When service members are ready to transition out of the military and find new roles, a special tool can help connect them with New North companies seeking skilled workers.
The Military Hiring Portal allows businesses to access a database of profiles of transitioning service members and spouses, offering information in a centralized location for HR and other leaders to review, says Rebecca Deschane, vice president of talent development for New North, Inc. It’s almost a reverse of the traditional job board, “allowing HR professionals … to see all those candidates in one place and then begin that outreach with them,” Deschane says.
The portal is an extension of the New North Hires Heroes program, a collaboration between New North, Inc. and Mission Wisconsin, which connects the military community to professional opportunities, resources and benefits in Wisconsin. New North Hires Heroes has brought almost 300 veterans and their families to the region since the program launched in 2020, Deschane says.
“Approximately 200,000 service members transition out of active duty every year, according to the Department of Defense, and they are looking for opportunity and engagement,” says Steve Janke, founder and CEO of Mission Wisconsin.
The portal was made possible through a partnership with Mission: Workforce Alliance, which connects transitioning service members with businesses to boost economic growth.
The state has about 292,000 businesses, including small- and medium-sized businesses, where many of the veteran candidates are often placed. “We think every company should have the opportunity to recruit and connect with veterans, and [the portal is] just creating a better pathway for them to do it,” Janke says.
Candidates are entered into the portal during a hiring window between two weeks to 90 days of the end of their military service, so businesses can regularly see new candidates, review their resumes and see their date of availability, Deschane says. Businesses also can search by professional and technical skills.
The portal, which is free to businesses in the New North region, includes candidate resumes and LinkedIn profiles whenever available. It also provides a quick link to the veteran’s email. The portal currently has about 20 companies registered.
One of the common challenges military service members face in the hiring process is one of semantics. While they often do possess the skills employers are seeking, the language used to describe those skills in the military may be different, or HR leaders may be overlooking the soft skills veterans gained in a military setting that companies would highly value.
Mission Wisconsin works with veterans, offering career coaching and support for those service members, including working with them on how to best word their resumes.
But the “transition from the military requires a leap of cultural assimilation from both parties, not just the service member,” Janke says. It’s important that companies take a chance on hiring someone that on paper may not look perfect for a role, but has “experience that is probably well beyond what you would have in that traditional hire.”
New North, Inc. also actively works with businesses to help them be “veteran ready,” which includes enhancing best practices geared toward supporting current and future service member employees. That might include things like enhancing employee resource groups for veterans or wording job postings in a way that’s inclusive.
“I think that’s one of the great things about this entire partnership and collaboration that we have in this space, is we have multiple partners that are working to help support those service members with those skills,” Deschane says.
Janke is often asked by businesses what’s the one thing they can do to connect with veterans. “The best way to do it is to start with one,” Janke says. “Hire a veteran. And then ask them, ‘How was your experience? What can we do?’ And then move forward from there.”
On the web thenewnorth.com/military-hiring-portal
Businesses interested in joining the portal can reach out to Rebecca Deschane at rebecca.deschane@thenewnorth.com or 920-336-3860.
