Highlights from the SHRM 2010 Military Event; What Employers Need to Know About the New DOL Job Corps Demonstration Project for Veterans

Kudos to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) for incorporating a new session at its annual conference which focused on issues surrounding military veterans entering or returning to the civilian workforce.  The 2010 Annual Conference and Expo, which concluded on June 30th in San Diego, offered a modified 2-day program entitled “Military Veterans: Transitioning [...]

“The Unemployed Need Not Apply” – Why Companies with That Attitude are Hurting Veterans

There was huge buzz earlier this week around an article in the Huffington Post entitled “Disturbing Job Ads: ‘The Unemployed Will Not Be Considered’”.  Apparently there are companies out there (and not just small employers, but some big names as well) that have decided it is easier to filter out potential applicants by using that [...]

Why Tomorrow’s Best Business Intelligence Analyst / Specialist is Currently Wearing Camouflage, Covered in Sand and Toting a Rifle

When I talk to employers about the business benefit of hiring military veterans as part of their talent acquisition strategy, it’s a pretty easy sell, especially when I describe service members who have engineering, management, technician, human resources, healthcare, IT or security skills.  The one group that most employers think has little relevance to what [...]

Hiring JMOs: JMOs are the way to go

I was speaking with a client recently who had worked with Bradley-Morris, Inc. (BMI) before and had just joined a new company. He contacted us in pursuit of hiring JMOs (Junior Military Officers that are transitioning out of the military into a civilian career). He’d obviously had a good experience which I asked him to [...]

A Call for Associations to Step Up for Veterans Employment: My Challenge to SHRM, APPA, and Others

I spend most of my time talking to recruiters and hiring managers about hiring military veterans.  When we get to the discussion on where to find veterans to hire, occasionally I am asked why service members don’t post their resumes with the professional associations from which employers hire.  For example, if an employer needs to [...]

Fortune magazine article on the value of recruiting military talent

Fortune magazine ran a good piece regarding what many readers of HireMilitary.com are already aware of: The high return on investment of recruiting military talent for roles in corporate America. These lines sum up the article: “Veterans reentering the civilian workforce are increasingly finding a warm welcome. That’s especially true for young officers who have [...]

OFCCP Audits: How Will You Answer the Outreach to Veterans and Persons with Disabilities Questions?

I’ve recently come across some LinkedIn discussions, blogs and articles on Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) audits.  The one thing that seems to be catching HR professionals by surprise during the audits is the OFCCP’s interest in their company’s demonstrated outreach to veterans and persons with disabilities. Patricia Shiu (the Director of OFCCP) [...]

Why JMOs for leadership / management positions?

Here’s another recent client question: I was asked why Junior Military Officers (JMOs) are better prepared than their civilian contemporaries for leadership positions in the private sector. This was easy to explain – JMOs have not only supervised individuals ranging from their teens to their 40s but they have written and delivered annual performance evaluations. [...]

Why “on-base” military job fairs?

Hi, I’m Marla Smith.  In my “day job”, I help employers connect with military job seekers, so I hope I can answer some questions here as well as the other contributors. A recruiter asked me this week, “Why should I focus more attention on military job fairs that take place on the military installations as [...]

A Simple Career Page Update any Employer (Civilian or Government) Can Make to Attract Military Veterans to Apply

I am counting down to the magic date of March 9, 2010.  What is so special about March 9th?  According to the Presidential Executive Order 13518 “Employment of Veterans in the Federal Government” that is the date by which each Federal agency must establish a Veterans Employment Program Office (VEPO).   The VEPO is required to [...]