If you google the core values of the navy you'll see that the first thing that pops up is actually their core attributes which state: “initiative, accountability, integrity and toughness serve as guiding criteria for our decisions and actions.”

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Ironically initiative, accountability, integrity and toughness are equally as important for successful candidates in sales roles. Stephanie Narvaez, who served in the Navy, is a woman and a person of color, making it even more challenging for her in the Navy – and we honor our commitment to continuing the conversation on diversity, inclusion, and belonging in sales. Stephanie along with LaunchSource’s own Jasmine Harrison, who also served in the Navy about their experiences in the Navy, what skills they found useful for tech sales, and what recruiting teams and sales managers should consider when recruiting and winning veterans for the SDR role. 

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This is great for talent leaders, SDR Managers/Directors or candidates looking to strengthen their understanding of what makes a great candidate, how to work effectively with diverse teammates and how to win diverse candidates. 

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Hiring Veterans for many can be an organizational mandate or a desire from a sales leader but there should be many considerations when thinking about hiring a veteran. LaunchSource has 

learned about some of these challenges in working with 10,000+ candidates specifically for an entry-level sales role. Stephanie and Jasmine will talk more about these challenges during our Emerging Leaders of LaunchSource Session. 

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In our experience, hiring veterans can be fantastic but also some things to consider. Veterans may take time to acclimate to a new environment 

Here are some things to consider when hiring a Veteran: 

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• It is not uncommon for someone in the military to have gaps in their unemployment or a non-traditional resume. This is where other interviewing assessments would be helpful to evaluate fit for the role and fit for a team. 
• If they are transitioning from the military to civilian life, keep in mind they may take some time to acclimate to a new work environment and have different levels of professionalism and candor. 
• 15% of Veterans identify as suffering from major depression or PTSD and fully remote work may be isolating. Make sure to emphasize any support groups and include resources, mentoring programs early on if hiring a Veteran. 
• 3 out of 10 Veterans identify as disabled so it’s critical to ensure that the work tools that are provided have accessibility features for the individual that you hire or work with your team to learn if there are other options available for diabled individuals

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So want to hire a Veteran? Join us on Thursday October 13, 2022 about the experiences of a veteran. Just like in all of our ongoing conversations about diversity, it’s a constant path of learning and speaking to other veterans, and getting involved. Here are groups that you can get involved in today to connect with if you are trying to learn more or just strengthen your own ability to communicate and win Veteran talent. 

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Ultimately, building the next great sales force, one that is diverse will not only be one with individuals from under-represented minorities like Stephanie and Jasmine but also individuals from under-represented communities like Veterans. Here at LaunchSource in our efforts to consistently be engaged in these conversations about diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, we look forward to learning more on Thursday! 

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Register Here