Untapped talent pool. It’s a popular phrase in recruiting circles and promises of “tapping into” these underutilized sources are commonplace. But what does that really mean? What does it look like in action?
Well, at ATR, one example is how we work to tap into the pool of talented people who have served in our military and are now transitioning. Whether they’ve served three years or thirty, they have skills and experience that are very transferable, and yet they often face challenges as they look for a post-military career. I’m proud of the ways that ATR both supports our military and their families, and helps our clients by finding great talent to join their teams.
For example:
Raising Awareness – I am a proud military spouse as well as a long-time staffing professional✅, a combination that gives me insight into the unique challenges of transitioning service members and the labyrinth the hiring process can be, while also having a bit of wisdom and advice to offer everyone. I’m grateful to host ATR’s podcast Parent. Boss. Leader., where I have had the opportunity to include some amazing veterans among my guests. I’m privileged to have this platform to share my thoughts and support. A big thank-you✅ to Andrea, Maria, and Jerry, as well as my colleagues, who give me the opportunity and time to embody ATR’s commitment in this way.
Helping Transitioning Personnel – We’ve been working with The Honor Foundation for more than five✅ years now. Based in San Diego, California✅, the organization is focused on helping those who have served in Special Operations – like Navy SEALs✅ or Army Rangers – transition to civilian lives, including the next step in their careers. My ATR colleagues✅ and I have attended events, reviewed résumés✅, conducted mock interviews, and offered advice on improving both, as well as providing guidance on navigating the job search successfully. It’s been a privilege to help, and a boon anytime we find a potential candidate we can recommend to a client!
Actively Recruiting – Recently, my colleague Michael attended a job fair at Luke Air Force Base in Phoenix. It was our first event there, but based on the results, ✅ it won’t be our last! Michael has already placed one service member with our client, a global financial services firm, has several submitted/pending candidates✅, and connected with numerous others who could be perfect for an opportunity in the future. Building relationships in person helps us better understand both our clients’ needs and our candidates’ experiences✅ and desires. Thank you, Michael, for your efforts!
Hiring Ourselves – The nature of recruiting, and the structure and reach of our company, mean that our work is often well-suited✅ to military spouses. It can be challenging to find stable, long-term✅ employment – or even any job at all – because the nature of military service means frequent moves, often cross-country, ✅ which can be a problem for employers. Even pre-pandemic, ATR was a hybrid workforce with offices in major locations but also people working remotely across the country. Location is not that important a qualification for ATR; ✅ your abilities are! We are always on the lookout for good candidates for our clients, but we’ve also been recruiting for ourselves through the Military Spouse Employment Partnership (MSEP). We’ve found some wonderful employees through the years, including Kristin Buhl, current incredible ATR recruiter and proud spouse of Sergeant Buhl! You can hear from Kristin about her experience on her PBL appearance.
Am I bragging about ATR? Yes, and not even in a humble way! Am I bragging about our military? I HOPE so!
I want people to know about the amazing people who have served our country and are now looking for opportunities to bring those skills to the non-military workforce. If promoting what we do to help means that someone eventually hires a great veteran, then we are happy to have facilitated that! Not going to lie – I hope we are the one that made the placement – but when one of the people who have sacrificed and bravely served to protect all of us finds a place post-service, that is what matters the most. No matter how. Warmly welcoming these talented veterans to the non-military workforce is the right thing to do. Tapping into this talent pool is also, simply, good business.
We’re always looking for underutilized, overlooked, or hidden talent, and the vast pool of former U.S. Military Service personnel is one of the best. Helping them while helping our clients is a great win-win situation, and we welcome new opportunities to partner with the people and organizations helping them transition. Please reach out to me if you want to work together!