Corporate America Prepared for Vets?
(Austin, Texas) – First Lady Michelle Obama’s October 19 announcement for 270 companies to hire 25,000 Veterans and military spouses by the end of 2013.
In addition President Barack Obama launched an initiative Tuesday to hire 8,000 Veterans in community health centers over the next three years.
Veterans, because of their military values and desired skills, are vital to the success of the civilian workforce; however, today’s Veterans include a special population due to their roles in the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts.
“Veterans are critical to public and private organizations,” said Serena Hayden, a disabled Veteran and Director of Strategic Initiatives for I SUPPORT VETS (ISV). “Their leadership skills, ability to make decisions, teamwork, and their endurance to triumph under adversity are only the beginning of the values Veterans bring to the workforce.
“But they also have a different culture due to their military service. In order for them to be most effective and efficient in the workplace, it is necessary that their unique values are understood,” she continued. “And it is important that the companies committed to hiring Veterans not only understand the culture, but are able to transition those values into long-term employment.”
Through ISV’s Corporate Training, organizations gain enhanced employee relations, increased diversity awareness, and improved productivity with reduced turnover.
The training focuses specifically on four areas to improve the recruiting and retention of Veterans in the workforce. The areas include a military cultures overview, de-coding a military resume, conducting successful interviews, and retention of Veterans in the workplace.
ISV uses a case-based approach to develop online and onsite education programs focused on military cultures and the values Veterans bring to communities nationwide. The modules are designed by Veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, as well as the Persian Gulf Wars, Bosnia, and Kosovo.
“Countless Veterans have never experienced working in the public or private sectors because they chose to wear the uniform and serve our country,” Hayden said. “ISV is dedicated to educate these committed corporations because the need for successful re-entry of our Veterans to the civilian population should be priority.”