A two-time Elev8 GovCon Honoree, SDVOSB Sierra7 has a distinct commitment to Veteran hiring, support and retention. We spoke with Chief People Officer Laurie Johnson to find out about how they are working, not only to hire Veterans, but to see them grow and succeed.
Veteran Leadership Program
Guided by a mission of serving those who served, and doing so partially through its support of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Sierra7 is also focused on providing next stage careers to Veterans and to helping them thrive in those roles. It recently launched a program focused on ensuring Veterans had equal opportunity for promotions, and that Veteran-thinking was forefront within the organization.
The Veteran Leadership Program is an optional opportunity for Veterans through which they are paired with a leader within the company that they may not normally interact with for mentorship, broader perspective and guidance. “These leaders expose them to another side of GovCon, can talk to them about their skillsets, interests, skills they may like to develop. With the help of our Learning Manager, they put together a development plan and then have a host of leadership courses available to them through LinkedIn which is our learning partner.”
In addition, all participants get to Yellow Belt 6 Sigma certified, an important tool for those within Sierra7 and as a future career tool and they are given a task to solve within the organization, something they would like to see changed, with the opportunity to come up with a solution which they can then work with the relevant team within the company see through to fruition where it makes sense.
Veteran Hiring Requires a Focused Lens
Among the challenges with hiring Veterans can be understanding how Veteran experience can translate to civilian work. Understanding the differences takes learning and Sierra7 undertook specific training to help them understand how to draw out skills and experience from what they may be seeing.
There can also be requirements for accommodation as Veterans may still have service commitments they must follow through. And there may be accommodation required when it comes to work environments. “We were awarded a large call center contract for instance. Knowing that the pace, the stress could be a trigger for some, we made sure people knew the environment they would be walking into so they could decide for themselves whether it was something they wanted to take on. These are things we said we need to be conscious of that when we’re hiring for these roles and make sure that the Veterans understand what they will be doing and what will be happening around them.”
The Veteran Advantage
Besides knowing hiring Veterans is the right thing to do, there are many advantages they bring to the team, not the least of which is the ability to collaborate and be part of a team. “Veterans bring a whole different level of commitment, of having their team’s back that makes the rest of the team step up and stand up in a different way. Having Veterans on staff brings teamwork, advances teamwork and because serving Veterans is our mission, you see this immediate appreciation and welcome to the Veterans we hire.”
A Mantra of Equal Treatment
Sierra7’s mantra is simple – treat others as you want to be treated. From the CEO through the organization that focus on respect and fairness permeates and where it is lacking there is immediate recognition, and effort to sit with the person to see what is happening, how behaviors can be shifted. With leadership across the board ingrained in the day to day, approachable across the team, people are connected and aligned, cohesive in helping move the mission forward.
“Everybody in together, it’s that’s really what makes success is when you truly invest in taking the time to know your team members, to spend time getting to know your team members, not just giving them directives, right and tactile things to achieve, it’s taking the time to say, hey, no, I just wanted to reach out and see how you’re doing.”
Giving Back
Also ingrained is a culture of giving back and whether it is Wreaths Across American, supporting children’s hospitals or military or Veteran non-profits, this is something embraced company-wide. A new program called My Sierra My Service gives people the opportunity to let others on the team know when there are things happening in their communities so others in the area can join in. With a remote workforce, it allows the team to gather, wherever they may be located, around things important to them, in service to the communities in which they live.
Moving Forward
As the company looks to 2024 it anticipates even more learning opportunities, for Veterans and employees across the organization. “We’re really focused on engagement, enablement and empowerment. That means engaging with our people to find out what is important; empowering them with new employee programs aimed and learning; and enabling them to move forward within our organization and in their careers.”
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