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You are here: Home / Archives for Government Contracting

Tapping The Veteran IT Pool

September 15, 2014 by recruitdc Leave a Comment

By Bob Wheeler
The hiring process can be painful for both organizations seeking talent, and individual job seekers. Gaps in common skills and language are typically cited as reasons for veteran hiring initiatives. It’s also agreed by most experts that, of the military skill set, Information Technology and cyber skills are some of the most translatable. Why then, do we have difficulty when it comes to attracting and hiring veteran IT Talent?  

The problem, I think, lies on both sides of the equation.

I recently showed a job description to a transitioning Marine Corps communications officer. I asked him for his thoughts and it didn’t take him long to identify that the position of Sr. Network Threat and Media Forensics and Support Specialist had a USMC counterpart.  “Looks like an 0689 Gunny to me”, he said.

OK- great. So what’s a 0689 Gunny?

The first part of this is the MOS 0689 which identifies a specific job.  In this case, Cyber Security Technician.  The “Gunny” part is short for Gunnery Sergeant which is an E7 (“E” meaning enlisted).  Here’s where the process can sometimes go wrong. Often recruiters will seek out commissioned officers due to the fact that they all have college degrees, but this isn’t always the wisest move.

First of all, if you are searching for technicians, then you will want to target the enlisted ranks, particularly the junior to mid-level.  It’s worth noting that this case, you can’t actually become an 0689 until you’re already either an E5, or in rare cases, a very highly recommended E4, already serving in a related cyber field.  So these folks are not only highly trained, they’re also high performers.

In this case, the description also did not list any education requirements, and even if it did, we must remember that a great deal of the enlisted population also have degree.

So now that you know these 0689’s exist, the question becomes, “Why aren’t they replying to my job posting?”  Well, one big issue you have to face is the competition from their current employer.

Yes, there is a drawdown, but it isn’t affecting everyone equally.  Did you know these USMC Cyber Warriors are being offered nearly $51,000 to reenlist?  Yep, there is real completion for this talent, and it’s not just in the private sector.

So, while your position might be offering the potential for greater income, this individual would have to actually turn down a guaranteed bonus and essentially tender their resignation before even seriously considering a job posting that he or she may or may not even get selected for.  That’s quite a gamble, especially for someone who has experienced a great deal of security and stability throughout their career.

It’s not just the Marine Corps, either. Even though actual bonus money may differ slightly by service and by current fiscal year, the push for Cyber talent is there across the DOD. So, whether it be an Air Force 3D072, a Navy 2779, or a new Army 25D, retention is a service priority and it is certainly a factor to take into account. These aren’t your typical passive candidates.

Another consideration is that even as individuals research civilian positions, many do not completely understand the civilian lingo.  Service members, for example, are often unsure of what differentiates a Senior Network Support Specialist from Junior Specialist.  The enlisted technicians often are not used to thinking of themselves as “Senior” anything, despite the fact that they meet the actual qualifications listed.  Being unsure of exactly what the job is only reinforces the idea that it’s safer to just stay put.

How then to tap into this talent pool?  It comes down to taking an agrarian approach, as opposed to the typical recruiter hunter/gatherer behavior.  You’ll need to grow your own candidates.

This can be done a number ways, including leveraging your current veteran employees.  New hires will likely still have strong connections within the military community for the first two to three years they are out of the service. Have your current veteran employees reach out to their peers and participate in efforts to market your organization and the specific jobs.

More and more active duty service members are also getting onto social media sites such as LinkedIn.  One of their biggest complaints, however, is a feeling that it is only useful for those actively seeking employment.  Your organization can offer a solution to this fallacy.

Establishing a company LinkedIn group that encompasses your current veteran employees and is also open to current service members can become an excellent opportunity to assist military cyber professionals in understanding the similarities and differences between their current positions with what they may do in the private sector.

The best part is, by establishing this group, you are also providing your organization with a steady stream of highly trained future candidates, each with positive feelings about your company. This should now be the first pond your recruiters fish in each time you have an opening.

Another possibility to develop relationships is through mentorship opportunities. If your organization plans on attending or hosting any professional events such as conferences, you can reach out to the local military installations (through their transition readiness office) and offer anything from a “get to know us” networking event to even sponsoring a service member or two at a local conference. Offering to provide payment of entrance fees and assignment of a current veteran employee to accompany the service member is great for both public relations, as well as future recruitment.

Idea’s like the ones above are relatively simple and are either free or have limited costs associated with them. The best part is that they work well in helping to bridge the culture gap between the military talent and the private sector.

Organizations that develop the reputation of being a resource for cyber talent while they are still in the service will position themselves to attract the best and the brightest service members once they decide to move on to the private sector.  In the end, it’s really a win-win situation.

Bob Wheeler is is a Certified Veteran Transition Coach and founder of BW-Personal Career Services in Jacksonville, NC. Follow Bob on Twitter @bwpcs.

This post originally appeared on ClearedJobs.Net. You can view it here

 

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Bob Wheeler, Candidate Experience, Government Contracting, Hiring, recruiting, Veterans

Social Media Recruiting in the Defense and Intelligence Community

August 28, 2014 by recruitdc Leave a Comment

By Kathleen Smith
The buzz concerning social media for recruiting and employer branding has reached a ball-142738_1280fever pitch. What was once thought impossible, namely access to social media sites, and is now permitted. But now that the gates have opened many are in a quandary as to how to implement social media. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Government Contracting, intelligence community, Kathleen Smith, networking, Recruiters, recruiting, Social Media, sourcing

Attracting Younger Professionals into the Intelligence Community

August 6, 2014 by recruitdc Leave a Comment

By Kathleen Smith
There has been a lot written about the challenges of recruiting, hiring and retaining Millennials. At a recent Intelligence and National Security Alliance (INSA ) event Millennials, the Community and  Social Media panelists discussed how this generation is impacted and can have an impact in the intelligence community.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: employment branding, Government Contracting, Hiring, intelligence community, Kathleen Smith, millenials, recruiting

8 Honest Tips For Transitioning Veterans

May 29, 2014 by recruitdc 2 Comments

By Tim McHugh

As a veteran many of us have been put in circumstances and positions that our civilian counterparts will never fathom much less truly understand.  Unfortunately, far too many veterans believe these experiences somehow entitle them to a career in the civilian world.  As veterans transition to the for profit world many don’t have a good idea how to transfer their military skills and experience to civilian life.  Many veterans have unrealistic expectations of what civilian companies are looking for and why they might not be a perfect fit – today for what they want.  As a veteran and now a small business owner with 20 employees, here are some very honest and blunt tips for veterans making the transition to civilian life: [Read more…]

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Career Path, Government Contracting, Job Search, Military, Military Transition, networking, Veterans

Spring Is Here: Grow Your Veteran Candidates

April 7, 2014 by recruitdc Leave a Comment

By Kathleen Smith
We continue to see a large veteran work force transition and even with all the transition support programs out available, veteran unemployment still stand at 5.6%.

Veteran hiring was the topic of conversation at a recent recruitDC Military Hiring Networking Session, where attendees looked at veteran recruiting through two lenses: from veteran and recruiter. The discussion was led by Chrissa Dockendorf, a self taught recruiter of veterans now working with Randstand Sourceright, and Bob Wheeler, a Navy “soon to be veteran” recruiter who has been blogging about his transition at the Veteran’s Transition Diary. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Bob Wheeler, Chrissa Dockendorf, Government Contracting, Hiring, Kathleen Smith, recruiting, Veterans, washington

How The OFCCP Is Going To Affect Government Contractors And Recruiting – Part 2

March 10, 2014 by recruitdc Leave a Comment

Ed. Note: This is part 2 of the series. You can find part 1 here
By Derek Zeller

In my first post on this subject I brought up the new rules that affect sourcing and recruiting.  In this follow up post I will talk about a few more things you should know.  Some of this is, well, a little dry but as I said before this is not really funny stuff.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Derek Zeller, Government Contracting, Legal, OFCCP, recruiting

How The OFCCP Is Going To Affect Government Contractors And Recruiting – Part 1

March 4, 2014 by recruitdc Leave a Comment

By Derek Zeller

I am now going on my 11th year of recruiting within the GOV space and within that time I have seen quite a few changes. Nothing like the ones I am seeing now.  Usually I write with a little humor in my posts but what is coming is no laughing matter and frankly something recruiters are going to find hard to manage when sourcing. The rules are changing March 24 of 2014.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Derek Zeller, Government Contracting, Legal, OFCCP, recruiting

Winter I$ Coming – Part 1

December 6, 2013 by recruitdc Leave a Comment

This post was originally published on the ClearedJobs.net Blog. It is republished with permission. 
By Derek Zeller

The theme is prevalent in the HBO show and book seriesGame of Thrones. It’s a prophetic thought that is set by these three words.

winter-is-coming

“Winter is Coming” is the motto of House Stark. The meaning behind these words is one of warning and constant vigilance. The Starks, being the lords of the North, strive to always be prepared for the coming of winter, which hits their lands the hardest.

In the DC metro area we have seen winters come and go with only minor irritations. However the mood has changed and like the rest of the United States, the great recession looks to be upon us. The first thing we saw was furloughs. Then a shut down.

As a recruiter in the security-cleared community for the last 10 years, I have seen my share of ups and downs. The winter that is coming will force a change due to several factors.

More Qualified Job Seekers

Firstly, there are more qualified job seekers. Twenty years ago it was difficult to find qualified candidates in newer technologies and roles because they had not been needed previously.

Things needed to be built, upgraded, and protected in ways no one had thought of before. The internet was young but growing at a rapid pace. There were a handful of people that knew how to grow it. Those folks were swept up by the West Coast and its tech monsters such as Microsoft, Google, and Amazon. To have people with clearances that were in this market was a rare commodity. They could ask and charge a great deal more for their services.

Companies took note as did the Government and the promise of delivery at a higher cost was accepted. Over time however more people with clearances in hand entered the market through traditional means such as colleges and also from the military. People took note of the better paying positions and trained themselves accordingly. This started the influx of talent to the area. As more and more people with in-demand skills came in to the market, salaries became more competitive.

More Competition

Secondly, Federal contracts that were traditionally battled over by the largest contractors have been faced with a slew of smaller, cheaper, and somewhat more efficient small business contractors. Their overhead being less, these smaller companies are able to offer the same services at a greater cost savings to the Government. Contracts now more than ever are being scrutinized by cost of staff and performance.

To compete, larger contractors have cut salaries or reduced staff. When contracts come up for competition or re-compete, typically after 3-4 years, the contracts are being revised, maintaining the more cost effective staff and replacing the more expensive staff with lower-salaried personnel.

How Do You Prepare

Brace for the change and understand that it’s coming. Salaries are likely going down or are going to stay the same with little increase. The most affected in these cases will be managers that are not hands on. When a contract is won by a non-incumbent, typically the first thing replaced is management. The second is the higher earners that the winning bid underbid.

Contractors who are on staff are usually given right of first refusal for the position, but not necessarily at the same salary or benefits. You need to take in to consideration how this will affect you. Leaving without a new position may cost you even more. A new contract may pay less than what you are currently making.

Certifications

DoD and other Federal branches are requiring new certifications on top of clearances. Some are not presently required under the current contracts. For example Information Assurance is on the list with the 8570 training certificate. If you can obtain other certifications within your field, you have a better chance of retaining or acquiring a better salary and position.

Derek Zeller is a senior corporate technical recruiter in the cleared community, recruiting for both agencies and government contractors. Follow Derek on Twitter @derdiver.  Derek-Zeller

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Derek Zeller, Government Contracting, Hiring, Recruiters

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