TransForce, Hiring Our Heroes and Air Products recently partnered to assist mid-sized trucking companies in scaling their military talent acquisition efforts in an online 90 minute educational session.
The event, held virtually on February 26th, drew an audience of more than 150 motor carriers. An expert led panel highlighted key findings from Hiring Our Heroes and TransForce's most recent edition of The Veteran Hiring Guide, before diving into practical tips and tools companies can leverage to succeed with a veteran hiring program.
Key Learnings from the event
The veteran community is a growing and vital resource for the transportation industry.
Hiring Our Heroes President, Eric Eversole kicked off the 90-minute virtual event to highlight the critical role veterans play in the American workforce.
In fact, transportation companies are noticing and turning to the military community more than ever. Private fleets alone have doubled their recruiting efforts from this talent pool year over year according to the National Private Trucking Council.
Although mid-sized trucking companies may face certain challenges to effectively tap into and recruit from this talent pool, there are a vast set of resources available to help companies accelerate and win.
Companies and veterans must meet in the middle to succeed together.
Many organizations view themselves as "Veteran Friendly" and are more than willing to welcome veterans into their organization at various levels. But few organizations go the extra mile to ensure their organization is truly "Veteran Ready". What's the difference?
A veteran ready organization:
- Has a clear value proposition for military veterans on their website, and embedded in their operations.
- Values and supports mentorship for veterans who work in their companies.
- Tailors job content to speak to the military community and encourage applications even if the individual does not perceive themselves to meet the full criteria.
- Relies on approved Apprenticeship Programs, like Troops Into Transportation, to staff and employ veterans, ensuring veterans receive full benefits of their G.I. Bill.
- Where possible, applies for the Apprenticeship Programs and Fellowship Programs offered from the public sector and puts them to use.
- Where possible, places a military veteran in charge of military recruitment programs.
Businesses need to do the research, talk the talk and showcase their expertise to build rapport with this talented pool of skilled workers.
Military veterans should keep an open mind, explore opportunities and take advantage of their network to weigh and assess potential career paths. The opportunities in the transportation sector are vast and fruitful!
Rather than reinvent the wheel, companies will find success by working with private and public sector resources.
Recruiting military talent is extremely beneficial to companies of all sizes - but unique challenges are present. Strict transitory timelines for veterans and geographic dispersion can make it difficult for companies to find talent that suits their organization. Cost to open new recruiting channels and develop internal resources may also be prohibitive.
Instead of reinventing the wheel, companies of all sizes can massively benefit from partnerships with key players who already have effective relationships and recruiting programs in the military community.
Key Resources and Contacts:
- Hiring Our Heroes - Hiring events and fellowship programs
Adam Rocke (arocke@uschamber.com) - Troops Into Transportation - Talent acquisition solutions for companies employing CDL certified Military Veterans
Gene Nelson (gnelson@transforce.com) - FASTPORT - Recruitment, retention and apprenticeship program support
Dave Harrison (dave.harrison@fastport.com)
In Practice: How Air Products Developed a Successful Veterans Hiring Strategy
Mark Motter, Director, Americas Business Mgmt & Supply Chain at Air Products, discusses how the company transitioned from "Veteran Friendly" - with a passive military hiring program, to "Veteran Ready".
Starting with driving roles, sourced and hired through TransForce's Troops into Transportation program, Air Products now employs a robust veteran hiring strategy across their organization.
Learn More
Ready to put military veterans to work for your business? With CDL campuses on military bases nationwide, TransForce can help you establish a program to find, employ and retain CDL certified military veterans.
