By Trish Freshwater, Senior Communications Manager

Today, we honor our veteran employees and their families for the extraordinary sacrifices that they have made. But when it comes to hiring this group of men and women who have served our nation, the conversation really needs to take place all year long – not just at Veterans Day.

At Sodexo, we have been recognized many times for our company’s support of employee veterans, guard members and reservists and for our recruitment efforts to employ military members and their families. We are recipient of the Secretary of Defense Freedom Award, the highest recognition given to employers for exceptional support of our nation’s defense, once again listed as a G.I. Jobs Top 100 Military Employer for the seventh year in a row.

To support our nation’s military families and those who transition into the civilian workforce, Sodexo takes a proactive approach to ensuring their success.

Hiring Heroes

Sodexo is keenly interested in hiring, supporting and retaining military veterans and reservists because their leadership, management, logistical and technical experiences in the military are directly transferrable to Sodexo’s business needs. All of our recruiters have been trained to understand military job titles, grades and ranks and can provide information to veteran candidates about how their skills align. Additionally, veterans can enter their Military Occupation Classification (MOC) into our crosswalk to identify similar civilian careers at Sodexo.

Networking and Learning Opportunities

The Sodexo business resource group HONOR – Honoring Our Nation’s finest with Opportunity and Respect – launched on Veterans Day 2009 to provide support, guidance and resources to employees and families connected to the military. HONOR members coordinate and take part in training, fundraiser and recognition events, in addition to veteran-specific job fairs.

Improving the Quality of Life

Through a partnership with Lifeworks, you will have access to resources and counseling to assist with managing personal issues at work or home, including:

• What to Send Someone Who Is Deployed

• Ways to Support a Co-Worker or Friend Whose Loved One Has Been Deployed

• Supporting Employees Returning from Military Duty

• Maintaining a Strong Relationship through Deployments and Separations

And, as part of our ongoing support of the Joining Forces initiative launched by First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden to serve and support military service members, veterans and their families, we pledge to hire and train more veterans and military spouses in the private sector and continue our ongoing focus on strengthening the company’s existing military-friendly programs.

To learn more about career opportunities for our former military, visit Sodexo Hires Heroes.

Happy Veterans Day!