Military picks up relo costs
Memo:
I received the following letter from a reader and I thought you should be informed of its content.
For sure, now we are in uncharted waters with the War in Iraq, pending confrontation with North Korea, the complex situation involving Israel and the related political problems throughout the Middle East, and “homeland security concerns” about the apparent “sleeper cells” located throughout the world. Now is the time for continued alertness and continued tight security yet without compromising the civil liberties, the very thing that the US has become a beacon of hope in the world.
No one knows for sure how long the war situation confronting Terrorism, and the related turmoil and tension in the Middle East will last, however one thing for certain is that our troops will rotate and return home at some point.
Unlike the Vietnam Era, our soldiers today are among the most educated and highly trained employees available. I salute the troops for their dedication and sacrifice, loyalty, and the obvious great display of training and success; and join in honoring those who died and wounded.
Would you please help educate employers on the benefits of attracting these men and women while showing support for our veterans. It’s important to let them know that they will be in demand when they return home.
Use the following information to gain a deeper understanding and to share with your contacts the benefits of tapping this extraordinary talent pool, while benefiting yourself.
Please do not hesitate to contact me or the author of this letter and of the idea, Mr. Bill Gaul, by phone, 1-619-696-8700 or by email, bgaul@destinygrp.com if you have any further questions.
Thank you for reading this.
Ed Cohen, Publisher & Editor
GLOBAL HR NEWS
Today’s soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines differ significantly from their predecessors: Each has volunteered for service, and in return, been exposed to technology and leadership opportunities never before available. Many are on ‘active duty’, military parlance for full-time, while others are ‘reservists’, citizen-soldiers who place their personal and professional pursuits on hold to serve our Nation.
Meet Evan Blanco, devoted husband and father of two. Evan was the VP of Strategic Planning/Projects for a large telecommunications company in Chicago. He’s also an Army Reserve officer. With four days notice, Evan received the call to report for duty immediately; his planning skills were needed to support the US Army Ground Intelligence Center and CENTCOM. Evan knew this was a possibility being in the reserves, and trained and prepared his department managers for such an occurrence.
Even after reporting for duty, Evan held weekly conference calls with his employees to ensure operations continued to run smoothly in his absence.
In exchange, his employer made up his pay differential for three months since he suffered a 65% pay cut when he put his uniform back on.
Fortunately for Evan, his wife is a veteran ‘Army wife’ and knows how to cope with long deployments, but not without difficulty.
Evan is the exception rather than the rule. Many families have been forced to look to extended family or public assistance to survive after the loss of income. While each story is different, in nearly every case the service member went willingly, and would do it again if called.
What compels people to make such sacrifices?
Why would someone that has settled into a comfortable life put themselves and their families through such hardships?
It is hard to explain if you have never served, but there is a thread of honor, service, and duty, which runs through every person who has served our country, and they recognize that the successes and comforts they enjoy are the result of the sacrifices made by our brothers and sisters in arms.
They are not content to “let someone else do it.”
When called, they answer, they go. When their mission is successfully completed, they come home. And when they come home, they bring unique experiences not available from any other source, experiences that can transform your company.
Looking back in history, during World War II, Colonel ‘Tex’ Stanton assembled a team of ten bright young officers who “knew something about data, information, facts and statistics” to manage the challenge of growing the US Army Air Corps from less than 1000 planes to over 50,000.
This endeavor came to be known as statistical control, and was the foundation of the Air Corps’ management system.
After the war, Stanton was hired by the troubled Ford Motor Company to respond to the challenges of shifting from wartime production of tanks and aircraft to meet the demands of the new post-war prosperity.
Stanton couldn’t do it alone – he reached out to the team he’d assembled to tackle the Herculean logistical challenge faced by a wartime nation. He called on veterans, the same ten officers who’d transformed the Army Air Corps’. The so-called “Whiz Kids” turned the limping company around and built it into one of the world’s powerhouses. In total, these ten men served Ford for a total of nearly 150 man years. Of the ten, two became presidents of Ford: Robert McNamara (who went from being president of Ford to secretary of defense and then chief of the World Bank), and Arjay Miller (who after retirement from Ford became Dean of Stanford Business School).
While there are many reasons this group of ten were successful, it’s important to point out that before they changed American business they were successful members of the armed forces, applying their intelligence, creativity and leadership in service to our country.
Today, 21st-century “whiz kids” are proudly serving in our armed forces, waiting to be discovered.
They’re leading infantry companies with the Army and Marines; managing the execution of the most complex and precise logistics undertaking in the history of modern military operations; or flying strategic and tactical aircraft on grueling missions.
Today’s companies are finding their competitive edge by tapping transitioning military personnel The time to develop an effective military recruiting strategy has already begun, and it would be wise to brand your company now as a “Military Friendly Employer”. Don’t be caught on the sidelines watching our veterans returning home and going to work for your competitors.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR AND HIS COMPANY
If you’re ready to find “Whiz Kids” consider tapping experts in this field to assist you such as The Destiny Group www.destinygroup.com
The Destiny Group provides a military-to-civilian transition application for transitioning and former military service members, and has been selected three times as one of the TOP 50 career websites in the world, and the only one that specializes in this niche to have been selected by CAREERXROADS for this honor. Destiny offers customized career postings, a resume database, nationwide hiring forum events, Military SkillsTranslator and an online Military Mentor Network tool, in cooperation with www.Military.com
To learn more about hiring members of the guard and reserve, the ESGR (Employers Support of the Guard and the Reserve) has done an excellent job of building a website www.esgr.com to answer all of your questions. On the site you’ll see the logos of many employers that have gone far above what’s expected, and have supported our troops and their families, not just because “it makes them look good”, or “keeps them out of trouble”, but morally it has proven to be the right thing to do. In return these companies have been able to recruit and retain some of the most motivated and resourceful men and women available on the job market today.
Bill Gaul bgaul@destinygrp.com is President and CEO of The Destiny Group, an Internet-based recruiting tool that utilizes the latest patent-pending technology (including audio/visual) for organizations to use to source men and women departing the military services. Endorsed by all of the U.S. Service Academy Alumni Associations, this online system is the easiest and lowest cost method to reach transitioning military worldwide, without a per-head fee. Bill’s articles are Copyright 1997- 2003, The Destiny Group. For GLOBAL HR NEWS
