[/fusion_text][one_half last=”no” spacing=”yes” center_content=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][title size=”2″ content_align=”left” style_type=”default” sep_color=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” class=”” id=””]Military Friendly® Employers continue to raise the bar because they track, measure and improve the processes, resources, services and visibility of military candidates and employees across their organizations.[/title][/one_half][one_half last=”yes” spacing=”yes” center_content=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][imageframe lightbox=”no” lightbox_image=”” style_type=”none” hover_type=”none” bordercolor=”” bordersize=”0px” borderradius=”0″ stylecolor=”” align=”none” link=”” linktarget=”_self” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” hide_on_mobile=”no” class=”” id=””] 
[/imageframe][/one_half][fusion_text]MOVING BEYOND COMPLIANCE
The Military Friendly® Employer process begins with a review of performance and outcome data from more than 16,000 federal contractors.
While organizations do not need to be a federal contractor to participate, the ready availability of veteran hiring and employment data gathered by the federal government provides a useful framework for establishing an “invitation list” of companies eligible to participate.
This year’s Military Friendly® Employers list, which can be found on militaryfriendly.com, identifies nearly 1,000 eligible employers in addition to the 210 companies that achieved the 2017 designation of Military Friendly® Employer. There are varying reasons why more of the eligible employers did not receive the designation, but in general it is because, while they are likely good places for veterans to seek employment, their programs have not exceeded simple compliance.
An important aspect in our Military Friendly® program is to identify those organizations that are going well beyond compliance requirements.
Once again, Marsh & McLennan Companies is an exceptional example of what it means to build a program, not on being compliant with federal requirements, but to serve the military and veteran community.
While I do not have the space to provide a deep review of Marsh & McLennan’s “Silver Medalist” program, this is an initiative driven from the organization’s leadership and operationalized by not only Eddie Dunn, but participating veterans and their talent acquisition team.
Although there is a requirement for companies that do business with the federal government to set a veteran hiring goal, there is no requirement to provide assistance to veterans who are not selected for positions. Here, I believe that Marsh & McLennan Companies is a standout among its peers.
In brief, the “Silver Medalist” program identifies the top qualified military candidates who were NOT selected for a position, and pools them into a separate process to address possible shortcomings in the interview process, to strengthen skills, and to actively “redeploy” these candidates in other more suited positions across Marsh & McLennan Companies. Silver medalists are paired with advisors; some are even given executive-level sponsors.
Their profiles are stored along with video interviews to simplify and expedite consideration for jobs as they come open, and through a centralized Military & Veterans Affairs team, they gain visibility that no applicant tracking system could hope to provide. The program is state of the art, it is effective, it is impressive and it is only the beginning.
A VISION FOR THE FUTURE
Last but not least, the Military Friendly® program seeks to identify organizations that have a vision for the future, and are continually innovating and advancing opportunities for military veterans and their families.
The primary way we do this is by setting all scoring and award designation on the Top 10 performers in each category. Receiving the award, even receiving the designation, is a factor of how close you are to the very best employer in the index.
Throughout the year, we work closely with the lead organization to share their practices and to identify new measures and methods to capture. Organizations that have participated for many years find that “maintaining” a program year over year will result in a slide down the scale – not because we have changed the index, but because the leading organizations are constantly striving to develop programs that adapt to the needs of their companies and the military candidates and employees they serve.
As our day with Marsh & McLennan progressed, we had the privilege of not only meeting with nearly the entire executive team, including President and CEO Dan Glaser, but gaining insight into the many areas in which each of them was seeking to progress their efforts on behalf of their military candidates and employees. Spouse and dependent programs were high on the list of initiatives to include in coming years.
Already in motion was the expansion of the Silver Medalist program into a full outplacement service for any and all military and veteran candidates. In the future, they envision a point where any military veteran applying to Marsh & McLennan would be provided job placement assistance. Their leadership shines in the development and launch of “Veterans on Campus,” an initiative that mirrors the success of the Veterans on Wall Street program by connecting student veterans to internships and career paths prior to graduation.
The program launches in collaboration with many of our Military Friendly® Schools in New York City in 2017.
[/fusion_text][two_third last=”no” spacing=”yes” center_content=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][title size=”2″ content_align=”left” style_type=”default” sep_color=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” class=”” id=””]“Marsh & McLennan Companies recognizes that veterans possess skills and perspectives that are tremendously valuable to our company, such as resiliency, team-building expertise, cross-cultural fluency and leadership.”[/title][fusion_text]– Eddie Dunn, Director of Military & Veterans Affairs[/fusion_text][/two_third][one_third last=”yes” spacing=”yes” center_content=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][imageframe lightbox=”no” lightbox_image=”” style_type=”none” hover_type=”none” bordercolor=”” bordersize=”0px” borderradius=”0″ stylecolor=”” align=”none” link=”” linktarget=”_self” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” hide_on_mobile=”no” class=”” id=””] 
[/imageframe][/one_third][fusion_text]AUTHENTICITY RISING TO THE TOP
As we left the office that day, I once again found myself standing before a wall honoring the many colleagues lost in the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center on 9/11.
It was clear to me that from this tragedy a new company did not rise as it once stood, but rather became more profoundly determined to create opportunity for even more individuals in the midst of the most challenging situations.
We are extraordinarily proud to have Marsh & McLennan as the No. 1 Military Friendly® Employer of 2017. Their program leadership, design and execution are quite literally second to none.
More encouraging is that, year over year, as we have continued to adjust and improve the Military Friendly® program, we continue to see not only the best performing programs rise to the top, but the most authentic people and employers stand out to the military community they serve.
If you are a military veteran, you are better off for having served. If you are seeking your next mission in a career you will love with people who will help you succeed, you would do well to start your search with this year’s Military Friendly® Employers, all of whom, like the Marsh & McLennan Companies, are constantly improving their programs and resources to ensure your success, not only with their companies, but throughout your civilian career.
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