Tag: job

You hired a veteran, but how do you keep him?

According to a survey by VetAdvisor and Syracuse university, a full 65% of veterans leave their first civilian job within two years.  Usually at CONUS Battle Drills we focus on how the veteran can improve their position, but in this case, I want to send a shout out to folks out there hiring veterans and give them some tips.

At first glance, that statistic can deter you from even considering hiring a vet because of the costs of turnover, but there are some significant benefits that these people bring that make them excellent employees.  They are disciplined, on time, courageous, leaders with integrity and incredible work ethic.  They will accomplish tasks at what seems like impossible timelines, and they aren’t afraid to give you bad news, two qualities that are exceptionally rare in the civilian world.  They are fiercely loyal and if they have a problem you can be sure they will tell you about it…and bring a solution as well. I strongly believe you should always look at the veteran community when making hiring decisions for all these reasons, but you have to control that turnover rate.

Make a Career Plan

Before I had even pinned on my Lieutenant bars, I knew what my career would look like from my first platoon leader time all the way to retirement and the key jobs in between.  I could set career goals early on and work to achieve those goals.  Every move I made was calculated towards achieving those goals.  This is something that is greatly lacking in the civilian workplace.  For years I asked my superiors and mentors to no avail, all they ever said is “there is no real path”.  Turns out this wasn’t exactly true.   By picking up little bits of information as I went along, I was able to determine some key jobs titles that I would need to move forward.  So if you have hired a veteran, you need to have a career path of some sorts planned out for them, or be ready to give them some tips and key positions in their advancement.  The job they are in can’t look like a dead end and they need to know that there are future challenges ahead, this will keep them excited.

It also helps to know salary ranges with responsibilities.  For some reason human resources departments try and keep this information top secret which I have never understood.  The lowest private can see what his commander makes every month, and he can look at those salaries and make a determination where he wants his career to go. We come from a place where everyone wears their pay grade and qualifications on their chest, and we can all see how much the other guy makes.  The secrecy with which civilians deal with pay grades and salaries makes no sense, but I don’t want to fight for a promotion or a position if the pay isn’t worth the sacrifice in my opinion, and it’s better to know that before getting the job.

Training

The dismal on-boarding process that I have observed in many civilian companies is incredibly frustrating.  When the military takes someone on, they spend months training them to be a soldier, then more months training them in their initial entry job, then as they get promoted, there are other schools and training they have to go through in order to pin on the next rank.  When they aren’t deployed, they are training, train, train, train, train, train.  Civilians are terrible at training.  If you want to get the most out of the veteran you just hired and experience all the benefits I outlined early on, you have to train them how to do the job; a week of safety presentations and powerpoints is not it.

One way to develop a training plan is to list out the qualities that you are looking for in the job that you are hiring for.  What skills does this person need to have?  What programs do they need to know?  Who do they need to meet?  List those things out and give them to your veteran with a plan on how to have them “certified” in every item within the first 3 months.  This will provide a goal and help you work with them as they integrate.

Establish a Veteran Community

Hopefully this isn’t your first veteran hire, so there should be other folks in your company that have successfully made this transition.  We don’t usually shout from the rafters about our service, so you typically have to get to know us to find out that we have worn the uniform.  As a hiring manager, I assume you know the people around you and can introduce your new veteran hire to some senior veterans in your organization.  I can’t tell you how important this is.  There are questions that your veteran has about the differences between civilian life and the military that you are not prepared to answer.  Meeting someone else also establishes a support network of like-minded individuals.  Many of the questions your veteran has, someone else in your organization has already struggled through.

During our entire time in service, we always had a buddy.  One other man who had our back and we were accountable to each other.  We looked after each other’s gear and health.  We grew up in that world, and entering a different world where our jokes don’t make sense and we don’t have anyone out there looking out for us can feel very lonely.  This is going to decrease job satisfaction, and if there doesn’t seem to be a good career path and we have no idea what we’re doing because we haven’t been trained, then we’re going to find another job.  So establish a veteran community and some way of putting these veterans in contact with each other.

Even after you do all these things, you might still lose some veterans, don’t take it personal.  One of the four big questions I am always telling folks getting out is, “Do you know what you want to do?”  Too many folks get out without answering that question and some honestly don’t know.  Maybe they think they can leave the adrenaline junky job behind but find out after a year or two behind a desk that they can’t find joy in their life without chasing bad guys.  That’s on them, but if you want to take that 65% turnover rate and drop it into the single digits, you need to Have a Career Path, Make a Training Plan, and Establish a Veteran Community.

-LJF

 

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The 4 Big Questions and Your Transition Plan

Getting out of the military is a huge deal.  You are changing your career, your community, your location, everything.  Not planning properly is a quick way to fuck up your life for years to come.

Here is the chain of failure that I see often repeated among too many veterans:

  • Get out without a financial plan
  • Move “back home”
  • Results in unemployment or underemployment
  • Financial troubles result in marriage problems
  • Marriage breaks results in divorce
  • Relationship with kids is strained resulting in isolation
  • Isolation and depression result in substance abuse
  • Substance abuse and depression lead to suicide

Obviously this isn’t always the case, no problem is that simple, but for many veterans this is indeed true, and we can break this chain if we prepare you for transition, or even after your transition.

Enter the 4 Big Questions

  1. Are you Financially ready to get out?
  2. Do you know WHY you are getting out?
  3. Do you know Where you want to live?
  4. Do you know What you want to do?

If you answer these four questions, you will invariably make a plan for your transition.  If you’ve already gotten out, you can use these questions to MAKE a plan and then work towards it.  If you can take care of the external stressors in your life:  marriage, finances, work, etc, then taking care of the internal stressors like PTSD becomes much easier.  If you get a job tomorrow, that problem is fixed overnight; you’re not going to have the same success wrestling the demons in your mind.

Question 1- There is a ton of information out there on making a budget. Personally, I think Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University was an outstanding tool.  If you don’t want to pay for it, there’s probably a class going on in a church near you.  I’ve never personally met the guy, but everything I learned about finances, I’ve learned from him.  Bottom line is this:  You need to know where every dollar you make is going, and have a plan for every dollar

I really like things presented simply, and Ramsey’s 7 Baby Steps are just that:

  1. Save $1,000
  2. Pay off Debt (except the house)
  3. 3-6 month fund
  4. Invest 15%
  5. Save for College
  6. Pay off Home
  7. Give

Question 2- At some point after you get out, you’re going to look back at your time in the military and miss it.  If you have a bad reason for getting out, that thought is going to nag at you.  Bad reasons include but are not limited to:

  • My 1SG is an asshole
  • I hate PT formations
  • The command climate is toxic
  • Fort Polk is a shithole
  • My wife hates the military

That last one sets a lot of people off, but if you love being in the military, and she hates it, you are going to resent her for “making” you get out and that is going to cause major problems in the relationship you are trying to save by getting out.  I don’t have the right answer for you here, sorry, but you two need to talk.

Here is a great write up from Chad on answering this question

Question 3- I know you want to go back home.  You have fond memories of your childhood, and you miss being around your family.  If you can’t find a job, however, going back home is the worst possible thing you can do to yourself and your family.  I have talked about decision gates as a way to find a middle ground here:

12 months out:  I want a job in Athens, GA

9 months out:  I want a job within 4 hours of Athens, GA

6 months out: I want a job in the southeast United States

3 months out: I want a job anywhere in the US

You move to the next gate if you have had no success at the previous one.  Also, get a fucking headhunter.

Question 4- You are starting a new career and a new life.  It’s your chance to do whatever you want.  Seriously, your MOS should NEVER be a limiting factor in looking for your next career.  If you don’t want to do your MOS for the rest of your life then don’t.  Being a veteran, you bring a lot of things to the table that are hard to find in the civilian world, your MOS is not one of them.

In Conclusion

Alright, so you made it through this article, you’re on the right track.  Take this seriously and now go back and click the links provided and read those.  Then go back and answer the questions, and make sure if you’re married that answering them is a joint effort.

Now you have a plan, go execute and congratulations on this next phase in your life!

-LJF
 

For more information on transition, get the highly rated book on Amazon:

Diggin In

Dig In!

No, I am not referring to the joyous activity that followed a Thanksgiving Day prayer for the meal.

I am talking about the other ‘memorable’ activity. The one every Infantryman, Marine, Ranger, and SOF Operator would like to forget.

Now, I recognize not every veteran was a ‘ground pounder’ and some of you may not have a clue of what I am talking about. That painful memory of ‘Diggin In’ every night I suppose is one (of many) things that we alone, we knuckle draggers, have the pleasure of experiencing in our careers. I know every devil dog, 11 bang bang, or operator knows exactly what I am talking about. You guys got up close and personal with dirt at some point. Before I move on I want to say that I am convinced that you all are truly children of God:

“then the Lord God formed the man out of the dust of the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” Genesis 2:7

For the rest of you, ‘Diggin’ In’ is a referral to the process of literally digging a hole in the ground big enough for you and maybe a battle buddy to fit in. Whether you called them defensive or fighting positions the intent was the same….to reduce your chances of being shot and subsequently holding your position. A well established fighting position would offer both cover and concealment thereby giving you an advantage from an approaching enemy. It sounds sexier than it really is. In fact, it is a painfully laborious activity that is typically done without payoff (until it does).

I am pretty sure I hated ‘Diggin’ In’ even when I knew the purpose of the act. But I am here to say that you should embrace the principle and understand the value of it going into civilian life too.

You need to bust your rear end in all arenas of life if you want to be successful and that includes doing the simple tasks right as well as regularly.

I personally chose to go into agriculture after I separated from the Army. It was a good fit for me. I am not saying that it would be a good fit for everyone but for those of you who haven’t considered that route yet, let me give you my quick sales pitch.

There are a lot of things that translate directly over from the military to farming, especially for us ‘ground pounders.’ You don’t make much money, you get to get up really early and bust your back before breakfast, you eat that hardy breakfast and then go straight into planning your next field exercise (then execute). You don’t worry about falling asleep because just like in your fox hole, the sweat on your brow, the calluses on your hands and the dirt under your finger nails will ensure a restful slumber. You’ll probably have to work weekends and holidays too. Bad weather will impact your day. A few people will think what you are doing is cool but most won’t even know who you are or think twice about what you are doing (or what you provide them). So yeah, if that doesn’t sell you on farming I am not sure what will.

Ok, maybe farming is about as dumb as joining the military and requesting combat arms. Then again, I was never the smartest guy. Just a cocky, hard working fool, who believed in what I was doing, and slept well at night. I guess not all that much has changed for me.

In all seriousness though, even if you don’t replace the sickle of death with a sickle of harvest be of the mindset that “Diggin In” is just part of living.

Sure, you can choose to blow off responsible actions to have an easier closure to your day but the man who works harder and longer will be the victor. Choosing not to dig in is the easy thing to do but the day you must defend your position you’ll probably wish that hard and mundane task had been perfected.

So whether you are going to be a plow man, computer man, sales man, news man, or whatever….get out your e-tool and get to work. Spend a few extra moments with your children (where they are actually the center of your attention), put money away into a retirement account, do your best no matter the level of position in a new career, etc. You won’t see immediate value but trust me, they are worth doing. And to top it all off, Life will be similar to your leaders and instructors in that you will often be placed in some rocky or swampy situation. Stay the course.

The author of CBD is giving you some pointers on how to establish, improve, and protect your fighting position. I hope you are able to benefit from them and develop healthy habits that could save your life.

As for me and the author. You may not see us or know us but if you just stop and listen you’ll certainly hear us in the dark. We are the clanging of shovels to your left and right. We are ‘Diggin In’ too.

-CWS

 

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Our Next Mission

Are you tired and frustrated with the current job market?  I think it falls to us now, the “Warrior Class,” to once again answer the call of our nation.  It is up to us to change the landscape of our country’s economy.  That’s where CONUS Battle Drills and companies like Lucas Group come into play.  We cannot change it from the outside, but we can enter into Corporate America and into positions of authority in order to hire more of our veteran brothers and sisters.  If we outperform our counterparts and move into positions which allow us to influence and develop the hiring practices of the company then that is where we can make real change.  We will not only be helping the veteran community but the American economy as well.  It seems all too often once we transition, we forget all about the others going through the struggle to land a great career opportunity.  We don’t want to lose that sense of teamwork and camaraderie, the sense of taking care of your buddy.  Your performance everyday at your job sets the conditions for the next group of transitioning veterans.  You don’t have to be the CEO to make this change.  Be the employee who your bosses use as the model for all future hires.  They are going to look at your background and realize that what sets you apart from others is most likely your military service.  Regardless, you can’t be that employee until you get your foot in the door.  Be humble, be gracious, and be better than anyone you’re up against.  Prepare effectively for your transition.  Save money, network as much as possible, and chase opportunities over location or titles.  Become an expert at interviewing.  It’s like PT: you can’t skip PT everyday and expect to score a 300 on the APFT.  The only thing you can control in this process is your own attitude.  Here are a few lessons learned from helping veterans for the last 10 years to help set your expectations.

#1 – You need to go where the opportunities are.

A FORTUNE 500 Company doesn’t concern itself about your preference on location.  They are looking for the right person who is willing to go where they are needed (sound familiar?).  Go where you can help the company/team the most.  You don’t need to be open to relocating anywhere in the world, but be as open as you possibly can. I promise it will be better than Fort Benning, Fort Bragg, Fort Sill, etc…

 

#2 – You’re not worth $100K right now.

It doesn’t matter what Unit you were in or how many badges and ribbons you earned.  You are entering into this new corporate career with nothing but potential and raw talent. This is important, but it’s not everything.  If a Private enlists at 32 years old with a college degree and work experience, the Army is not going to make them a Company Commander.  The same rules apply in the corporate sector. Most job opportunities are not going to pay $100K to start, because you don’t have the industry experience or the institutional knowledge yet.  However, you will learn very quickly and, as you get better, you will be compensated for it.  I advise candidates I’m working with to have a long term goal of becoming the person you were in your last unit after 3-4 years.  You were the person who people knew could get the job done, had a network of people who could rally in any circumstance, and you were someone who could be counted on to do the job right and on time.  That’s the person everyone wants to hire, and you know you already are that person.

#3 – Get your foot in the door.

If you are lucky enough to land a career with a FORTUNE 100 or 500 Company seize these opportunities. My first boss, mentor, and fellow Infantryman here at Lucas Group, Andrew Hollitt, would say “you should be willing to clean the toilets at a company like this”. I always found that funny, but the longer I do this the more I think it’s true.  Most of folks have no idea how many positions a big company fills every year internally.  The opportunities you see on the job boards or LinkedIn are the ones they’re struggling to fill.  Once you are hired, you’ll see how many places and directions you can go.  I’ve placed job candidates just like you as productions supervisors and a year later they’re in Human Resources, Information Technology, Research & Development, etc.…  That never happens if you don’t get your foot in the door.  As Wayne Gretzky once said, “you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”

This section is for those of you who have already transitioned.  I’ve been placing veterans for the past 10 years at Lucas Group, yet it always surprises me how little we hear from folks again when it’s their turn to hire.  The entire veteran community needs your help!  If you’re already out there in the workforce, hire a Veteran and, more importantly, set the conditions for his/her success.  Your example sets the tone for future hires.  It is so disheartening when we place a candidate and after 3 months on the job they make a poor decision, such as failing a drug test.  Do you think that company is ever going to be excited to hire another veteran with that as a previous experience?  That person has made it harder for future veterans to get a job there.  We can never hire enough of our brothers and sisters.  It’s like Army Transportation, “There’s always room for one more!”

Spend money where veterans are employed and with companies who support Veteran causes.  That’s our power as consumers.  I love companies such as Ranger Up, ART 15 Clothing, Grunt Style, The Chive, and I spend my money there.  I can buy t-shirts and hoodies anywhere, but I’d rather spend my money knowing it’s going to companies that are veteran owned and operated and/or support our community.  That is one of the most effective ways we can create real change.

We can find plenty to complain about with the current job market, our current jobs, etc., or we can roll up our sleeves and get to work.  It’s really one of the only choices we have.  It requires real hard work and, as veterans, we know that none of us are allergic to hard work!  We have the ability to change lives and to make Veterans feel needed and wanted.  Maybe it will help some of our brothers and sisters feel valued and needed enough to help prevent the rampant suicides we see amongst our veteran family. Maybe it will provide a fellow veteran with the means to take amazing care of his/her family and help him/her to be a better parent or spouse.  We are capable of this and so much more.  Let’s get to work!

-EC

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