Retiring US Special Operations Forces: What Comes Next for These Heroes?

Naviga Recruiting & Executive Search helps US Special Operations Forces transition into the civilian workforce.

TAMPA, Fla., Oct. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today,  Naviga Recruiting & Executive Search is a North American Sales, Marketing and Operations retained search firm. Kathleen Steffey, CEO and Founder of Naviga Recruiting & Executive Search is excited to announce her participation as a member of the exclusive STAR Network (SOF Transition Assistance Resource) in Tampa Bay.  This volunteer-based organization provides US Special Operations Forces, who are retiring, with the tools and networking skills to effectively gain civilian employment in the Tampa Bay area.

"When Errol Menke, Managing Partner of EJ-Vestco Industries, introduced me to this wonderful organization, I was immediately interested," said Steffey.  Steffey now donates her time to the STAR foundation, which involves attending a monthly dinner where Tampa Bay business executives are paired with leaders in the Special Operations Forces that consists of Army Green Berets, Night Stalkers, and Rangers; Navy SEALs and Combatantcraft Crewman; Marine Raiders; and Air Force Pararescueman and Combat Controllers.  The relationship continues after this monthly dinner with ongoing advice, coaching and mentoring.  Steffey also hosts small group breakfast meetings to offer insight into the market.  She's often asked questions surrounding negotiating compensation, how to network to get in front of key decision makers, interview tips and the fundamentals of best hiring practices in the civilian job marketplace.  "While SOF guys are some of the most impressive and elite people I have ever met, they are at a disadvantage because they are missing the key tactics to become gainfully employed after leaving the military,'' said Steffey.

According to a poll of Naviga's top clients, 90% of companies know the benefits of hiring a US Special Forces Veteran yet less than 30% have ever hired one. 90% of client responses were curious to learn how a US Special Forces retiree might fit into their organization. "A key observation from this survey is that retiring SOF professionals are missing opportunities because they default to only networking with Veterans even though so many employers want to hear from them. This is creating limitations and less results.  We have a lot of work to do to bridge this gap," Steffey says.

Hiring military Veterans has been documented to be a successful tactic; in addition to acquiring high-performing leadership talent with low turnover, companies often earn huge goodwill from customers and a public-image boost when they commit to hiring more military Veterans. Plus, it feels good to give back to an elite group of people that have given so much to the community already.  SOF professionals exhibit outstanding levels of honesty, self-motivation, inventiveness, attention, discipline, and drive, which make them exceptional leaders.

According to Talentry.net, "Despite their capabilities, all of the training in the world won't help them get a job if these amazing heroes can't get their foot in the door." Kathleen leveraged her network and contacted Briggs Equipment, a long-term client and a nation-wide industrial leader.  She encouraged them to host a transitioning SOF professional for a two-day job shadowing. They were extremely receptive and worked with Naviga to make it happen. 

David Fee, Operations Manager with Briggs Equipment, is a SOF Veteran and was involved in leading the 2-day job shadow.  "I wish I had the opportunity to shadow when I was transitioning out of the military to get exposure, which is key for these guys to learn and take it all in, even if they don't know what they want to do," says Fee. This job shadowing event allowed for strong headway in the mission of networking and gaining exposure from employers in the community.  The information shared and learned by both parties was invaluable.  "This is only the beginning," Steffey says. 

ABOUT NAVIGA RECRUITING & EXECUTIVE SEARCH

Naviga Recruiting & Executive Search is a professional and service-oriented provider of Executive Sales, Marketing and Operations recruiting services on a temporary and/or temporary-to-permanent and direct-hire basis for businesses worldwide. The firm takes pride in providing their clients with the highest-quality candidates to fill their available Executive, Sales, Marketing, and Operations positions. To learn more, visit navigarecruiting.com.

SOURCE Naviga Recruiting & Executive Search