Company recognized for its commitment to recruiting and promoting veterans and their spouses
TROY, Mich. (November 11, 2021) – Kelly® announced today that it has earned the 2022 Military Friendly® Employer and Military Friendly® Spouse Employer designations. This marks the seventh year that the workforce solutions provider has been recognized for its commitment to connecting veterans and their spouses to work in ways that enrich their lives.
Institutions earning the Military Friendly® Employer designations were evaluated using both public data sources and responses from a proprietary survey. More than a thousand companies participated in the 2022 survey and 308 received designations.
Methodology, criteria and weightings were determined by VIQTORY, a service-disabled, veteran-owned small business that connects the military community to civilian employment and educational and entrepreneurial opportunities, with additional input from the Military Friendly® Advisory Council of independent leaders in the higher education and military recruitment community. Final ratings combined an organization’s survey score with an assessment of its ability to meet thresholds for applicants, new hire retention, employee turnover, and promotion of veterans and military employees.
“I joined Kelly three years ago because I saw how the company helped veterans after they return from service,” said Jeffery Arview, a former Army Sergeant who served in Iraq and now works as a Kelly talent advisor. “For many veterans it can be difficult to return to civilian life and some struggle to access meaningful careers. Military Friendly® Employers like Kelly understand that veterans are among the most dedicated and reliable employees.”
Arview manages more than 300 Kelly temporary employees at a client production facility in Tennessee. He quickly moved into the leadership position after joining as a temporary worker himself three years ago. On his journey from the military to Kelly, Arview faced and overcame multiple barriers to employment, including addiction to prescription drugs, homelessness and a criminal record. He tells his story in a compelling video that highlights Kelly’s efforts to knock down such barriers, remove outdated hiring practices and provide greater access to work.
“I was disqualified from several jobs and I knew it was going to be really tough to find work,” Arview said. “At times you want to give up, but there are many employers out there who not only value the leadership skills veterans possess but also believe in providing second chances to those who have a blemish on their record.”
Kelly has deployed an in-house recruiting program that aligns military experience and traits from U.S. veterans, current reservists and military spouses with job opportunities. More than 8,500 are employed by Kelly directly or placed on assignment with Kelly clients every year. Kelly also provides tools and resources to help veterans successfully transition to civilian jobs in fields including education, engineering, accounting, science, IT, manufacturing and logistics.
“Companies earning the Military Friendly Employers® designation create and elevate the standard for military programs across the globe. They have invested in substantive programs to recruit, retain and advance the veterans and service members within their organizations,” said Kayla Lopez, director of military partnerships at Military Friendly®. “To them, hiring veterans and servicemembers is more than just the right thing to do, it makes good business sense.”
Kelly will be showcased along with other 2022 Military Friendly® Employers in the December issue of G.I. Jobs® magazine and on MilitaryFriendly.com.