Hire Slow, Fire Fast
In the private sector they usually hire slow but fire fast. Hiring is normally costly in terms of hours devoted to developing job descriptions, obtaining clearance through HR channels, interviewing, and evaluating. Bottom line, they want to get it right rather than get it fast. On the other hand, when an employee is disruptive or is not capable of contributing to the company’s mission, they are let go.
While many companies have job vacancies posted on their websites for what I call routine vacancies, many of the jobs of interest to senior military personnel are never posted. This is called the hidden job market. This hidden job market normally involves senior levels of a company like Manager, Director, or Vice President. These individuals usually direct the work of others; as such, they are carefully chosen to ensure they are a good “cultural fit.”
In a recent issue of HR Magazine, one HR manager said “We use Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter to recruit.” The use of these social media sites may not be familiar to many retiring and separating military personnel in their mid-forties to mid-fifties. It’s important to know that most HR professionals are young females who are familiar with and do use these sites.
Another phenomenon not encountered in the military is what is called “boomerang” employees. In the military, we value loyalty to the institution. If someone voluntarily leaves the organization to pursue other opportunities they may be viewed as disloyal. This is not the case in the private sector. Many companies welcome back previous employees. They know the company culture and they return with more experience. Sixty-one percent of boomerang employees were rehired within three years through a personal contact with a manager. The lesson, never burn your bridges and always stay in contact with the leaders in companies you once worked for.
As mentioned previously, cultural fit is important to most employers. This is one of the reasons most companies take their time. Employers who have not hired many veterans may have formed negative stereotypes about military personnel. This ranges from authoritarian, inflexible, direct, forceful and rigid to concerns about post-traumatic stress, traumatic brain injury, and disabilities that negatively affect job performance. The key for any job seeker is to network with and get to know as many business leaders as possible through the Rotary, Lions and military service organizations like Association of the U.S. Army, Marine Corps Association, Air Force Association, Navy League, and MOAA. Most of these association’s members are prior service personnel who are now business leaders. They understand the value of hiring veterans. They can help you gain access to those who are making hiring decisions in their respective companies. Additionally, research shows the over 75 percent of employees are referrals from someone in the company. Networking exposes you to people in these companies.
Your goal is to get in front of hiring personnel and make the case that you are the right fit for their company. More on interviewing techniques later.
