Tapping into Veteran Talent Pools! with Brian Erickson of Vidoori

A lot of companies shy away from hiring veterans because they don’t understand the value that they may bring to the table. 

Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Cisco & Walgreens have programs in full force but the majority of startups have yet to really get on board. The diversity in thought that comes from hiring a vet may be the competitive edge that your startup needs to propel your business ahead of your competition.

This show is proudly sponsored by Vidoori

Today’s Quote:

"We hire military veterans because they make great employees. They bring proven technical and leadership skills. They understand teamwork, and they're adaptable. Bottom line, hiring veterans is good for business." 

Randall L. Stephenson - CEO of AT&T

Guest Bio: 

Brian Erickson serves as the Vice President, Strategy and Solutions at Vidoori, Inc.  He leads company expansion strategies bringing the Vidoori brand to the west coast. Brian has over 26 years of experience in Naval Aviation, Cybersecurity, Information Technology, Information Operations, Strategic Programs and sourcing/acquisition.  Brian is a retired Senior Naval Officer (Captain/O6) with proven experience and expertise across numerous technical domains bringing a warfighters perspective to Vidoori’s mission of delivering excellence. 

Brian holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics from San Diego State University, a Master of Business Administration (Financial Management) from the Naval Postgraduate School, a Master of Science (Information Technology) from the Naval Postgraduate School and an Executive Management Certification from the University of Virginia Darden School of Business.  Additionally, Brian holds numerous defense and industry related certifications to include: CISSP, GSLC, CISSO, CISSM, DAWIA Level 3 PM, DAWIA Level 3 IT, CKM, ITIL. 

Show Highlights:

• The benefits of hiring veterans
• Challenges in the crossover
• What is needed to hire veterans today

Why hire veterans?

• Advantages of hiring veterans
• Hard workers
• Trained
• All the same, competencies that civilians do +1
• Life experience
• Much harder workers, disciplined

Why do companies not hire veterans? 

• Language Translation - understanding of Military terminology
• Skills Mismatch - 
• Negative Stereotypes / Bias - too rigid, formal, chain of command
  • “Alpha” mentality
  • Aggression / PTSD / disability fears
• Cultural Fit
• Fear of future deployments

Rick’s Input:

• Military ranking & conditioning
  • Diversity in thought
• Requires a shift in mindset
• Impactful behavior transfers

How to Successfully hire Veterans

Preparation is Key!

• Process & Structure
• Checklist oriented
• Understand rigidity in the government process
• Outline the Framework, Training & Direction

Rick’s two cents

• Embrace the differences in Mindset
  • Seek to understand the mindset
• More important to have a structured interview process

Key Takeaways:

• Have an established interviewing team that works well together; bring in a technical “ringer” as required to round out the depth and breadth of conversation.
• Hire military...highly technical, lots of experience, trustworthy, bang for your buck  
• Transactional vs relational (stick with relational)