Booz Allen Initiatives Support Employees with Military Experience

November was Veterans Employment Month at Booz Allen Hamilton. But honoring veterans—and ensuring their employment experience is valuable and fulfilling—are year-'round commitments at the firm.

"Veterans and non-veterans can face challenges when working cooperatively," says associate and former Armed Services Forum (ASF) chair Andrew Gilbert. "Booz Allen spans differences in the two cultures by building on its core values."

A few years ago, reintegrating veterans into Booz Allen after their military service was a challenging process. Retention of Reservists and National Guard members was especially low. "Booz Allen was doing all the right things, but the mindset of a war fighter and a consultant can be very different," says Gilbert.

"There was a disconnect with management as to what service members experienced and what their integration needs were when they returned home," says ASF chair and associate Joe Sabin. "Transition issues are felt by everyone, independent of rank."

So Gilbert and Principal John Darocha created the ASF in 2003 to support veterans, with Reservists, and National Guard members, and ease their transition into private industry using outreach and professional development. Now 300 strong and growing, the ASF has launched numerous successful initiatives.

Its most popular community outreach programs—which have also become team-building events—are conducted through Rebuilding Together. In addition, ASF's website provides links and resources for Booz Allen staff. Quarterly new hire luncheons are well attended. In conjunction with Black History Month, ASF plans a presentation by the first African-American graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy.

Says Gilbert, "Everyone has a unique viewpoint to bring to the workplace, and studies show that more durable solutions come from heterogeneous groups. We raise awareness of the veteran's viewpoint and help all staff members leverage the usefulness of that view." To honor Veterans Day and help educate non-veterans about the military experience, ASF introduced a military tradition called a "Dining In" at an event in McLean, Virginia, where an empty table was designated as a tribute to comrades fallen in battle.

The ASF also clarified the extent of military exposure throughout the firm. Every day, thousands of Booz Allen employees work with military clients or civil agencies with command-and-control operations models, such as law enforcement and emergency medical services. Many of the firm's offices have a strong military focus, including San Diego, Colorado Springs, and McLean. In addition, several hundred Booz Allen staff members have served or continue to serve in the military.

Reaching the "High-Hanging Fruit"

At the 2004 Diversity Awards dinner, Chairman & CEO Ralph Shrader praised the firm's progress toward making employee diversity a cultural mainstay. But he challenged employees to push beyond the fundamental challenges—what he called the "low-hanging fruit"—and pursue the "the high-hanging fruit," which will enable Booz Allen to take diversity to the next level.

Gilbert agrees. "The ASF is pushing to the next level to ensure diversity is richer and deeper. We're learning how to achieve respect for all points of view, and how to leverage those viewpoints to make them part of the firm's delivery and who we are in the market."

The strengths that veterans bring to the firm and its clients are moving Booz Allen closer to achieving these goals. Individuals with military experience provide expert domain knowledge of the DOD community and its mission drivers, and favor an approach that supports specific, tangible objectives. "The military has an action- and command-driven culture," Sabin says. "Veterans have worked with the latest equipment and are often placed in highly substantive roles very early in their military career."

Differences between Booz Allen and military cultures are often clear and definable, which helps identify areas in which to concentrate. For example, some elements of the military culture are:

• More explicit rules of conduct
• Hierarchical structure
• Defined roles and status
• Consistency across units
• Clearly defined career progression

Conversely, Booz Allen's culture features:

• More implicit rules of conduct
• Matrix structure
• Flexible roles and status
• Variations across teams
• Less defined career progression

Interviews with veterans suggest the transition to private industry is easiest when they manage their careers by being proactive, sharing experiences, and building competencies through classes and on-the-job training. Gilbert emphasizes that, for veterans, it's helpful to remember that integration into private industry remains a developmental process. "Think of 'ambiguity' as 'flexibility,'" suggests Sabin.

story posted December 2, 2005