SHL Launches Veterans' TotalMatch Solution to Improve Success Hiring Veterans into Private Sector Jobs

ATLANTA, June 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- SHL, the global leader in talent measurement solutions, today announced the launch of Veterans' TotalMatch™ (VTM) Solution at the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) 2012 Annual Conference & Exposition in Atlanta, GA, (Booth #1340). Developed by SHL government subsidiary PDRI, the VTM Solution utilizes assessment science to go beyond simple military skills translation to give a complete picture of new hire candidates returning from military service. This provides civilian employers with a true 360-degree view of a veteran's experience and potential, resulting in veterans being more accurately matched to a larger number of potential civilian jobs they are well suited to perform.

While the national U.S. unemployment rate remains high, increasing numbers of veterans are returning to the workforce as military deployments decrease. Simply put, this means even more candidates for fewer jobs. In response, the Federal Government has issued incentives to boost veterans hiring, including tax credits and other programs for businesses that hire veterans. Private sector companies want to hire vets and veterans want to be matched to the right civilian jobs for their skills and interests. Yet, both are challenged because of difficulties relating veterans' military skills and experience to civilian jobs, especially for veterans who served in combat jobs. Until now, tools to help companies hire veterans have almost exclusively focused on translating the veteran's military skills to civilian occupations. Beyond the fact that some military jobs simply do not translate well into civilian counterparts, veterans are much more than the skills they acquire from their military jobs. They bring a wide array of experience, competencies, and interests - beyond their military job skills - that make them outstanding candidates for many more civilian jobs than can be identified by considering their military skills alone.

In direct response to these challenges, SHL has created a veterans hiring solution that is more focused and personalized than anything available to date, and specifically tailored to support veterans who are now seeking employment. The result is the VTM Solution, which significantly raises the bar to set a new standard for finding more and better civilian jobs matches for veterans. Initially created as part of the VAforVets Career Center, a website developed for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the VTM Solution goes beyond matching individuals to jobs solely based on an assumed set of skills. Instead, the solution uses in-depth assessments to gain a more accurate, 360 degree view of skills, abilities, interests and competencies culled from a veterans' entire life experience – not just from recent military service. The result?

• A larger, more highly qualified candidate pool
• Increased support for talent acquisition teams
• Improved retention as a result of better employee-job matches
• A more positive company brand image as an 'employer of choice' for veterans

The VTM Solution helps companies better match veterans to jobs and also helps veterans more easily discover viable career options themselves – all through an online portal that can be branded to seamlessly fit within any company's career portal. This tool maximizes the number and type of jobs for which veterans may be qualified, expanding the probability of a successful job search. The solution also provides feedback veterans can use for focused career exploration and development. The VTM Solution and available online tools can be tailored to match specific organizational needs, unlike many other tools that provide a one-size-fits-all approach. And once the assessments have been completed, veterans are automatically directed to vacancies and job postings that match their profile, so the application process can begin immediately.

"With highly developed skill sets and leadership traits, our military personnel serve their country in such extraordinary ways. In turn, private organizations know that these veterans can also be of great value to their business, but they've lacked the methodologies and tools in making high-confidence matches for available positions," said Caroline Paxman, President of the Americas, SHL. "SHL has taken this challenge head-on to create a hiring solution for veterans that is as much a benefit to employers, as it is to the veterans seeking jobs in the private sector workforce. We strongly believe the VTM Solution will generate significant improvement for any corporation who is committed to hiring veterans today."

To learn more about adding the SHL Veterans' TotalMatch (VTM) Solution to your recruiting and talent acquisition programs, visit http://campaigns.shl.com/veterans-totalmatch

About SHL - People intelligence. Business results.

SHL is the leader in talent measurement solutions, driving better business results for clients through superior people intelligence and decisions - from hiring and recruiting, to employee development and succession planning. With a presence in over 50 countries, SHL delivers more than 25 million assessments annually in over 30 languages - allowing over 10,000 business customers to benefit from both global expertise and local insight. Along with its world-class consulting practices and 24-hour support center, SHL clients can access over 1,000 assessments through an easy-to-use technology platform. Headquartered in London, UK, the company has offices in North and South America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Australia/New Zealand. For more information, visit www.shl.com.

About PDRI

Founded in 1975, PDRI, an SHL Company, has built a global reputation of excellence by designing, developing and implementing human capital and training solutions that incorporate the most recent advances in the behavioral sciences and adhere to the highest principles of professional practice. PDRI's  PerformanceFIT™ suite of integrated talent management solutions helps government and commercial clients hire, train, develop, manage and motivate high-performance organizations. For more information, visit www.pdri.com.

SOURCE SHL