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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 17 D E C E M B E R 1 1 , 2 0 1 7 F O C U S H R / R E C R U I T M E N T works with outside staffi ng fi rms to fi ll certain positions. Destiny Demo, Cianbro's corporate operational human resources manager, says that veterans account for 13.9% of hires. HR challenges From a human resources perspective, veterans have some unique needs that other employees don't, like military services obligations that require them to take leave, sometimes at inopportune times, which tends not to be a problem. Dan Means, a former machine gun- ner with the Marines, joined Tilson in Portland this September to work as a drafter and help Broder coordinate everything having to do with vets — from informing them about free fl u shots to supporting their military com- mitments, above and beyond its pledge through a U.S. Department of Defense program, Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve. "My door's always open," he says. 'Not a charity' Mental wellness is another challenge, particularly for veterans who experi- enced trauma and have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. "For veterans, the trauma's easy to identify," sometimes even during a job interview, says Tilson's Broder, saying that wouldn't aff ect someone's chances of getting hired. "We see it as a back door into the conversation for everyone." On the fl ip side, some employers may be put off by the stigma of PTSD. Adria Horn, a U.S. Army vet- eran who heads the Maine Bureau of Veterans' Services, responds: "We want people to know that hiring a veteran isn't a charity and not all veterans have PTSD. And this isn't just a veteran issue — many employers already have civilian trauma survivors in the workforce." She adds: "We want to move beyond an emphasis on trauma and really high- light that veterans are versatile, adaptable and highly accustomed to learning on the job, which is an immense asset to employ- ers, especially in this tight job market." Veterans interviewed for this story say there's always a bond that can make it easy to break the ice during a job interview or banter at work, even if they don't always see eye to eye on sports. "It gets a little competitive around the Army-Navy game," says Dead River's Langevin, laughing. R e n e e C O r D e s , M a i n e b i z s e n i o r w r i t e r, c a n b e r e a c h e d a t r c O r D e s @ m a i n e b i z . b i z a n d @ r s c O r D e s Looking for employees who fit and stay? Hire KMA. Recruiting made simple. (207) 781-6460 info@kmaconsultingllc.com www.kmaconsultingllc.com 2017 Maine Hire-A-Vet Campaign heads towards strong finish W ell before the Dec. 13 fi nish date, the 2017 Maine Hire-A-Vet Campaign had already exceeded its target of getting 100 hires by 100 veterans in 100 days. Through Nov. 30, the tally was 152 hires by 148 employers, accord- ing to the Maine Department of Labor. "The partnership between the Department of Labor and employers across the state has hit a new stride this year," says Adria Horn, director of the Maine Bureau of Veterans' Services. "Our outreach has been better, but it's also been easier because the MHAV campaign is known – and known to be successful." She adds: "This is evidenced by employers who have joined us again for a second or third time." The 2017 campaign is due to wrap up on Dec. 13. TOP HIRE-A-VET EMPLOYERS IN MAINE, 2017 S O U R C E : Maine Department of Labor (fi gures as of Nov. 30) Company Hires 1 Lowe's Home Improvement 31 2 Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems 16 3 St. Mary's Regional Medical Center 11 4 Bonney Staffi ng Center 9 5 Dead River Co. 8 6 United Parcel Service 4

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