CERTIFICATION

Give Our Veterans a Fighting Chance

by Gene Smith

Smith is president of the loss Prevention Foundation, the not-for-profit organization charged with the responsibility of managing certification. he was formerly president of the industry’s largest executive search and consulting firm. during the past fifteen-plus years, Smith has provided career counseling for thousands of industry professionals nationwide. he can be reached at 704-837-2521 or via email at gene.smith@losspreventionfoundation.org.

Did you know the unemployment rate for our young men and women returning from Afghanistan and Iraq in May was 30 percent? Did you know that unemployment payments to service members fresh out of the military have doubled since 2008?

Many of us find these statistics not only alarming, but unacceptable. As a hiring manager, you may be able to do more about this than you think.

We all recognize that these young men and women have sacrificed much so the rest of us could go about living our normal life. We all shudder to think that we forget the sacrifices their families have made so we can have our freedom. We may even be alarmed to know that this 30 percent does not include the thousands that have re-enlisted for another tour of duty because they could not find employment as a private citizen.

We salute the retailers who have a history of hiring veterans. We can’t thank them enough. However, what are we doing as a profession to help? Clearly, we can do much more.

Military Transition Committee

The Loss Prevention Foundation has a Military Transition Committee chaired by ADT’s Kevin Lynch. Recently, Lynch along with Brand Elverston of Walmart, Scott McBride from American Eagle, and I met in Washington D.C. with various high-ranking military leaders to discuss how retail loss prevention could be more active in helping veterans find jobs. As a result of this meeting, the Foundation is aggressively moving forward with a comprehensive plan that will help to attract more qualified enlisted military and veteran candidates into the industry.

Many of these young men and women have excellent transferrable skills for retail loss prevention. Ken Rayca, director of LP at Liz Claiborne, said it best: “If they can learn all that the military teaches them, surely they can learn what we need to teach them.” Think about that. Military personnel have been conditioned to make a plan, follow a plan, and flex to it if needed. They understand loyalty, dedication, and the importance of accomplishing a goal. They are taught organizational, leadership, and time-management concepts. They are trained to pay attention to detail or suffer the consequences if they don’t. Sounds like a great training academy for future LP professionals. In addition, many have college degrees or at least have taken classes while in the service.

Unfortunately, with all of this training, they still lack understanding the retail business and culture of the private loss prevention industry. We believe exposing high-potential military personnel to the LPQualified (LPQ) course will help to ensure they understand our profession, as well as prepare them for an interview; subsequently increasing their chances of getting hired. Since they would have a much better understanding of what they are getting into from the LPQ, the turnover rate should be lower for retailers when they do get hired.

A Mission to Make a Difference

The mission of the Foundation’s Military Transition Committee is to “attract, prepare, and promote the hiring of veterans, non-returning active-duty approaching separation, National Guard, and reserve military personnel to retail loss prevention.”

Other members of this committee, including John Clark, Jeff McPike, and David Phillips, LPQ, have also done much to prepare our plan.

Here are just a few key items the committee has been working on: ■ Establish critical military partnerships, ■ Promote retail loss prevention in various military sources as a career alternative, ■ Obtain LPQ course approval as a military transition course, ■ Have the Foundation and retailers attend key military job fairs, ■ Link qualified candidates to retail opportunities, and ■ Provide job search advice and supporting resources.

If you are a hiring manager and have been successful in filling jobs with former service members, the committee would like to hear from you. If you would like to get involved, please contact David.Phillips@losspreventionfoundation.org.

For more information on the Military Transition Committee, visit the Foundation website, www.losspreventionfoundation.org.

In the near future, please look for more information on how we all can help. Together, we can help make a difference in the lives of many to whom our nation owes a great deal.