Leading Practices for Identifyingand Supporting Military Spouses

TheMilitarySpouseEmploymentPartnershipconnectsemployerswithmilitaryspouses

whopossessessential21stcenturyworkforceskills.HundredsofMSEPemployersshare

information,strategiesandconnectionsthatsupportrecruiting,hiring,promotingand

retainingmilitaryspouses.

StrategiesforIdentifyingMembersoftheMilitarySpouseCommunity

Self-identification Techniques

Partners,includingWalgreens Co., Member of

the Boots Alliance, Volt Workforce Solutions,

andTEKsystems, Inc.,askquestionsduringtheir

jobapplicationoronboardingprocesstoidentify

qualifiedmilitaryspouses.

Volt Workforce Solutionsalsousesasurveytool

toidentifymilitaryspousesintheircurrent

workforce.Surveyresultshelpthecompanyidentify

pay,locationandjobtitleinformationsotheycan

moreeffectivelypromoteportable,transferable

careerstotheirmilitaryspouseemployees.

Employee Resource Groups

Employeeresourcegroupsinvolveemployeeswho

sourcethebesttalent,provideprofessionaland

leadershipdevelopmentandmentoringopportunities,

createengagingandinclusiveworkenvironments,

whilepromotingorganizationsasemployersof

choiceandgreatcommunitypartners.AT&T, CACI

International Inc., Kaiser Permanente, Manulife,

Bank of America, MetLifeandTEKsystems, Inc.

havewellestablishedERGs,whichhaveenabled

themtoidentifytheirmilitaryspouseemployees.

Human Capital Management Tools

Humancapitalmanagementsoftwarehasthe

capacitytoenhancetargetedsourcingofgreat

militaryspousetalent,allowingidentificationof

militaryspouseemployees,facilitatingreferrals,

personalizingjobrecommendationsfornewhires,

internalcandidatesanddrivingdataanalytics,

allofwhichcouldleadtoimprovedreportingof

militaryspousemetrics.

EffectiveRecruitmentToolstoConnectwithMilitarySpouses

MSEP Partner Portal and MSEP Job Search

Partnersmayusethe‘SearchCandidates’feature

ontheMSEPPartnerPortaltoperusetheresume

databaseofmilitaryspouses.Militaryspousescan

usetheMSEPJobSearchtosearchforavailablejob

opportunitieswithMSEPpartners.

Targeted Outreach via Military Installations

Partnersengageinmilitaryinstallation-partner

collaborationsintendedtoprovideemployment/

trainingopportunitiesformilitaryspousesandopen

doorsforinformationexchange,networkingand

strategizingwithmilitaryinstallationserviceproviders.

Open House/Recruitment

Information Sessions

Thesesessionsallowpartnerstoprovideinformation

abouttheirorganizations,employmentopportunities

andthehiringinitiativestheyusetorecruitandemploy

militaryspouses.AT&ThostsmonthlyVirtualMilitary

SpouseJobAdvisorSessions,wheremilitaryspouses

canvirtuallyconnecttodiscusscareeropportunities.

Hiltonhostsvirtualinformationwebinarstoshowcase

theirwork-from-homeopportunities.

Social Media

MilitaryspousesusetheSECOandMSEPsocialmedia

platformstoconnectwithSECOresourcesandupdates;

engageandnetworkwithothermilitaryspouses;aswell

asparticipateinmonthlyliveevents,tocommunicate

withMSEPpartnerhiringmanagersandSECOcareer

coaches.Partnerscanusetheseliveeventstohighlight

availablejobopportunitiesandrecruitspousetalent.

LinkedIn MSEP Spouse Group

Spouse Education and Career Opportunities

Program Facebook Page

Outreach Events and Hiring Fairs

Partnersareinvitedtoparticipateinoutreach

events,allowingthemtoprovideone-on-one

careerconsultations,reviewandexchange

resumes,shareemploymentguidanceandmore.

• MSEPVirtualHiringFairsallow

partnerstovirtuallypromotetheir

partnershipandopenemployment

opportunitiesdirectlytomilitary

spousesglobally,allfreetothepartner.

• TheVirtualMilitarySpouseSymposium

connectsmilitaryspousestojobsearch

toolsandtechniques,careerdevelopment

resources,networking,entrepreneurship

tipsandmuchmore.

• TheU.S.ChamberofCommerce

FoundationHiringOurHeroesevents

includemilitaryspouse-specifichiring

fairsandcareersummits.

• LocalinstallationcareerfairsandMSEP

employer-sponsoredvirtualhiringevents.

StrategiestoRetainandSupportMilitarySpouses

Continuity Programs

Partnersuseseveralstrategiestoensureemployment

continuityfortheirmilitaryspouseemployees.

Navy Exchange Service Command; Army & Air Force

Exchange Service and Defense Commissary Agency

havecontinuityprogramsthathelpmilitaryspouses

findandmaintaincareeropportunities.Thegoalis

tokeephigh-performingmilitaryspousesintheir

workforce,combattingthechallengesofrelocation

anddeployment.

Resume Referral

Partnerslooktoretaintheirmilitaryspouseemployees

wheneverpossible,butduringrelocation,manycompanies

referspousestootherMSEPemployers.Partnersalso

refermilitaryspouseapplicantswhentheydonothave

suitableopenpositions.

Spouse Ambassador Network

TheSpouse Ambassador Networkisacollectionof

organizationswithinthepartnershipthathave

establishedcommunitynetworksandleveragethese

networkstobroadenknowledgeaboutmilitaryspouse

employmentresources.

Networking

Partnerscannetworkandlearnmilitaryspouse

recruitmentstrategiesduringtheannualMSEP

InductionCeremonyandPartnerMeeting.

UsingtheMSEPPartnerDirectoryisanother

greattoolforpartnernetworking.

TheMSEP Partner GrouponLinkedInalsoenables

newandenduringpartnerstosharebestpractices,

recruitmentstrategies,resourcesandtoolsandto

engageindiscussionaboutemergingtopicsof

generalinterest.

Scholarships

Severalpartnersofferscholarship opportunities

tohelpmilitaryspousesadvancetheiracademic

aspirations.Columbia Southern Education

Groupoffersdistanceeducationandon-campus

scholarshipsspecificallyformilitaryspouses.

Blackstone Career Instituteofferstuition

reimbursementasabenefitofemploymentfor

militaryspouses.Sykes Enterprises Inc.,offers

aTalentSproutProgram,whichprovidesfree

trainingandisafast-trackpathtoupwardmobility

opportunitiesformilitaryspouseemployees.

FormoreinformationabouttheMilitarySpouseEmploymentPartnership,visit

https://msepjobs.militaryonesource.mil