Halfaker & Associates

News

April 2009

Halfaker and Associates’ Director of Program Management Discusses the Importance of Reintegration of Veterans Back into the Workplace

Jason Sigler, Halfaker and Associates’ Director of Program Management, spoke at the Peace at Work web based seminar on Employers with Model Programs for the Reintegration of Veterans Back into the Workplace on April 24th, 2009.  Sigler has been with Halfaker and Associates for over a year and heads the company’s Wounded Warrior Transition Program.  Program managers from Northrop Grumman and General Electric also spoke at the seminar and shared information on the success of their veterans’ recruitment and placement programs.          

The web based seminar was part of the Peace at Work Employers’ Support for Working Veterans Series and aimed to showcase model practices of employers who develop reintegration and support programs; identify promising practices to provide seamless transition of veterans back to the workplace; identify resources available to develop a tailored program and provide additional support for employees and employers alike; and recognize common obstacles and challenges in the development and delivery of such programs.

Sigler described Halfaker and Associates’ approach to helping wounded warriors transition into the civilian workforce as a three step process.  First, Halfaker and Associates develops career opportunities for wounded warriors within the company.  After gaining client support, Halfaker and Associates staffs the position with a wounded warrior and provides individual mentorship and support to assist the veteran in his or her transition into the workforce.  In addition to career opportunity development and individualized mentorship, Halfaker and Associates supports wounded warriors through sponsorship of the overall warrior transition by conducting annual fundraisers.  To locate and contact wounded warriors, Halfaker and Associates utilizes the Wounded Warrior Project and Hire Heroes Program.  They also receive referrals through their website and from the heavy involvement the President and CEO, Dawn Halfaker, has within the wounded warrior community. 

Duane Hardesty, the Outreach Manager for Operation Impact from Northrop Grumman, gave an enthusiastic overview of his company’s efforts to recruit and place wounded warriors and their family members.  Operation Impact, standing for injured military pursuing assisted career transition, is a grass-roots program that provides transition support to military service members severely injured in the global war on terrorism in identifying potential job and growth opportunities across Northrop Grumman.  If the service person is not able to join the civilian workforce, they provide assistance to a supportive family member.  Operation Impact assists in career transition by providing eligible service members personalized assistance, assessment of accommodations, pre and post job training, and candidate-centric recruiting.  The company’s first hire was in 2005 and has received numerous awards for its program efforts.  Northrop Grumman currently has 67 wounded warriors working for its company.   

Dave Ferguson, the Program Manager for Military Staffing & Recruiting from General Electric shared his company’s strategy for placing veterans.  General Electric, a 300,000 personnel company, employs over 11,000 veterans.  He believes the key steps to actively employing veterans are to first develop the recruiting strategy, create the marketing branding campaign, create positive public and employee relations, and become active in government and veteran affairs.  General Electric has been featured on GI Jobs magazine’s top employers for the last five years, is partners with the disabled American veterans, and has received the pentagon’s freedom awards.

Halfaker and Associates and the represented companies all expressed the belief that veterans are excellent employees and are enthusiastic about helping those who have sacrificed greatly in service to our nation. Those interested in pursuing an exciting and fulfilling career with Halfaker and Associates should email careers@halfaker.com.

For more information on the Peace at Work web based seminar, “Taking the Lead:  Employers with Model Programs for the Reintegration of Veterans Back into the Workplace,” visit http://www.peaceatwork.org/veteransME.htm

To hear the audio from the workshop visit: https://cc.readytalk.com/play?id=sln2cg6n