The uniformed services are a kind of corporation in which middle and senior management positions are usually held by officers with many years of service and experience. These individuals often leave the ranks at the peak of their abilities. The state does not use their experience and skills in any way, does not develop their potential, although it has invested millions in their training.
At the beginning of February, more than 10,000 highly qualified men and women took off their uniforms and retired – often at less than 45 years of age.
Character traits acquired in the army, which an employee without military experience often does not have, and which a civilian employer must shape through various additional training, in this case complete the decent image of a good and loyal employee. Training a professional soldier is a huge cost, and it would be a great imprudence not to use this potential after the middle-aged professional has left the service. In the uniformed services there would probably be more than a hundred professions, so the retirees of these services should continue working in their professions in civilian companies bringing great benefits to their employer – explains Maja Biesiekierska – Business Development Director at Rekrut24.
Uniformed personnel have great potential and unique experience, which can be implemented in business. Such traits as the ability to work in a team, under time pressure, punctuality, quick decision-making, ease of communication and the characteristics of a good leader are natural for most soldiers or officers of the uniformed services, especially for those who have experience in commanding or managing a team. These qualities are an added value for business. Throughout the years of service, uniformed officers operate at high speed, in discipline and in an organized group. This is invaluable experience, which, now that they are ex-uniformed, they can use in the civilian market in a new place of work.
In the army there are specialists in many professions that are currently in demand: logistics, medicine, crisis management, cyber security and many other areas, so there are many opportunities to employ former uniformed personnel in the civilian business and the stereotype that such an employee can only be employed in security services is completely different from reality. Discipline helps in acquiring new skills and in performing tasks diligently. Employing an ex-soldier has its own benefits.
If this is a recipe for employee success, why is there still something that makes ex-military stay idle at home, and why don’t potential employers fight for solid candidates? There are several reasons for this. First of all, civilian employers are not aware of the annual scale of the entry into the labor market of several thousand uniformed professionals with so many universal skills and do not know about the possibility of hiring them. And even if some know the statistics, they do not know where to look for such candidates. In Poland, until now, there has not been a widely recognized job placement company for former uniformed personnel. That is why we want to provide such a combination of both sides in Rekrut24 – explains Maja Biesiekierska.
Rekrut24 mission is one – to connect former uniformed personnel with employers looking for reliable, responsible and well-trained employees in various areas. The company’s main goal is to help former uniformed services employees achieve their ideal civilian career. For employers, whether they are looking for one employee or several for a new project Rekrut24 finds the right candidates. The effective selection process ensures that only those candidates who are best suited for the position are selected.
However, the second, no less important task of the company is to build in Poland such awareness of the potential of former uniformed personnel on the labor market, as is the case in the U.S. or the UK. There, hiring such a person in a civilian company is a very common practice and a source of pride, while in Poland it is still a struggle with stereotype. I dream of the day when, when proposing to a civilian company to hire an ex-uniformed person, I will be asked about his competencies, and the security position will not be the first offer I hear…. – adds Maja Biesiekierska.
Rekrut24 is a unique blend of experience from the military, commercial and recruitment sectors. This blend of knowledge and market insight allows us to understand what candidates employers are looking for. For the uniformed services we provide recruitment consultancy services. We are experts in our field, we know the industry, we have extensive knowledge of the processes, systems and challenges employers face and the concerns our candidates struggle with. We have combined key experiences and relationships to create a cohesive system that prepares professional staff for new jobs and enables them to reach out directly to employers. Our candidates can be confident that we will help them make the best choice.
