Hiring Veterans: Insights from GI Johns Co-Founder Will

Transcript

Introduction

Host: What’s up, guys? I’m here today with Will. He’s a co-founder of GI Johns. They’re a portable sanitation business, and he’s here to share with you some considerations if you’re thinking about hiring veterans because he’s a military veteran himself. Some things to think about that have been important to us when we consider engaging with other veterans and try to bring them into the business.

Sharing Purpose and Vision

Will: I think at the very top of that list is probably, when you have discussions with them, making sure that you share the purpose and the vision for the business. You’re not just hiring them to say, “Hey, this is a job.” Veterans are really comfortable with understanding that they need to do things, especially once they’re given the commander’s intent of why they’re doing that thing. So the why is very important. Explain to them, “Hey, this is the business. This is what we do, yes, but this is the vision for the business. This is where we want to get to with it. This is why we’re so ambitious, this is why we want to grow, and this is how you can be a part of it.” I think that’s really important for veterans to understand what the ambition is, the “in order to”—why are we doing this? That will get them on board with the vision and give them purpose.

Providing a Clear Path for Growth

A second thing that I think is really important to bring to light when you’re engaging with veterans is providing them with a clear path to their growth within the business. Explain to them, “Hey, this is where you’re at today. This is where you’re going to start. This is our ambition for you. This is a pathway that you can get there.” Make sure that the path is filled with hardship and challenge. It’s a way to really get them engaged, to feel like they’re involved and feel like what they’re doing is important. Generally speaking, they’re going to have an ambition and a sense of purpose when faced with challenges, and it will help them grow into that person and grow into that role you see for them in the future.

Encouraging Perspective and Strategy

Another thing to think about is when you’re getting them up and running, encourage their perspective and strength in strategy and decision-making. In our backgrounds, we were always taught as leaders that, as a leader, you’re not really going to have all the answers. A responsible, good leader will know they don’t have all the answers. They have the humility to understand that, but they do have the awareness to know who to go to to get those answers. So when you engage with them that way and understand that you might not know the best way to do something, they might have ideas that can contribute. Encourage that, encourage their perspective, and encourage those contributions. It will help them feel like they’re part of a shared purpose.

Engagement with Veteran Causes

Encourage their engagement with other veteran causes, whether it’s within your business. If there are other veterans, encourage them to have a community within the business, a community, so to speak. That becomes a comfort zone for a lot of folks with a background in veteran status. It’s a place where they’re comfortable, and it also helps them have that camaraderie. They have a shared experience which is kind of unique to their backgrounds.

The other thing is, as a business, GI Johns is engaged with the Travis Manion Foundation and supporting Gold Star families. This serves as a rallying cry for all of our employees, not just our veterans, but it certainly resonates very much with those veterans. Give them the opportunity and encourage them to find those organizations, whether they’re external or internal, as a place where they can align with that community and surround themselves with people who understand a shared experience.

Recognize Service Without Overemphasizing

The last thing I would say, and I think this one is a little bit more sensitive, is from my perspective, the folks that we work with at GI Johns, I would say don’t overemphasize the “thank you for your service” when you’re engaging with veterans. It is great to recognize the service and the sacrifices they’ve made, but not all veterans want to necessarily engage with that every single day and maybe revisit some of those thoughts and memories. It is great to acknowledge the fact that they come to you with this experience, they have a willingness to sacrifice, a willingness to serve. But ultimately, they all deal with it in their own different ways. Sometimes they might want to talk, sometimes they might not want to talk. Just recognize the fact that you’ve got somebody who is of a different caliber, of a different background, and they’re going to have a different way of wanting to engage with people publicly about that. So that’s something that we’re very sensitive to in our business. Outside of the community, I think it’s something that people are uncomfortable with sometimes, how to bridge that gap or chasm. Just be aware of it, recognize it, but don’t overemphasize it to them on a day-to-day basis. Just let them be who they are and let them contribute to the business, and you’ll be impressed with all the things that they have to offer.

FAQs

What is important when hiring veterans according to Will from GI Johns?

Will emphasizes the importance of sharing the business’s purpose and vision with veterans, explaining the ‘why’ behind their roles to align them with the company’s ambition.

How does GI Johns support veterans in their growth within the company?

GI Johns provides a clear path for veterans’ growth, outlining where they start and the challenges they will face, which helps them engage and develop purposefully within the business.

Why is encouraging veterans’ perspective important at GI Johns?

Encouraging veterans to share their perspectives and strengths in strategy fosters a sense of belonging and contribution, aligning them with the shared purpose of the business.

How does GI Johns engage with veteran causes?

GI Johns engages with veteran causes by supporting organizations like the Travis Manion Foundation, which resonates with veterans and fosters community within the business.

What is the approach to recognizing veterans’ service at GI Johns?

GI Johns recognizes veterans’ service without overemphasizing it, respecting their varied ways of dealing with their experiences and allowing them to contribute without daily reminders of their service.