Happy 4th of July: Here's Why I am pissed...

(NOTE: This message initiative is one that can help so many organizations consider taking actions that will help Veterans find a home in their transition from service to civilian life. Share it, tag a Veteran, tag a business owner, or tag someone in HR. Engage, and leave your comments below.)

I am pissed. But, I think it's for the right reason. So I decided to do something about it.

A few weeks ago, I met Paul Volpe. Paul is a retired Solider of the United States Army, and former Sergeant Major. I am always excited to connect and collaborate with Veterans and it's rare that I get the chance to spend a few hours (that turned into days) with someone with such a remarkable military career. We met at a Veterans & Military Career fair, and that's where I got a little more than upset.

As we started to explore more about his organization, Forward March Inc., we both had a lot of the same concerns when it comes to hiring Veterans.

I have been to several military and Veteran hiring events in the past and I get aggravated, and frankly pissed off every time I see companies that tout "WE HIRE VETERANS!" as part of their recruiting campaigns. That's cute. That's a really nice gesture. But, seriously? Find one company in the United States that says "We DO NOT hire Veterans!" You won't find one. What you will find are companies that mean well, BUT, they don't have a plan in place to attract, hire, train, or retain such a unique and talented pool of candidates.

There are a number of organizations that get it right:

-T-Mobile is one of the latest to announce its intent to hire 10,000 Veterans and military spouses during the next five years.

-AT&T was one of the first companies to commit to hiring 20,000 Veterans by 2020.

-The Cosmopolitan (LAS VEGAS) where Paul and I met has a Blackstone Commitment to hire 100,000 veterans and military spouses by 2022.

What is the cost of not having a plan? It breaks my heart every time I hear about another Veteran who blew their brains out, simply because their transition was faced with so many adversities and challenges. I realize that not every story of Veteran suicide starts with being unemployed or underemployed. But, it certainly raises the question: How many do?

That's why Forward March Inc. has pledged to MAKE HIRING VETERANS EASY! Just as Paul and his team helped companies like Harley Davidson and HEB Foods with their military hiring programs, this week they have made the pledge to help 100 companies start and implement Veteran hiring initiatives, complete with a plan of execution. They plan to accomplish this mission by July 4th, 2020.

Using a comprehensive military hiring guide, your organization can implement tangible systems to attract, hire, and retain our nation's finest assets, our Veterans. It's easy enough that you could follow the course and implement on your own, but there are services available to support implementing a program that sticks.

YOU CAN MAKE HIRING VETERANS EASY!!!

My passion is to inspire Veterans to be successful in their transition. With a diverse background in business development, I will be working with the team at Forward March Inc. in this mission. It's not an attack on companies that don't have a plan or process in place, I realize that most organizations have no idea where to start.

When I saw how easy Paul and his team are making it to implement a program that works for companies large and small, I couldn't resist the opportunity to share this mission with my network.

Contact us today!

[email protected]

[email protected]