Easing the Burden of Military Spouse Unemployment
It’s that time again. The Military Spouse Friendly Employers List has been published. The list is devived from a survey that looks closely at how companies treat military spouses. It checks how they hire and support them, aiming to help military spouses have good jobs. I know from personal experience, that military life is often uncertain, but one thing spouses can count on is that moving to a new duty station can affect their careers. I’ve been of the 25%– spouses who want a job, but don’t have one. It shouldn’t surprise you that most of us end up in jobs that don’t match our skills. But there are resources like this one that can make a difference. And it all begins with getting your foot in the right door. I hope this list is a a great first step.
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2024 Military Spouse Friendly Employers
How Can Military-Friendly Employers Help spouses Acquire Good Jobs?
Hi dear readers!! Yes, you. Do you work somewhere that actively recruits and supports military spouses? Tell us all in the comments below.
I first started making this list in 2016, it remains relevant today for military spouses seeking employment opportunities. Unsurprisingly, the list doesn’t change much from year to year. Many of the companies listed have always offered portable job options, suitable no matter where you reside in the world. Published by Victory Media, the rating organization and publisher of school ratings, the List of Military Friendly Employers for 2024 features 100 employers dedicated to actively recruiting military spouses.
The annual list recognizes companies that pursue military spouses (or milspouses) as part of their hiring philosophy and culture. The companies have created workforce environments, policies, and initiatives that address issues and competencies unique to military spouses.
In addition, the list also includes twice as many companies as previous. And these 100 companies recognize the important, varied, and technical skill-sets the modern military spouse possesses. In addition, to ranking the top Military Spouse Friendly Employers by industry. Other categories include time off for service member deployments, probable relocations, etc.
And like the military spouse, the list itself ranges in the business segment, revenues, and type of commitment.
Military Spouse Friendly Employers List– The Top 3
7-Eleven, Inc.
The first company is very familiar to us. 7-Eleven, Inc. began as an ice house in Dallas, Texas, back in 1927 has transformed into the world’s largest operator, franchisor, and licensor of convenience stores. Today, 7-Eleven, Inc. operates, franchises, and licenses over 83,000 stores worldwide.
ADP
ADP® is a global provider of cloud-based Human Capital Management (HCM) solutions, including HR, payroll, talent, time, tax, and benefits administration. They serve 1 million companies worldwide.
AECOM
AECOM is a worldwide infrastructure consulting firm focused on transportation, buildings, water, new energy, and the environment. They prioritize technical and digital expertise, equity, diversity, inclusion, and ESG commitments, encompassing environmental sustainability, social responsibility, and good governance practices.
Click here for the full list of Military Friendly Employers for 2024.
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Comments
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Thank you so much, that is a wonderful compliment.
Although, I am not a Military Spouse seeking employment. Job seeking period is very difficult and often frustrating. I spent 11 months seeking out employment opportunities and going to interviews after interviews. I remember feeling emotionally drained when I knew that I had an excellent interview but I wasn’t getting the phone call to tell me “Ms. Cross, you got the job!” I even remember driving out of state for an interview with an employer and I made sure that I asked the employer how soon would they make their decision. I remember the HR Manager assuring me that they would be making their decision by the end of the week. I remember waiting and the end of the week came by but I had not received a phone call. I took an initiative to follow-up that following Monday morning. The HR Manager stated that they hoped to finalize a decision and 2 weeks went by and before long a month and I decided to move on to something else. I finally received a response from the employer after 6 months that I wasn’t selected but they encouraged me to continue to look at other employment opportunities on their company website. Since then I can officially say I am gainfully employed now and work in Management. I have gained a lot of insight in the interview game and just to give you a heads-up for good signs that an employer is interested or not. Employers that are interested in a job seeker will give an application after an interview to get the ball rolling with your background check process. Background checks usually take up to 30 days to complete. Make sure that you have excellent references that will give you an excellent recommendation. Believe me when I tell you this I have observed numerous occasions where a potential new employee didn’t have good references. Management doesn’t have time chasing references! Make sure that you are professionally dressed. I remember participating in a panel interview and the individual was selected for the job because he was professionally dressed. Network! Network! Network! I can’t say that enough because my Big Boss has brought at least 6 of her Employees from her previous job. I think it’s a bad decision because I observe her struggling with mandating disciplinary actions because they feel that they are entitled to a break a few rules because they are friends .
Thank you Tamara. This is such good insight into a process we all go through, but rarely have as much information about.
I appreciate that more and more companies are “Military Spouse Friendly”. It doesn’t seem that these or any other company is more likely to call me for an interview just because I’m a military spouse, if anything, I feel that I have a higher possibility to NOT be called or I’m less likely to be offered a position because of that – no matter what their advertisements/hiring numbers say. I do believe that most companies do make it a point to hire more Veterans, but I’m still skeptical about more spouses, especially if they are an active duty spouse.
I have applied repeatedly to one of the companies in the Top 100 and never even received a screening call, much less an offer to interview. These are positions that I am more than qualified for. As I currently live in a metro area with a rapidly growing economy, I am competing with 100s of other people for every position. I would hope that my time as a military spouse would count in my favor (which they are claiming it does), but I do feel that the years I spent volunteering aren’t looked upon as ‘real’ work (which I would beg to differ) & I’m not called because I’m a military spouse & they don’t want me to leave after a short period of time.
I have found that companies in areas surrounding most military facilities pay significantly less than average. I know that while I did work overseas (& I worked for the US Government), I was paid SIGNIFICANTLY less than I would have been paid for the same position if I was living in the US. If I was willing to commute to the post that is around an hour north of me, average salary is about 40-60% less than the metro area I’m closest to.
I have interviewed with quite a few companies now and have yet to receive an offer. I do think that being a military spouse and the possibility that I might move again does deter them. This is despite my sharing that I will not be relocating with my husband for his last 2 years of active duty. I am attempting to establish my career before he retires, yet it seems like I’m still held accountable for something I have no intention of doing.
I have many friends who are also current and former military spouses. Job hunting always seems to be significantly more difficult and the premium jobs are significantly harder to acquire.
I agree with you completely. My last job at Allianz actually hired me knowing I would be leaving in a year because we had been living in VA for over two years. I wanted to work PT. I looked for something that brought in a little money and I could still have a life. I worked there for 3 months and came down on orders. They fired the FT person and offered me the job even though I told them we were due orders. They even negotiated additional wages because I didn’t need health insurance. Sometimes you get lucky. It was only a receptionist position but it was high profile and I enjoyed the people I worked with too even though I only ended up working there for 6 months.
This list has gotten much longer over the last 5 years. I wonder if its a true indication of employers actively recruiting spouses or an advertising tool. We can hope, great website btw!