Patricia Shiu (the Director of OFCCP) has made the enforcement of affirmative action efforts for covered veterans and persons with disabilities a top priority. Click here to read a transcript of a live Q&A session Ms. Shiu held on December 8, 2009 where she outlined the OFCCP’s priorities (and, yes, if you scroll down to 3:24 in the chat record that is yours truly asking a question about how the OFCCP plans to educate contractors on hiring veterans).  Given the unemployment rate of veterans (particularly in the 18-24 year old age group and especially women service members), the continued expansion of the active military force (most of whose members will return to civilian life at some point), the huge number of Guard and Reserve members who rotate back to civilian life and find themselves looking for new jobs, and the growing number of disabled veterans struggling to find work, it is not surprising that there is a renewed interest throughout many parts of the Federal government in improving veteran employment.

If you have read up to this point and are not convinced that this blog contains information that applies to your organization, you might be surprised to find out what kinds of employers may be required (depending on the size of the contract awarded) to comply with some level of OFCCP regulatory requirements:

• Any business with 50 or more employees and $50,000 or more in government contracts
• Construction contractors and subcontractors who hold a Federal or federally-assisted construction contract in excess of $10,000.
• Teaching hospitals doing research for a university that has a contract with the Federal government.
• Colleges/universities who have been awarded grants or contacts to do research for Federal Agencies.
• Businesses of all sizes that have been awarded American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) funds in the form of contracts or grants.

In particular with ARRA the bottom line is that if the government is giving your company tax-payer dollars to provide goods or services, it wants to know that you are making a sincere effort to employ and promote a diverse population.  That includes women, minorities, veterans and persons with disabilities.

If you are saying to yourself “Now, wait a minute – I only have to worry about my efforts in veteran outreach if my contract is over $100,000”, you would be technically correct (presuming that contract was awarded after December 1, 2003).  But if you recognized that the military demographic is over 41% non-white, almost 20% women, and includes a growing number of disabled veterans, you would quickly realize you could achieve many of your affirmative action goals just by making an effort to recruit service members in transition. Also, I would hope it is part of your long term business strategy to go after and win larger contracts/grants so you might as well begin the process now in preparation for winning “the big one”.

When it comes to outreach to veterans, many companies do the bare minimum the OFCCP requires, which is to list their job openings with their state workforce agency.  While that certainly meets the requirement, it hardly qualifies as an extensive outreach program.  Additional things an employer can do to improve outreach include:

• Provide on-the-job training opportunities to veterans
• Update your career page to attract veterans
• Reach out to veterans on campus in Reserve Officer Training Corps programs and Student Veterans of America chapters
• Host virtual open houses and communicate them to the military transition centers
• Contact the wounded warrior programs offered by each service
• Market your career web site and opportunities on social networking sites where veterans gather
• Post your jobs on military job boards or with military-focused recruiting firms and maintain records similar to what you must keep for outreach to minorities and women

(Click on any hyperlink above to read blog entries I’ve made on the topic or web seminars I offer that cover the topic or additional resources.)

To encourage employers to improve their hiring of veterans and veterans with disabilities the OFCCP came up with the Good Faith Initiative for Veterans Employment (G-FIVE).   Click here to read a blog I wrote 18 months ago on the G-FIVE.  Each December the OFCCP releases its list of organizations that have attained G-FIVE recognition.  Organizations that receive G-FIVE recognition are excluded from an OFCCP compliance evaluation for three (3) years following the date the recipient receives the rating. Companies can self-nominate to be considered for G-FIVE recognition.

If your organization has been through an OFCCP audit recently, or has applied/been considered for G-FIVE recognition, I’d like to hear about your experience and what you have discovered about outreach to veterans and veterans with disabilities.  Please be sure to comment below.

If you are not familiar with management trainee programs (MTPs), most follow a basic structure.  Selected candidates undergo:

• An orientation to the company usually lasting 1-2 weeks.
• Rotational exposure over the course of several months to a variety of jobs within a business unit or among different business units within a company.
• Hands-on work / job shadowing of a narrower selection of positions within a business unit or among a handful of different business units within a company, lasting several more months.
• Selection to work in a specific entry-level management job in a specific business unit.  This first assignment may be as a permanent hire or as a probationary hire.

The program may also involve classroom training, depending on company requirements and the nature of the work.  During the trainee period the candidate is continuously assessed and evaluated on his/her “fit” for the various jobs and the business units.  The candidate is encouraged to express their opinion on the type of work they found most interesting and the business unit where they felt most engaged.  Ideally, by the end of the process the candidate knows the type of position where they would be the strongest and the hiring manager for their favored business unit is confident the candidate will be a good addition to the team.

Management trainee programs are offered by many leading companies in a variety of industries:

• L’Oreal (cosmetics)
• Anheuser-Busch InBev (food and beverage)
• Toll Brothers (construction)
• Marriott (lodging)
• Walgreens (retail)
• Fulton Financial Corporation (finance)
• Unilever (home, personal care, and food products)

These programs are typically marketed to recent college graduates or those just about to graduate.  Oftentimes the company’s career web page has announcements of when campus visits will occur and encourages students to contact their university career centers to apply.  Some companies don’t advertise these opportunities on their web sites, simply relying on campus visits to get the word out.

What I would like to see happen in 2010 (and beyond) is more employers making an effort to recruit transitioning military service members, particularly those who are mid-level non-commissioned officers (NCOs – grade E-5 through E-7) and junior-level military officers (JMOs – grade O-1 through O-3), to apply for these programs.  I’d like to see more of these companies visiting the military transition centers and attending military job fairs in an effort to reach out to veterans and to encourage them to apply.

Think about it – veterans already have a great deal of supervisory and managerial experience:

• How many 21-year old college seniors can say they have led a team of nine workers (or more) to accomplish any significant task?  How many of them have been doing it for years and under incredibly challenging situations in austere environments?
• How many young adults have had personal and financial accountability for the people and equipment for which they were responsible?  Few civilians have experienced a report-of-survey and had their pay docked because company equipment was damaged or lost.  Few students have undergone something akin to the scrutiny of an Article 15-6 investigation or a Line-Of-Duty investigation because two of their employees were in an altercation in their living quarters.
• How many students have written performance reviews or coached employees for a promotion?
• How many 20-somethings have developed unit/team training plans and assessed others on the level of knowledge attained?

NCOs and JMOs, who are typically between the ages of 22 and 30, can say they have done all of that and more.

Military service members also have real-world experience in many industries.  Over 80% of the jobs in the military have a civilian equivalent.  There are veterans with extensive backgrounds in healthcare, logistics, transportation, IT, law enforcement/security, emergency management, project management, engineering, intelligence and human resources, to name just a few industries and fields. The area a service member will have the least hands-on familiarity with is in the actual business aspects – how this company makes/saves money – since that is one thing a veteran rarely had to be concerned with in his military job.  However, I suspect business aspects would need to be emphasized with the college students as well, so I still believe the veteran would be the stronger candidate.

Yes, companies could be attracting great candidates with supervisory/managerial experience and real-world industry experience versus candidates with little to no supervisory/managerial experience and primarily book-knowledge.  So – why don’t companies market these training programs to veterans? Most companies focus on college students because they don’t realize there is another resource of young talent with industry knowledge.  Most employers are unaware of the breadth and depth of experience our military men and women have.

If your company has a management trainee program that is not currently being marketed to veterans I encourage you to consider adding military hiring to your recruiting strategy.  If you need more information on where to find veterans or how to market to veterans I invite you to register to attend one of my web seminars on these military hiring topics.

I also recommend those employers with existing MTPs consider their choice of career site language.  Phrases like “offers recent college graduates”, and “use your degree” discourages non-commissioned officers who have not completed a degree from applying.  Unless there is a strong reason why a college degree is required (versus desired), employers are encouraged to also accept applicants with relevant experience.

Here are some examples of great organizations that do make the effort to market to military and recruit military into their management trainee programs:

1. General Electric’s Junior Officer Leadership Program, commonly known as JOLP.
2. The US Army Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) agency.
3. Con-Way

While no one is yet sure when this will translate into increased numbers of veterans applying to colleges and universities in order to pursue college degrees and/or certificates, there is no denying that interest in using the program is very high, unlike previous versions of the G.I. Bill.

So, what should colleges and universities be doing now to prepare for a return of military veterans to campus in the coming years?  This question and many more are addressed in a new 1-day workshop offered by The Value Of a Veteran. If you are a College/University Director of HR, Admissions, Student Life, Veterans Services, Office of Disabilities, or Diversity, I encourage you to go to The Value Of a Veteran website for more details on this workshop and to request a sample agenda.

But, wait a minute – isn’t this a forum for recruiters and hiring managers?  Why should we care about the new Post 9/11 G.I. Bill? You may already know that I advocate using colleges & universities as a source for hiring veterans. I cover the technique in my web seminar “Military Applicant Sourcing Options” and I have written two blog articles in this forum on the subject. Here’s how you can use knowledge of the Post 9/11 G.I. Bill and its effects on veterans applying to higher education institutions to help you recruit on campus:

Let’s say you have a recurring need to hire geospatial analysts. The ideal candidate should have a bachelor’s degree in Geospatial Intelligence (or related program), a minimum 4 years of experience, and a current security clearance. Wouldn’t it be extremely helpful to for you to know:

• Which colleges/universities offer geospatial intelligence degrees? (You may already have this information.)
• Whether those colleges/universities have created a “veteran friendly” environment to maximize the likeliness that service members will want to use their Post 9/11 G.I. Bill benefits there? (You’ll have to ask.)
• Whether those colleges/universities are marketing their geospatial degree programs to the military to attract veterans with clearances and real-world experience in geospatial intelligence? (You’ll have to ask.)
• Whether you could build/improve your relationships with those colleges/universities and offer internships or other incentives to influence those degree-seeking veterans to apply to your company?

If you determine that some of your standard sources of colleges/universities are missing the mark when it comes to attracting veterans to campus, you can let them know they are missing a huge opportunity by not actively trying to attract veterans to their degree programs. Then you can tell them to give me a call and I’d be happy to get them on the right path

The number of veterans pursuing higher education after completing service is on the rise, and is expected to explode in the coming years, thanks to the new and very generous Post 9/11 G.I. Bill (www.gibill.va.gov/S22/Post_911_Factsheet.pdf), which goes into effect in August 2009. With increased veteran presence on college campuses comes the need for learning institutions to provide services to support those military members.

Student veterans groups are popping up on campuses across the country. A driving force behind that effort is the Student Veterans of America (www.studentveterans.org). The SVA was established in January 2008 with the goals of “develop[ing] student veteran groups on college and university campuses and coordinat[ing} by region between existing groups; connect[ing] student groups with resources; [and] advocat[ing] on behalf of student veterans at the state and national level.”

The state of California created Troops to College (www.troopstocollege.ca.gov) with the express purpose of attracting more veterans to California’s public universities and colleges by making campuses more veteran friendly.

So, why should recruiters target the student veteran groups? Let’s look at the typical population of a student veteran group:

• Former service members who have separated from the military and who are now pursuing higher education.
• Military guardsmen or reservists who are on campus to build additional skills or obtain certifications.
• Active duty service members who are pursuing advanced degrees or certifications.
• Veteran’s family members or loved ones who work on campus or who are students themselves.

Employers looking to hire military can provide a service and create a recruiting link by establishing a relationship with student veterans groups. Open up a dialog with them by making it known that you are a company that values and supports military service. Be clear that you want to hire former service members, and that you embrace the opportunity to promote your company brand to this constituency. Then do just that – come to campus for career day, or sit on a career panel, or host an “open house” just for the veterans.

If you are within a 3 hour drive of the campus, invite the veterans to your location for a special “welcome veterans” event. Provide a tour of your company. Arrange for a meet-and-greet with some of your veteran-employees who can share their experience with transitioning to civilian employment and who can explain how their military skills are being utilized in a corporate job.

If your office is not near a campus, you can still send a contingent of veteran employees and a recruiter to campus for a special afternoon/evening, perhaps at a local restaurant or a catered event at a local hotel.

To find colleges and universities with a student veteran group go to www.studentveterans.org/chapterinfo/search.php.

Posted by Lisa Rosser, Author of and Speaker/Workshop Leader on The Value Of a Veteran(TM): The Guide for Human Resource Professionals to Regarding, Recruiting, and Retaining Military Veterans

]]> http://www.HireMilitary.com/2008/10/finding-military-veterans-on-college-campuses-part-2/feed/ 0 http://www.HireMilitary.com/2008/10/finding-military-veterans-on-college-campuses-part-1/ http://www.HireMilitary.com/2008/10/finding-military-veterans-on-college-campuses-part-1/#comments Mon, 06 Oct 2008 15:25:59 +0000 Lisa Rosser http://www.hiremilitary.com/?p=84 In the next two blog posts I am going to cover some innovative ideas for connecting with military veterans on college campuses. This first blog addresses Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) programs; the next will address Student Veteran Groups.

College campuses are not only great places to find eager young men and women to fill your entry level positions and summer internships – they can be great resources for finding military veterans to fill entry- and experienced-level positions.

Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) programs produce commissioned officers for the military services.

Army ROTC has a total of 272 programs located at colleges and universities (http://www.goarmy.com/rotc/find_schools.jsp) throughout the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, with an enrollment of more than 20,000. It produces approximately 60 percent of the second lieutenants who join the active Army, the Army National Guard and the U.S. Army Reserve.

Air Force ROTC is offered at over 1000 institutions (http://www.afrotc.com/colleges/detLocator.php) throughout the continental United States, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. Their graduates go directly into active service.

Navy ROTC is offered at over 160 colleges and universities (https://www.nrotc.navy.mil/colleges.cfm) and commissions officers for both the Navy and the Marine Corps. Their graduates also go directly into active service.

Why should you expend effort to recruit ROTC students? The benefit to the employer is that the students come with leadership skills, a degree, and a security clearance (critical for firms who need cleared resources). The benefit to the student is that they will gain employment with a company that understands the needs of the military veteran, demonstrates support for its veteran employees, and actively seeks to hire the military.

Army ROTC cadets find out in September whether they will be accessed onto active duty or into the Guard/Reserve, so October is a great time to reach out to those ROTC detachments and speak with the Professor of Military Science (PMS) to arrange for a visit.

While it may be tempting to request to limit your visit with only those senior-level cadets who are (1) graduating in May and (2) going into the Guard/Reserve, I encourage you to market your company to as many cadets as you can at every level and every status. You want them to form a good impression of your company so they will seek you out when they do complete their active duty tour or when they complete college in 2-3 years.

And, it may be tempting to limit yourself to Army ROTC units, since the Air Force and the Navy send their graduates directly in to active military service. For the same reasons above, I would still consider marketing your company to those cadets and midshipmen so you can begin to build brand awareness and an ongoing relationship that will lead them to seek you out when they do become available for civilian employment.

Posted by Lisa Rosser, Author of and Speaker/Workshop Leader on The Value Of a Veteran(TM): The Guide for Human Resource Professionals to Regarding, Recruiting, and Retaining Military Veterans