Diversity is critical to a company’s success, but inclusion highlights the strengths and abilities that ALL employees bring to the workplace. With employers launching or implementing diversity inclusion initiatives, it is apparent that diversity and inclusion are important for businesses and essential to develop a robust talent pipeline. Including veterans as a part of the talent pipeline is a measure of championing diversity of thought, experience and perspectives. As nearly 200,000 servicemen and women returned to civilian life each year, Inclusive Enterprise podcast wanted to know what organizations are doing to proactively embrace, attract, hire, and retain veteran employees.
Three organizations enabling veterans to successfully transition from uniform to the workplace include The United States Department of Veterans Affairs – the VA, USVETS – a national advocacy organization, and Logicalis – an information and communications technology infrastructure and service provider and a significant employer of Veterans. All three are in different stages of their diversity, equity, and inclusion strategic journeys with efforts that positively impact veterans, businesses and the communities they serve.
Our guests include Mr. Harvey W. Johnson, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Resolution Management, Diversity and Inclusion for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Mr. Darryl J. Vincent, Chief Operating Officer at USVets, United States Veterans initiative, and Captain Ed Graves of the US Air Force, manager at Logicalis, US and President of the Logicalis’ largest employee resource group, the Military Personnel Employee Resource Group (MPERG) includes those who currently serve or who have ever served in the United States Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard, and now Spaceforce, whether on active duty, or in the National Guard, or military reserves.
The global protests over the unjust killing of George Floyd in 2020, as well as other black citizens, forced a reckoning among American businesses that more had to be done to take on systemic racism. Following his death, corporate america spoke out against racism, police brutality, and many companies made promises to reform their practices or to invest in efforts to fight racism in the community.
We asked our three distinguished leaders who are dedicated to veterans inclusion in the workplace, to share their experiences and insights.
Further Thoughts From Our Guests:
Harvey W. Johnson – Veterans Affairs – Conscious Inclusion Diversity Equity and Access (IDEA) – August 2021
Darryl J. Vincent – USVETS – Message to Staff – June 2020
Captain Ed Graves – Logicalis – Veterans ERG – February 2021
