November 11th is Veterans Day. The federal holiday was initially dedicated – along with Armistice Day and Remembrance Day – to make the end of World War 1. The Great War, as we came to call that conflict, is for many alive today not much more than the distant sound of thunder. But the reasons for Veteran’s Day remain valid. The holiday celebrates the service of all U.S. military veterans, and these five companies all have plans in place to celebrate, honor, or employ those veterans. These companies show concern for military vets who have returned from foreign wars and have been forced to pick up their lives and careers again in midstream. It’s not always the easiest shift to make, but these companies recognize – apart from our ethical debt to them – these veterans often emerge from the armed services with highly valuable skill sets and deep regard for teamwork.
What are some specific things Salesforce is doing to support veterans?
We know that employment remains the biggest stressor for transitioning service members and their spouses, and to help connect these individuals with the growing tech industry we created Salesforce Military.
Our internal employee resource group, Vetforce, connects our global veteran population with our broader employee base. It is helping to shape how we recruit and hire veterans, and we were recently named a Military Friendly Employer as a result of these efforts.
Most recently, in a proactive approach to what is only the beginning of the ramifications of the pandemic on military family employment, Salesforce contributed $1M to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Hiring Our Heroes (HOH) — a nationwide effort to connect veterans, service members, and military spouses with employment opportunities — to fund a new Salesforce Fellowship Program that is helping to provide work to unemployed veterans and military spouses. In partnership with HOH, the Salesforce Fellowship program will allow veterans and military spouses to participate in paid, remote, 12-week fellowships at Salesforce partner and customer companies. Those selected for the fellowship will gain hands-on experience as certified Salesforce professionals that provides a competitive edge to help them prepare for a career.
Why is this initiative important to your company?
Customer success is a core value of Salesforce, and part of our customer’s success is enabling them with excellent talent. We know that service members and their spouses are incredible assets to whatever team they join, and through the Salesforce Military program we help veterans and military spouses find incredible new career opportunities.
Veterans and military spouses offer employers with unique skills that make them exemplary employees. Yet, they face many obstacles to employment every day, and it’s been extra challenging during the pandemic. The military spouse unemployment rate is four times higher than the national rate and unemployment rates for veterans are at least two times higher than the previous year. This must change.
How do veteran hiring programs give your company an edge?
Salesforce innovations are not limited to the business realm. Veterans on our teams immediately recognize ways that our products can help revolutionize and improve the functioning of government agencies. We’re proud to have partnered with multiple government agencies to improve their efficiency and effectiveness, and our veteran teammates have often been the ones who recognize the potential application of Salesforce products to help better connect these agencies to their customers.
Salesforce is committed to workforce development through a set of diverse programs dedicated to training and hiring for the jobs of tomorrow. These efforts, all of which stress equality for all, include training for thousands of veterans and their spouses.
At Salesforce, we believe that bringing together people of different races, religions, abilities, and more allows us to acknowledge different perspectives that would otherwise be missed. Veterans and military spouses have the proven ability to learn new skills and concepts. In addition, they can enter the workforce with identifiable and transferable skills, proven in real-world situations.
Check Out Salesforce’s Careers Page Here!
What are some specific things AAG is doing to support veterans?
AAG’s recruiting staff regularly attends veteran-focused career fairs and is always actively recruiting individuals who have served in the armed forces. To recognize our current veteran employees, AAG’s CEO, Reza Jahangiri, personally hosts a luncheon every November in honor of Veterans Day.
Why is this initiative important to your company?
AAG has a long history of recruiting veterans to our workforce. In fact, even our spokesperson, Tom Selleck, is a veteran himself, having served as a sergeant in the U.S. Army infantry, National Guard, from 1967-1973. This past Veterans Day, AAG partnered with Tom Selleck to release a video thanking all members of the armed services past and present.
Why do veteran hiring programs give your company an edge?
We proudly hire veterans not only for their service and dedication to our country but also because they thrive in our industry. In looking at our workforce, we discovered that some of our most successful loan officers served in the armed forces prior to joining our team.
Check Out AAG’s Careers Page Here!
What are some specific things Imprivata is doing to support veterans?
We have put a lot of focus on attracting veterans to Imprivata through outreach and partnerships.
Why is this initiative important to your company?
Diversity is very important to Imprivata, and that includes diversity in skill, thought, and experience.
Why do veteran hiring programs give your company an edge?
Though veterans’ backgrounds may not offer an exact experience match, the soft skills typically gained in the military can definitely be transferrable to a business setting. Proactive outreach is key to attracting top talent, and we believe we compete well when we are given the opportunity to talk about our culture and employee experience.
Check Out Imprivata’s Careers Page Here!
What are some specific things nCino is doing to support veterans?
nCino partners with multiple veteran transition programs in order to facilitate veteran shifts into the civilian workforce. These partnerships include Tech Qualled, a U.S military veteran training organization that teaches veterans industry-relevant concepts such as data center solutions, basic networking, cloud computing, software applications, and hands-on sales training; The Honor Foundation, which is designed specifically for Navy SEALs and the U.S. Special Operations community; and Breakline, which offers education, support and mentorship programs to help launch post-military careers. We also have a strong veteran network that grew organically as our veteran population grew, and recently formalized as our Veterans Affinity Group. This gives veterans at nCino an opportunity to network, connect, and stay active by co-sponsoring events such as a recent voter registration drive.
Why is this initiative important to your company?
nCino makes an effort to mentor, train, and hire veterans not only because it’s the right thing to do, but because veterans are a valuable talent pool that can bring unique experiences and perspectives to businesses of all kinds. At nCino, we are committed to hiring people who embody our culture and core values, such as “Do the right thing,” “Respect each other,” and “Bring your A-game,” which all align well with the military’s values of duty, honor, respect and selfless service.
Why do veteran hiring programs give your company an edge?
Software doesn’t write, build, or sell itself, and nCino is lucky to have veterans who are leveraging their skills across all levels and departments in the company to help us transform the financial services industry. Whether they’re coding a solution, leading a sales team, or implementing a large scale digital transformation project, nCino can always count on its veterans to go above and beyond.
Check Out nCino’s Careers Page Here!
What are some specific things Choice Hotels is doing to support veterans?
Since 2018, we’ve had a partnership with Operation Homefront, a national nonprofit with a mission to build strong, stable, and secure military families so they can thrive. We jumped in to help Operation Homefront when the COVID-19 pandemic began by providing Choice Privileges points donations towards hotel rooms to help families that were displaced from their housing, an effort that was amplified by our incredibly generous loyalty members. We have a long history of enhancing the diversity of our ownership base through our one-of-a-kind emerging markets development team, which helps underrepresented individuals, including veterans, enter the rewarding business of hotel franchising. We provide special incentives and financial assistance to veteran entrepreneurs who want to build a legacy by joining the Choice Hotels family. Lastly, we have 11 resource groups that reflect the diversity of our organization. It’s fitting that we recognize our veteran’s resource group, VALOR, which stands for “Veterans are Loyal Organizational Resources.” Through VALOR, our dedicated associates have started an annual company tradition of collecting and assembling bicycles to donate to Operation Homefront, a tradition that will continue this year, with important pandemic-related modifications.
Why is this initiative important to your company?
Americans owe so much to our service members who protect our freedom at home and abroad, which is why we’re dedicated to leveraging the power of Choice Hotels to create a bright future for veterans
Why do veteran hiring programs give your company an edge?
While we do not have an official program in place we believe that our corporate culture should reflect the diverse world in which we live and the diverse guests and franchisees who we serve. We empower our associates to advance their careers by providing them with access to networks, resource groups, and other tools that promote career development and cultural awareness.
Check Out Choice Hotels’ Careers Page Here!