USAA Expands Military Hiring Programs, Joins Forces for Business Community Commitment

USAA today announced a significant expansion of its military hiring programs, reinforcing its commitment to providing meaningful career opportunities for veterans and military spouses.

USAA has long been a leader in hiring veterans and military spouses, earning recognition as one of the top Military Friendly companies in the nation. Nearly 25% of USAA's workforce are veterans or military spouses, with many more having close ties to the military, which USAA points to as key to providing outstanding member service. At the same time, USAA notes federal data showing veterans feel less prepared for civilian jobs and, once employed, their average tenure is less than a year. Further, the unemployment rate for military spouses remains four times higher than the civilian rate, according to Blue Star Families.

“Having employees with military experience is critical to USAA's mission of serving our members in the military community with excellence,” said USAA’s Chief Human Resources Officer Tami Cabaniss. "We’re proud of the military expertise we have in our workforce, and we see firsthand the value they can bring to any employer, but that value isn’t being fully realized due to employment challenges. We’re committed to doing more, and we’re working with the broader business community to address those challenges.”

USAA’s expanded focus on veteran hiring is part of the company’s Honor Through Action program launched last year that includes a $500 million commitment over the next 5 years to honor all who served through advocacy and action. The military hiring focus includes:

• Partnering with hiring organizations like the Society for Human Resources Managers (SHRM) and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Hiring our Heroes program – all to expand national employer efforts to hire military veterans and their families. In March, USAA will host the Hiring our Heroes Veteran and Military Spouse Employer Advisory Councils and Blue Star Families will release Military Spouse Employment Research funded by USAA and others.
• Establishing a veteran-led Member Value team last year to ensure member needs are central to business decision-making and a new Policy and Alliances team consisting of veterans who’ll advocate for public policy changes to improve the quality of life for the military community. The new 13-member team is led by retired Army Major General John Richardson and includes retired Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Jim Honea and the former Senior Executive with Commander of Navy Installation Command, Leslie Gould. Also joining the policy team is the former Acting Deputy Under Secretary, Office of Policy and Oversight at the Department of Veterans Affairs, Brianne Ogilvie, and retired Army Brigadier General Jon Byrom.
• Testing new ways to hire and retain veterans through military veteran fellowship programs that include enhanced career navigation, employer engagement, skills development, and community support. One such fellowship is hiring veterans with data analytics experience and another focuses on leadership development. Both provide rotational experiences throughout the company. Some of USAA’s new fellows include:
  
  
  • A West Point graduate and Army veteran with an MBA from Yale currently working with USAA P&C Chief of Staff office leading process improvement initiatives.
  • A Naval Postgraduate School MBA graduate and Marine Corps veteran currently working in the CEO Chief of Staff office to help streamline communications throughout the Association and working with key leadership to drive new initiatives.
  • An engineer and Air Force Academy graduate who’s also a military spouse currently serving in HR's talent organization on the Leadership Effectiveness team, working on integrating USAA’s new leadership behaviors and principles for every employee and in every facet of the association.
  • An Air Force veteran with a master’s degree in cybersecurity currently working as a decision science analyst in the Member Value organization.