happy hour with senior leadership and staff, every step of the recruitment process is personal. But the personal touch doesn’t stop there. Once hired each is provided with a Veteran Buddy. This employee reaches out before the service member starts orientation to check in, see how the transition is going and to answer any questions the new hire might have. This relationship continues for as long as the veteran wants it to and, according to Donoghue, has had a very positive impact on retention. “We began this mentorship program in response to turnover; we were seeing only 20 percent stay with the firm for a year or longer. This might be average for the industry, but we knew we could do better,” he said. “From exit interviews, we learned that veterans felt they often were assigned to a team where there weren’t a lot of military members, so they weren’t sure how their skills sets applied. And because of the flexibility of their new roles in the Firm, they had trouble finding and understanding the requirements needed to move forward.” Today, PwC enjoys a turnover of rate of less than five percent among transitioning veterans, well below industry average. Hormel Foods There are few companies in which the culture and value system are as aligned to those of former service members than Hormel Foods. Well known for providing 100 million pounds of SPAM® Classic to keep World War II troops nourished, today, Hormel products are still a staple with our troops, at home and abroad. In fact, in 2014, Hormel Foods provided nearly 4 million pounds of product to the military—including ham, bacon, sausage, and sliced meats—for use in dining facilities, aircraft carriers and even in the field.
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The company’s partnership with the military extends far beyond foodservice. Hormel Foods has continually been recognized for having a culture and policies that cater to military veterans by G.I. Jobs magazine and Military Times EDGE. In 2013, Hormel Foods signed a pledge to participate in the VetFriendly 50,000 jobs challenge, working with other employers to hire 50,000 veterans and military spouses by 2018. It has also partnered with key national organizations such as Fisher House Foundation to support military scholarships and Wounded Warrior Project to raise awareness for returning wounded veterans, among other organizations. Deloitte Last year, Deloitte made our list for an initiative it had just launched called the Career Opportunity Redefinition & Exploration (CORE) Leadership Program. A 2½-day program delivered at Deloitte University, CORE is unique in that it is designed solely to help veterans identify and communicate their unique brand. They already have the skills necessary to succeed in the corporate sector, veterans hear at CORE. They simply need to know how to market them. To teach this important lesson, CORE’s curriculum focuses on four areas: developing a personal brand and building a professional network, communicating effectively, understanding corporate functions and industries, and adjusting to a corporate culture. Now in its second year, CORE has hit its stride. By the end of 2014, five classes of graduates—250 individuals—had completed the program with nearly all (94 percent) securing new careers in the private sector.
PROFILES IN DIVERSITY JOURNAL Spring 2015
Dionne Meehan, retired Army sergeant first class and Retail Product Manager, Jennie-O Turkey Store
“I have worked for other employers that say how much they value family and work-life balance. Having said that, I hadn’t experienced the type of family support I received prior to becoming part of the Hormel Foods team. “My daughter was hospitalized over a year ago, and being the person I am, it took me a few days before I went to my manager with this information. I was struggling coming to work every day, as any parent would, knowing there was little I could do for her while she convalesced. When my manager found out I had been at work with a child in the hospital, he asked, “Why did you take so long to tell me?” He allowed me to telecommute for a couple of weeks while my daughter healed. This was more than I expected from any employer. No other manager or employer had supported me, and my family, in such a way. This reminded me of my service in the Army, an Army of One, One FAMILY, One TEAM. “Loyalty and honor are just a few of the characteristics most military team members share. Never would I expect an employer to show such loyalty and honor to me, and my family, as well. I can honestly say Hormel Foods has welcomed me and many other veterans by treating us truly like ‘family.’”