S3 is Hiring IT Recruiters in Multiple Markets!

May 11, 2016 by

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Are you a self-motivated, experienced Information Technology Recruiter interested in working for a company that demonstrates the value it places on its national customers by exceeding expectations and achieving the highest levels of customer satisfaction?  

Are you a professional IT Recruiter seeking an opportunity to work for a company with more than 25 years of consecutive growth?  

Are you a competitive IT Recruiter seeking a position with a dynamic and fast paced company that  boasts one of the most generous comp plans in the staffing industry?  

If you’re an IT Recruiter that craves daily challenges—and rewards—we want to talk to you ASAP about IT Recruiter positions we have available in Atlanta GA, Nashville TN, San Francisco CA and Hartford CT!

To learn more about these opportunities, please contact Ken Huxley, S3’s Director of Talent Acquisition, khuxley@strategicstaff.com or via phone, 210.278.3768.

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Meet S3’s Military Attraction And Assimilation Program

December 15, 2015 by

Strategic Staffing Solutions (S3), a $300 million IT staffing and business solutions company, is proud to have more than 40% of its 2,700 overhead staff and contractors claim veteran, military spouse, or military dependent status. As one of the nation’s leaders in contingent workforce placement, S3 established its own Military Veteran program, and knows how to mitigate the challenges employees most often face as they transition from the military into new career pathways.

We support veterans and their spouses in various ways.

At the core of our strategy is a veterans-hiring-veterans approach with the formation of our Combat Recruit Support Team. This team, formed in 2012, has created an intentional pipeline for recruiting, retaining and placing military veterans with transferrable skill sets who are uniquely positioned to meet the needs of the customers we serve.

This team has made the transition from military to civilian careers and is perfectly suited to serve and assist new military veteran applicants.

In addition to its dedicated military veteran recruiters, S3 has also launched a website, http://veterans.strategicstaff.com that offers resources for veterans, spouses and dependents, including advice on translating military experience into desired civilian job skills; a database of current job opportunities in S3; and help writing a resume. And, whether it’s supporting veterans at an event in Detroit, or sponsoring a golf tournament in San Antonio, S3 also consistently supports events that support veterans. Additionally, S3 participates in Veteran benefits information and jobs fairs across its 24 U.S. branches.

We also take every opportunity to create special messages to celebrate, honor and remember important days to the military community, including Veterans Day, Memorial Day and the Fourth of July, and we consistently highlight our veterans in the company newsletter and at company gatherings.

Examples of this recognition include the development of our book, “Together We Stand:  Strategic Staffing Solutions and America’s Veterans” (http://veterans.strategicstaff.com/veterans-stories-together-we-stand-e-book); the development of a distinctive employee pin for veterans; and providing all our employees Veterans Day as a paid holiday; and a video that highlights not only our veteran program but some of the individual military veteran employees who have contributed to S3’s success (https://player.vimeo.com/video/145305395).

As part of its ongoing efforts, S3 continues to leverage its expertise within the staffing industry to create opportunities for military veterans. As such, we share best practices and industry intelligence in national forums such as the Executive Forum during which Col. Ken Huxley, USAF Retired, and Southwest Branch Manager, presented on recruitment of military veterans. We have also created a fast tracked Military Veteran JAVA class in Plano, Texas, and enhanced our Human Resource capabilities to better track core demographics, ease the transition of military veterans into civilian work, and increase long term retention within job placements.

Establishing a “military friendly” work environment / culture isn’t difficult, but it does take some thought.  As the Department of Labor advises, “when standing up any initiative, or preparing your workplace to welcome Veterans, keep in mind that no two have the same experiences.”

That said, acquiring knowledge regarding military culture can definitely improve employers’ and co-workers’ abilities to understand, communicate and effectively interact with veterans and their families.

For simplicity, you can break veterans into two basic groups:  those who are presently in the process of transitioning out the Armed Forces, and those that who have previously transitioned from the Armed Forces and who have held at least one civilian sector position since their transition.

Employers of those veterans in the presently transitioning group especially may encounter challenges not necessarily associated with employees without military experience.  For example, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is, unfortunately, prevalent among combat veterans.  As of September 2014, there are about 2.7 million American veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, with an estimated 20 percent with PTSD and / or depression (according to a recent RAND study).   Employers should evaluate their current benefit offerings with respect to PTSD treatment options for affected employees, and ensure the company is in compliance with Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA).

Title I of the ADA, which is enforced by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), prohibits private and state and local government employers with 15 or more employees from discriminating against individuals on the basis of disability.  USERRA has requirements for reemploying veterans with and without service-connected disabilities and is enforced by the U. S. Department of Labor (DOL) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).  In addition, PTSD may trigger Workman’s Comp considerations.

In addition, some newer veterans may need financial assistance or financial education, especially in cases where there’s a significant time gap between military separation and securing employment in the civilian sector.  Issues from tax changes to health insurance to a lack of emergency funds can put undue stress on the veteran employee.  Coupled with financial education, S3 offers signing bonuses, short-term pay advances, mortgage assistance, and the like can help relieve financial stresses.  In addition to the employers programs, there are a host of reputable non-profit organizations that provide financial support to veterans.

The good news is that veterans want to be part of your organization.  In a 2011 Pew survey of post-9/11 military veterans, more than half specifically cited the opportunity to learn skills they could use in the civilian workforce was an important factor in their decision to serve.   As employers, we have a great opportunity not only to help veterans achieve their goal of a successful transition to the civilian workforce, but to achieve our own in the process:  hiring the best employees possible to ensure the success of our own organizations.

Having employees who happen to be military veterans to help lead your efforts is a critical investment—they have “walked the walk,” have credibility among their veteran peers, and provide empathy in building the bridge between the military and corporate structure they now represent.

Veterans come from organizational cultures where values such as honesty, integrity, loyalty, commitment and service before self-define not only their daily lives but reflect the altruistic sacrifices associated with military service.  Accordingly, veterans will seek out companies that have similar core values or operational pillars.

For example, S3’s four operational pillars of setting the bar high for what a company should do, creating jobs, providing opportunities for people to improve their station in life, and being good community citizens thru charity and volunteerism, appeal to our military veteran and military spouse employees and applicants because our pillars reflect a familiar culture.  Too, S3’s “no door” policy creates and reinforces a “one team – one fight” environment versus a more traditional corporate organizational hierarchy/structure.

Like any other employee group, military veterans want to feel included, valued, and respected not only for who they are, but for the talent and experience they can bring to your organization.

For additional information, please feel free to reach out to our veteran program POCs:

Colonel Ken Huxley, USAF, Retired

Director, Talent Acquisition

khuxley@strategicstaff.com | 210.278.3768

Senior Master Sergeant Marvin Daugherty, USAF, Retired

Operations Officer, Central Sourcing Team

mdaugherty@strategicstaff.com | 210.278.3787

 

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The S3 Combat Recruiting Support Team Is Focused On Military Veterans Looking To Find Civilian Work

April 2, 2015 by

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One of the biggest hurdles military veterans face upon transitioning to civilian life is finding a meaningful career. While invaluable and often highly technical, a veteran’s experience may be overlooked by civilian hiring managers unfamiliar with the military jargon that may mask the key skills and experiences they’re looking for.

We’re working hard to help military veterans make the transition from serving their country to finding rewarding work and changing their station in life her at Strategic Staffing Solutions. In fact, we have a specialized “Combat Recruiting Support Team,” a 21-person sourcing team made up almost entirely of military veterans that are uniquely suited to doing just that. Think of it as veterans helping veterans.

Although there are websites out there designed to help veterans translate their military skills into an attractive civilian resume, it helps to have someone on their side. With their vast military experience, our Combat Recruiting Support Team members can help our recruiters and hiring managers interpret the acronyms, titles, and other technical terms, and they’re trained to see those skills from a civilian’s perspective. They can translate a candidate’s military experience into the skills that a hiring manager may be looking for.

In addition, military veterans have developed those soft skills that all businesses want, those intangible qualities that are inherent to a veteran’s experience: Teamwork (to include diversity and inclusion), loyalty, integrity, respect, courtesy, organizational and leadership skills, the ability to work under pressure, and perhaps most important, veterans have the ability to triumph over adversity. Veterans know those qualities exist in other veterans based simply on their shared experience.

As our veteran hiring program matures, we’re committed to placing more. That’s why we have joined the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s “Hiring 500,000 Heroes” program and earned recognition as a “Military Friendly Employer” by GI Jobs magazine and as Military Spouse Friendly Employer by Military Spouse magazine and the Department of Defense Military Spouse Employment Partnership.

If you’re a transitioning veteran or a veteran looking for a new opportunity to use the skills you’ve developed during your time in the military, or a military spouse, we’d love to talk to you—visit our website at strategicstaff.com/veterans!

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7 Tips for the Veteran Job Seeker

December 2, 2014 by

Transitioning from military to civilian life can have its challenges, but you’re not alone. Many veterans are coming back home and they need employment (or, they’re looking for a second civilian career), and we hope these tips are useful. Whether it’s your strong work ethic, commitment to excellence, ability to mediate or attention to detail, your commitment to service is an asset. Now, it’s just about making sure employers understand that you’re the right person for them. Without further fuss, here are seven tips for the veteran who’s looking to get a civilian job.

american-flagexpBe specific – Do not assume who you are talking to will know what you did or how many troops you led just on sharing your rank and title. Relate them to the business world, which includes talking in numbers, percentages, and dollar amounts.

Avoid jargon – Tell a story to illustrate your experiences and accomplishments to someone who is not familiar with the military. Be sure to include how you handled and overcame challenges, as well as how you are a problem-solver. A good tip is to ask a trusted non-military friend who will give you honest feedback if they understand what’s in your resume.

Tell people – Don’t just look for “a job,” look for the job you want. Do some research, and then be focused on your task. That way people know how to help you. Networking is important in the business world and building that network will be invaluable to your civilian career.

Don’t ignore the essential skills – Were you a solid leader of a team? Always the guy who had the technical answer to fix things? Or are you the negotiator, bridging people together? Whatever those soft skills happen to be for you, don’t ignore them. They’re crucial for companies today.

Take an inventory – Make a list of the things you did regularly – daily, weekly, monthly, as well as things and tasks you were responsible for. It might surprise you all you did, and it’ll help you describe what you did to civilian employers.

Do your research – Be sure to be prepared when you go into that interview. You wouldn’t go into a mission unprepared, and getting a job is a mission, in a way. Know what the company does, try to find out its strengths and weaknesses, and how maybe you could really help the team. Always be listening to what the person you are interviewing with is saying, and think about and then offer solutions.

Translate your experience – There are various ways that a military career can translate into a civilian one. There are multiple tools out there, but check out this skills translator that includes the ability for you to entre your branch of service, military pay grade, and military occupation code to help focus your search and give you some clarity. https://employmentportal.herokuapp.com/skills-translator

We hope these tips help you. If you’re interested in more or looking for a career, get in touch with us at veterans.strategicstaff.com.

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Celebrating our first generation of Veterans 230 years ago this month

November 11, 2013 by

Happy Veterans Day!

Today we celebrate the service of our nation’s veterans and the sacrifices they’ve made for the noble cause of democracy and freedom. In a few weeks’ time, however, a date will likely pass without much notice or fanfare, but will mark the 230th anniversary of an important date in our country’s incredible history.

Veterans Day 230 yearsThat date is November 25 and the year was 1783.  It marks the date that the British evacuated New York City (Manhattan to be specific) and ended seven years of occupation by the military forces of King George III, and a long and costly war for both sides of the conflict.  The Revolutionary War was over.  Ironically, the location of this event was just a few miles from Kips Bay, where in 1776, General George Washington had shouted in rage and despair at his retreating army … a rare moment of visible emotion for the commander in chief.

What a difference seven years can make.  On November 25, 1783, high noon was the time set for the official relinquishment of power between the British forces and the American military commanded by General George Washington and empowered by the Continental Congress … but that time ticked on by.  Finally, around 1:00 PM the British withdrew their troops from their last posts and the Americans marched in.  In the column of American troops was the Second Massachusetts Regiment, a single troop of dragoons, two artillery companies, and a battalion of light infantry … a small contingent compared to the vanquished forces of the British crown.

As the Americans took over, a parade formed, the new 13-stripe flag was unfurled, a 13-gun salute was prepared, bells rang from nearby churches and town buildings, and pride and excitement reigned throughout the city.  Throngs greeted the incoming troops and General Washington with shouts and tears of joy.

One woman later recalled in her diary the terribly moving scene, describing first the British troops and then the Americans:

“We had been accustomed for a long time to military display in all the finish and finery of garrison life. The troops just leaving us were as if equipped for show, and with their scarlet uniforms and burnished arms made a brilliant display. The troops that marched in, on the contrary, were ill-clad and weather- beaten, and made a forlorn appearance. But then, they were our troops, and as I looked at them and thought upon all they had done and suffered for us, my heart and my eyes were full, and I admired and glorified in them the more, because they were weather-beaten and forlorn.”

These “weather-beaten and forlorn” troops were, in fact, our first generation of veterans.  Like most veterans, I suppose, they had joined the “glorious cause” for a wide variety of reasons that hasn’t changed much over time:  Patriotism, adventure, loyalty, camaraderie, tradition, a sense community, a sense of service, a sense of belonging to a cause greater than themselves.

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