The name Wal-Mart usually conjures up images of old greeters in blue vests, smiley faces, and disgruntled independent merchants. But after a recently enacted agreement, you may soon add returning combat veterans to that list.
This past Veterans Day, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and the U.S. Army Reserve signed an agreement that will provide Army Reserve Soldiers opportunities for employment with Wal-Mart after they successfully complete military occupational specialty training. Wal-Mart and the Reserve will work together to recruit, license, and offer training to qualified Soldier candidates, according to a joint press release. The program allows Wal-Mart to draw upon a pool of over one million citizen soldiers to replace any company employee that may be called into military service.
The employment drive is part of the Army Reserve's Employer Partnership Initiative, which was launched this past April. Under this agreement, the Reserve is collaborating with business leaders to develop staffing solutions to meet America's industry demands, tackle the issue of workforce preparedness, and reinvigorate America's human talent to remain competitive in the global economy. So far over 100 companies, such as Boeing and Sears, have signed onto the program.
Lt. Gen. Jack C. Stultz, the Chief of the Army Reserve and the man behind the initiative, is clearly excited about getting the world's largest private employer to adopt the program.
"I'm honored to officially begin an enduring partnership with a company of such impressive stature. Wal-Mart has been a great friend to the military, and I look forward to collaborating with our newest valued partner to achieve mutual goals to attract, develop and retain a quality workforce," Stultz told Business Week.
Stultz isn't the only one feeling the love in Bentonville; Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott is feeling pretty good about the new initiative, calling it "a privilege to assist the troops and their families with this new initiative."
Speaking to the Arkansas Democrat Gazette, Stultz described the prototypical reservist as a "quality individual who has a certain value, who's drug free, who's physically fit, who's morally fit, who knows how to be a team leader, who knows how to be a team follower, who's not afraid to make decisions." What he did not comment on was if these individuals would be given any sort of preference during the hiring process.
The Employer Partnership Initiative clearly has some lofty goals. The Army Reserve has targeted high profile employers like IBM and New York Life, and successfully brought them into the fold. Taken at face value, the benefits of this program for reservists re-entering society, as well as employees with a desire to serve their country, are clear. It is the marketing potential of such a program that is hard to overstate; the Reserve can now present itself as a gateway to a long-term private sector career, while corporations such as Wal-Mart can promote an image of patriotism and "supporting the troops." That is not to say that the Reserve is not such a gateway or Wal-Mart is not patriotic, but there is something to be said for public relations value. With so much of the national conversation focused on the relationship between government resources and corporate needs, the Employer Partnership Initiative isn't likely to be the last program of its kind.
Also Interesting:
Most Read: