Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC) has earned national recognition for its ongoing commitment and success in creating a veteran-friendly workplace.
Viqtory, a service-disabled, veteran-owned small business, awarded HCSC a silver ranking on its 2022 Military Friendly® Employers list. HCSC was ranked bronze in 2021.
HCSC also won designations for Military Friendly Brands and Military Friendly Supplier Diversity.
“This recognition is a great honor and key advantage for recruiting talent,” says Ian Schneller, chief information security officer for HCSC, who served 23 years in the U.S. Air Force. “Military veterans have an amazing amount of experience and training.”
The annual award ranks companies on practices and policies that create sustainable and meaningful benefits for the military community. Organizations must demonstrate success across multiple criteria, including hiring, retention, advancement opportunities and culture.
Only 1 in 4 U.S. veterans have a job lined up after leaving service, according to the Pew Research Center. And nearly 44% of veterans leave their first post-military job within the first year.
Those rates are driven in part by the difficulty many veterans face transitioning into civilian life, Schneller noted. Seemingly simple tasks such as how to dress for work or how to navigate a new organization’s structure and culture can become overwhelming. “It’s tough in ways you can’t even imagine.”
A foundational piece of HCSC’s ongoing commitment to make former service members feel welcome includes its Supporters of Military Veterans at HCSC (SMVH) business resource group. The group has seven chapters across multiple states with events and programs dedicated to veterans and their families.
About 1.9% of HCSC employees self-identify as veterans, and participating in SMVH groups helps them connect with other vets from around the company.
For example, Eddy White, senior systems analyst in Montana, says he was able to meet like-minded individuals through SMVH after the Montana health plan merged with HCSC.
“I quickly noticed HCSC had a recognized body within the company that supported veterans — it was an eye-opener for me,” says White, who served 21 years in the U.S. Army.
He now proudly serves as chair of the Montana SMVH Chapter. White credits the business resource group with supporting his transition and success. “Having that sense of community was a tremendous help.”