Hiring Our Heroes Connects Employers, Vets

STAFF PHOTO BEN GOFF Donald Daniels, a job seeker and Army veteran, from Siloam Springs, talks Thursday about his resume with Alexa O’Leary, a military recruiter from Tyson Foods, during the Hiring Our Heroes job fair at the Armed Forces Reserve Center in Bentonville.

STAFF PHOTO BEN GOFF Donald Daniels, a job seeker and Army veteran, from Siloam Springs, talks Thursday about his resume with Alexa O’Leary, a military recruiter from Tyson Foods, during the Hiring Our Heroes job fair at the Armed Forces Reserve Center in Bentonville.

Friday, March 14, 2014

BENTONVILLE -- Ryan Barnhouse came to the Bentonville Armed Forces Reserve Center on Thursday looking for a job and needed someone to help him translate his skills.

Barnhouse has served 11 years in the United States Navy, six on active duty and five in the reserves. He was one of more than 70 veterans, National Guardsmen and reservists who attended the Hiring Our Heroes job fair.

At A Glance (w/logo)

Hiring Our Heroes

Hiring Our Heroes has hosted more than 650 job fairs in 50 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia. As of June 30, 21,600 veterans and military spouses have obtained jobs. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation coordinated the event with the Bentonville/Bella Vista, Rogers-Lowell and Fayetteville chambers of commerce, the Department of Labor Veterans’ Employment and Training Service, the Arkansas Committee of the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, the Army Reserve, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the American Legion and other local partners.

Source: Hiring Our Heroes

"I came here because the skills that I offer are unique, and I'm trying to find someone who understands what I have to bring to the table," Barnhouse said.

One of the biggest challenges that veterans face in finding employment "is how to best translate what it is that they've done in the military and how it fits to what an employer needs in the civilian sector," said Ernie Lombardi, southeast regional associate with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Hiring Our Heroes is a national initiative launched by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation in March 2011. Its mission is to help 500,000 veterans find meaningful work by the end of this year, Lombardi said.

The national unemployment rate for veterans in February was 6.3 percent. The civilian unemployment rate was 6.7, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Barnhouse connected with Larry Malone, a 21-year Marine veteran who was hired by Walmart as an area maintenance manager a month ago through its commitment to hire 100,000 veterans over five years.

Malone is one of nearly 34,000 veterans who been hired since Walmart launched the initiative on Memorial Day last year, said Sharon Weber with Walmart corporate affairs.

Work was hard to come by before being hired by Walmart, Malone said.

"(As) a 21-year veteran, I was a tow truck driver working for $10 an hour just to make sure I could feed my three kids and my wife and pay my mortgage," he said.

Finding companies that will accept the background of service members and their skill sets is hard, he said.

"Sometimes it's hard to put what we know into what they want and vice versa," Malone said. "I think Walmart's got it figured out."

Barnhouse, a single father of a 5-year-old daughter, said when he started looking for employment it was for "the best jobs" with different corporations.

"I'll admit, I applied for two positions yesterday as pizza delivery driver because it's so hard trying to find positions," he said. "At one point in time for two years I was working for $7.85 an hour." His voice broke as he fought tears. "Working on security in Fayetteville ... just to be able to put food on the table."

When he tells employers he flew helicopters and worked on submarines, they're not sure what to do, he said.

"Of course Walmart may not have helicopters and submarines, but (Malone) understands that I'm a front-line supervisor," Barnhouse said. "He knows what I'm capable of doing."

Walmart was one of 35 employers at the event, according to Lombardi. Tyson Foods, J.B. Hunt, Embassy Suites, Starbucks and Auto Zone all had booths.

"We're seeing a wide range of skills that we usually don't see coming from the normal applicant who comes to the store," said Aaron Kerby, Auto Zone district manager.

Bentonville also had a presence.

Ed Wheeler, city human resource manager, said employees with a military background bring a sense of leadership and responsibility to their place of employment.

"They show up every day, and they give 120 percent," he said.

Wheeler said he was unsure of how many city employees are veterans, but estimated there are between 15 and 20 that serve in the National Guard or a branch of the reserve.

A workshop before the fair assisted veterans with how to translate their skills and experience to apply to the civilian work force, and the fair provided one-on-one time between employers and veterans, Lombardi said.

Greg White with the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve and Don Quinn with Hero 2 Hired also were at the event. Both agencies are part of the Department of Defense and help create and keep connections between employers and veterans, guard and reserve members.

Barnhouse called the event a "gold mine."

"This doesn't happen very often where a group of employers meet up looking to hire veterans," he said.

NW News on 03/14/2014