Almost all Central Minnesota industries have been hit hard by the nationwide worker shortage.  Gail Cruikshank, Talent Director from the Greater St. Cloud Development Corporation, and local HR professional Meghan Murphy joined me on WJON this week.  Meghan is also a volunteer with St. Cloud Stand Down.   Cruikshank says veterans offer a blend of job skills including leadership, discipline, and pressure-based decision making.  She says "in serving our country veterans have trained to become your company's greatest assets."

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Cruikshank says veterans have many transferrable skills they may not realize they have that can make them employable in positions they may not have experience in.  She says the market is still a job seekers market.  Cruikshank says veterans bring many attributes and skills to almost any job.  She's says it's just a matter of how an employer can examine the veteran's skills and how they could help their team.  Cruikshank says an employer can approach their job openings in a way where they are looking for the right personality and fit and then train them to handle the job responsibilities.

Meghan Murphy says she has had lots of success working with veterans as a HR professional.  She says they typically see an accelerated learning curve.  Murphy says they often times see veterans adapt quickly to new jobs due to their military experience.  She says veterans have learned the skills necessary to lead by example and have a respect for policies and procedures.

St. Cloud Stand Down is a non profit veterans run and veteran focused organization.  Murphy says they are holding their annual Stand Down event on Thursday October 28th at Rivers Edge Convention Center.  The event this year includes a job fair from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m.  Approximately 25 to 30 employers are scheduled to be at the event.

If you'd like to listen to my conversation with Gail and Meghan it is available below.

 

 

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