While there are plenty of ways to honor returning military veterans, one of their most important needs when returning from a long tour of duty overseas is fairly straightforward: many of them need a civilian job.
Audi of America has launched a new program to hire skilled former military mechanics and technicians as certified service technicians at its dealerships.
The "Veterans to Technicians" program doesn't just benefit veterans; Audi dealers, like other dealers, have struggled to find and retain good technicians as demand for their skills has increased. Based on sales forecasts that will put 200,000 new Audi vehicles on the road annually, the company expects to double its technician staffing levels by 2020. Audi hopes to build a bench of technicians who can grow into team leaders and help move the service organization forward as demand increases.
The program combines Audi's efforts to bolster its technician staffing and efforts to help veterans establish new careers after what have often been lengthy tours of duty.
"In 2011, Audi management did a tour of the country to meet with our dealers, and we asked them what issues were most important to them," says Reinhard Fischer, director of strategy for Audi of America. "One key topic was they needed help finding qualified technicians."
Not long afterward, Fischer met Bernie Hyland, a program manager at CALIBRE Systems, a Virginia-based management and technology service company. Hyland was working with the Department of Veterans Affairs to develop a new program that would help support military veterans as they transitioned back to civilian life. Fischer proposed a hiring program, and the two companies launched the initiative in July of 2013.
"We've had a great reception from our dealer partners, who are very excited about the quality of people we are providing through the program," Fischer says.
Audi developed the program with CALIBRE to support Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs veteran/military transition initiatives, including the Veterans Opportunity to Work (VOW) to Hire Heroes Act, which was passed in 2011.
"That act was aimed at improving the quality of life and employment of veterans," says Hyland. "It does a good job of re-engineering the transition process, and it includes everything from helping them to prepare for applying for jobs, building interview skills, and learning how to translate military skills into a resume that makes sense in the private sector."
According to Audi, an emphasis has been placed on recruiting vets with automotive skills, as well as those with power generation, aviation, welding, electronics, hydraulic systems and maritime systems experience. CALIBRE will handle employment opportunity outreach to military service alumni groups, Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs), state Departments of Veterans Affairs and other organizations.
Veterans in the program are screened to determine their technical experience. Eligible veterans also need to have an honorable discharge and three to five years of direct experience in a military unit's maintenance operations. Applicants also have to pass pre-employment screening and a set of Audi technician skill checks.
"Audi is looking for highly skilled veterans who have the attributes needed to be a successful technician, but more importantly, that can have a successful career at Audi," Hyland says. "We don't want veterans to come to this programs as quick stop and then head down the street to a different brand for more money. We are hoping we can educate them that yes, pay is important, but so is having stability in your job and career. You may be a technician today, but you could be a team leader or a shop foreman a few years from now. They have to think about a long-term commitment."
Hyland says the biggest challenges involved in matching veterans to these jobs are translating their skills into language that the private sector can understand; effectively demonstrating that their experience is relevant to the job requirements; and convincing employers that the veterans can be productive employees and work well in a civilian setting.
"The biggest barrier to break down is culture," Hyland says. "I've heard employers say that the military guys are used to giving orders, or that they are hard to work with. But really, they've been placed in a role of responsibility where they are not allowed to make excuses, so they don't. They are brutally honest, and that can make other people feel self-conscious. They tend to raise the performance bar."
For the veterans, the biggest adjustment is the service department compensation model. "They come from an environment where there is a fixed salary, and going to the flat-rate world can cause a bit of sticker shock," Hyland says. "We set expectations on both sides, and let them know that this is a performance-based pay system. If you work hard, and perform well, you get rewarded."
Other automotive brands have also launched similar programs, or are looking to do so. Toyota has a formal program in place, and other major OEMs have investigated doing the same. According to Hyland, some large dealer groups also have launched programs.
"The service managers are looking at these veterans and saying, 'Here's someone I can very rapidly get up to speed, and then pair them with a high-quality mentor, and later I can cut that person loose in the shop as a team leader,'" Hyland says.
"From the dealers I'm hearing only praise about the quality of the employees," Fischer says. "They are dedicated and have a great work ethic. They take pride in their work."
For more information, visit www.audivets.com.
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