by Guest Blogger Walter R. McCollum, PhD
Sr. Director Organizational Development HONOR National Chair
with contributions from Anthony Scarpino, Sr. Director Talent Acquisition and HONOR Membership Chair. You may also be interested in the companion post here.
The theme of this year’s meeting is “The Impact of Mentorship on Veteran Transition.” While mentorship programs can benefit all types of employees, veterans are particularly in need of this resource to smoothly navigate their way back into an unfamiliar civilian work environment. Several years of being away from an office setting, adjusting to new business practices or equipment or maybe adjusting to a new disability, all can make starting a new job even more stressful. Employers who can assist veterans in making this transition, reap the benefits of a talent pool that can quickly master new tasks and lead high performing teams that overcome adversity to achieve their objectives.
But not all veterans are created equal. In this post, I will focus on transitioning career veterans and officers who enter the civilian workforce after years, and sometimes a career of service in the military (you can read my thoughts on "young vets" on the Sodexo Workforce & Diversity blog).
A career in the armed services can span a variety of roles and specialties with increasing rank. Some may receive highly specialized training with sophisticated equipment and technology and high ranking officers are among the most sought after candidates for leadership positions. As a group, the unemployment rate for veterans with a college degree is about 4-5% which is slightly better than non-veterans with a degree.
Employers who aggressively recruit from the US military typically seek the officers and technical specialists through outreach to professional service organizations, personal networks and in some cases, Transition Assistance Programs. Job opportunities are online and describe the specific attributes of military service that will lead to success in the civilian role. Military friendly employers implement training programs for recruiters and hiring managers to search for and recognize the important skills and experiences sometimes hidden in the military jargon of a veteran resume.
Career veterans benefit from military to civilian transition programs as much as their younger, enlisted counterparts. Years of operating in a military, authoritative highly structured environment does not always translate easily to the participative management styles of the civilian workforce though even the armed services are improving in that regard. Like non-veterans, veteran employees will want to utilize management development programs that help them grow with the company.
Mentoring is an effective recruitment and retention tool for this important population demographic. At Sodexo, one-on-one mentoring relationships will help build awareness among Sodexo employees of the valuable training, experience and insights that veterans can contribute to our company’s growth and success. Ultimately, this connection will enhance an atmosphere of mutual understanding, respect, and support.
Each year on Veterans’ Day we celebrate the bravery of those who have served. In addition to our thanks, many employers will also extend opportunity and support to these deserving heroes. Will your company be one of them?
1 comments:
I had visited the provided link http://www.sodexousa.com/usen/careers/diversity/network/Copy_of_igen.asp, It's really awesome! Mark!Thanks for sharing such a wonderful article. It’s hard to digest but eventually it helps!
Post a Comment