via Toolkits: Hire More Military Veterans – Outdoor Industry Association
Military hiring in the outdoor industry a key focus for OIA’s Skip Yowell Future Leadership Academy capstone project
In 2018, a team from Class 3 of OIA’s Skip Yowell Future Leadership Academy (SYFLA) was tasked with advancing the progress made from Class 2’s 2017 River Leaders trip. The goal is to more-seamlessly connect employers with military veterans who are passionate about the outdoors and seeking employment in the industry.
AN UNTAPPED RESOURCE: VETERANS AND THE OUTDOOR WORKFORCE
Based on learnings from the 2017 River Leaders trip, the 2018 SYFLA team developed and authored two toolkits to raise awareness and bridge the hiring gap. The toolkits were developed through numerous interviews with human resource (HR) departments and military veterans, along with research on the current state of the industry. The toolkits target two audiences, military veterans and HR at outdoor brands, and are free and available for download through the OIA website:
- Military Veteran Hiring Toolkit for Human Resources at Outdoor Brands
- Military Veteran Career Toolkit
This project was grounded by a commitment to creating a more diverse and inclusive outdoors, as well as to recognize the military’s historical connection to the outdoor industry. World War II veteran Earl Shaffer was the first man recorded to have hiked the entire Appalachian Trail, which he completed to “walk the war” out of his system, and veterans from the Tenth Mountain Division contributed to the development of outdoor gear and the explosive growth of the U.S. ski and recreation industries.
In addition to these historic connections, numerous outdoor companies have contracts to research, develop and produce technical gear for the military. However, in contrast, the outdoor industry does not conduct formal outreach to military veterans, with zero outdoor companies showing up on the annual Military Friendly Employers list.
“Many employers don’t know where to start when it comes to military/veteran hiring,” said Kylie Penn, Global Director of Talent Acquisition and Mobility at Columbia Sportswear Company. “These toolkits provide employers with relevant and digestible information to tap into a new talent pool in this competitive talent marketplace.”
VETERANS: THE BEST EMPLOYEES YOU’RE NOT HIRING
Dave Petri, VP of Marketing for Nester Hosiery and U.S. Navy veteran, participated in the 2017 River Leaders trip and is an advocate for military hiring in the outdoor industry. “When Stacy Bare, Tom Boyle and I first discussed engaging the industry on recruiting veterans, we knew the main challenges would be perceived barriers. OIA responded by recognizing the same thing and engaged the [SYFLA] to find a solution. The result was the publication of these amazing toolkits – developed by a talented group of future leaders with no military background, but dedicated to improving the diversity culture in our industry. The value and impact will be realized for many years to come.”
OIA SYFLA Team Members: Joleen Ong, Corporate Responsibility Program Manager – Licensing, Columbia Sportswear Company; Morgan Makowski, Marketing Director, HydraPak; Jeff Sermak, North American Sales Manager, Eagle Creek; Kristy Holland, Technical Design & Development, Youngone; Adam Higinbothom, Sales Floor Lead, Pack Rat Outdoor.
Veteran Outdoor Leaders 