career-opportunities/
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Website – List Upcoming Career Fairs
http://www.bnsf.com/careers/military/recruiting-events/
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Build the Relationship – Make it Easy to
Contact Your Military Recruiting Team
http://www.cintas.com/careers/
career_paths/junior_military_n
cos.aspx
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Build the relationship – Virtual Open House
Specific time for
those with a military
background to chat
with recruiters
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http://www.lockheedmartinjobs.com/chat.asp
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Use Social Media to Build the Relationship
The wall is your recruiter’s opportunity to
engage veterans by:
• Answering questions from veterans
and directing them to where they can
get more info on your website/career
page
• Congratulating new veteran hires
• Highlighting veteran employees
(testimonials or recognition of length
of service i.e., “Congratulations to Joe
Smith, XYZ Company’s distribution
manager in Seattle on being selected
for promotion to Staff Sergeant in the
US Army Reserve!”)
• Stats on your veteran hiring or
awards won (i.e., “GI Jobs just named
us a “Top Military Friendly Employer”
for the 2nd year in a row!” or “Did you
know XYZ Company hired over 400
veterans in 2011”?
© 2012The Value Of a Veteran (all rights reserved)
http://www.facebook.com/AmazonWarriors
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Use Social Media to Build the Relationship,
cont.
How to build your Military Career page following:
• Once you have created your separate Facebook profile just for
recruiting, (i.e. “Military Recruiter Lisa at XXY Company”), “Like” your
XYZ Company Careers for Military Veterans” page and make sure the
URL is in your profile info
• Search for other military groups to “like” on Facebook (stick to official
ones first – the services, military associations, military recruiting
battalions, etc.)
• Promote your new Facebook page at military career fairs, through
Twitter feed, send announcement/poster/marketing material to military
transition centers, One Stop centers (LVERs/DVOPs) and announce
in military-focused LinkedIn Groups
© 2012The Value Of a Veteran (all rights reserved)
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BONUS: Everyone who attended
today’s session receives a FREE copy of
my employer’s guide to recruiting and
retaining military
You are also invited to attend an upcoming
FREE “Ask the Military Hiring Expert”
session, offered twice a month
To see list of upcoming sessions go to:
http://www.thevalueofaveteran.com/ask_military_recruiting_expert.html
© 2012 The Value Of a Veteran (all rights reserved)
46
Now – Go
Hire Some
Veterans!
© 2012 The Value Of a Veteran (all rights reserved)
© 2012 JupiterImages
We specialize in helping
companies develop military
hiring strategies.
• Make the business case
• Sourcing
• Marketing
• Resume Translation &
Interviewing
• Retention
We do this through:
• Workshops (public, onsite,
virtual)
• Individual web seminars (prerecorded & live)
• Consulting
• Hiring guide (PDF download)
• 2x monthly “Ask the Military
Hiring Expert” sessions
(FREE!)
www.TheValueOfaVeteran.com
Lisa@TheValueOfaVeteran.com