Recruiting for security cleared openings doesn’t look any easier as we move toward the second half of 2021. Recruiters are continuing to try innovative ideas, test the newest recruitment software, or invest in new company perks. However, relationships tend to be the key when it comes to cracking the code in the defense contracting space, including leveraging the connections within fellowship programs.
THE BEST FELLOWSHIP PROGRAMS TO SUPPORT SECURITY CLEARED RECRUITING
Active military are looking to dip their toe in the contracting waters six months to a year from their out-day. This can serve as an excellent trial run (and FREE promotion) for your company, the programs, and the culture you are offering to a passive candidate audience.
1. SOCOM Care Coalition Career Transition Program
The USSOCOM Warrior Care Program assists eligible Special Operations Forces who are close to separating from the military to develop and execute a career transition plan, including an internship or fellowship with a company in the civilian world. Throughout this process, operators connect with their established network of organizations to develop fellowship and training opportunities in preparation for employment in a post-military world. But the Special Forces club isn’t just looking for a civilian role to utilize their tactical skills: they are looking for anything within the government contracting field, including logistics, IT, management, and much more.
600+ transitioning members have participated in this program, allowing transitioning service members to work with civilian companies in a variety of roles – even ClearanceJobs is a participating employer in this program! The process offers critical mentorship, training, networking and other development while members are still on active duty, and allows companies to get their brand in front of a cleared candidate audience.
The cost to participating employers that are recruiting security cleared candidates? FREE.
2. Hiring Our Heroes Fellowship
The Hiring Our Heroes (HOH) Fellowship Program is a 12-week track that provides transitioning service members with professional training and hands-on experience in the civilian sector. The professional development offered throughout the process prepares fellows for a smooth transition into a meaningful career after service with defense contractors like Boeing, Lockheed Martin, AWS, Booz Allen Hamilton, and Microsoft, to name a few.
This workforce development program places transitioning service members, veterans, (and security cleared candidates) or even mil-spouses with employers committed to hiring them…and offers some advertising to these dedicated employers in their recruiting, placing them in their placement ecosystem where members can learn more about you and your programs.
3. Implementing Your Own
Are you a larger company with a reputation that warrants cutting out the middleman? You can even create your own fellowship program similar to agencies like DoS or ODNI. Some positions (deployable, management, etc.) might be off-limits, but consider allowing some overhead positions for a fellowship program. This could include technical writing roles to win new work, administrative assistance, HR or security support, or even IT internships. “But executive management prefers that we fill our cleared contract roles and wouldn’t allow overhead slots being filled!” Consider proposing that you advertise for a recruiter fellow – this allows them to participate in a trial run, and also fulfills management’s preference of contract roles being filled with the extra recruiting support.
Standing Out From the Crowd
With around 200,000 people transitioning out of the military each year, veterans are an obvious talent pool to tap into when you’re recruiting cleared candidates. While cleared vet talent is out there, recruiters face tough competition in reaching the right veterans for the right opportunities. The good news is there are tricks you should have up your sleeve to differentiate yourself from the rest of the recruiting competition like implementing a military fellowship program.
THEÂ CLEARED RECRUITINGÂ CHRONICLES: YOUR WEEKLY DoD RECRUITING TIPS TO OUT COMPETE THE NEXT NATIONAL SECURITY STAFFER.
