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Your week, run for you

You should not have to figure out what to do next. Tell the system where you are and it writes your moves for the week and drafts the emails, so you only have to send them. Below that, the exact steps to set up the programs that bring you veteran talent.

This week

Get your operating brief

Win over a hiring manager

The manager said no. Here's what to say.

Pick what they're pushing back on. I'll give you the words for the room, then build the one-page case you hand them.

Set up the programs
DoD SkillBridgeTrain a transitioning service member for free, with a job at the end+
  1. Confirm the fit. You offer real training in the member's last 180 days and a strong chance of a job at the end. They keep their military pay and benefits the whole time, and you pay no salary.
  2. Read the Industry Partners and Employers page at skillbridge.osd.mil, then submit the Inquiry Form under How to Participate. A SkillBridge representative replies with the application details.
  3. Complete the mandatory Employer Ethics Brief and save the certificate, and gather your business verification documents. Both are required to apply.
  4. Build your Training Plan and finish the application in the Content Management System. New applications are taken only in two windows a year: Fall, October 1 to December 1, and Spring, February 1 to April 1. Prep ahead and submit on the first day the window opens. Processing can run several weeks.
  5. Sign the MOU by DocuSign within 30 days of receipt, then wait for the DoD signature. With the countersigned MOU you become a Provider, onboard, and post your opportunities. Service members find them on the Locations page.
Know going in: becoming a Provider is an application, not an email to DoD, and the MOU is the instrument. Your Training Plan is the heart of it: spell out what the member learns and does. There is no salary cost to you, and the expectation is that you intend to hire the members who succeed.
Army PaYSGet a guaranteed interview with soldiers who choose you+
  1. Go to armypays.com and contact the PaYS team to start. There is no fee to partner, and charging job seekers a fee disqualifies you.
  2. Sign a Memorandum of Agreement with the Army.
  3. Forecast your future openings and load the roles that match soldier skills into the PaYS database.
  4. Soldiers and ROTC cadets pick up to five PaYS partners and are guaranteed an interview with you after service, when they are qualified and you have a vacancy.
Know going in: PaYS guarantees an interview, not employment. Over 1,200 employers already partner, including manufacturers like Clarios. It is a steady, no-cost pipeline of disciplined candidates who chose your company.
State National Guard and ESGRHire Guard members who already live in your community+
  1. Start with ESGR, the Defense office that connects employers with Guard and Reserve members. Go to esgr.mil and find your state committee.
  2. Sign a Statement of Support. It is free, public, and it marks you as a Guard-friendly employer.
  3. Ask your state National Guard for the employment or transition coordinator. Some states run Work for Warriors or a Job Connection Education Program. They connect you with members who want civilian work.
  4. Put your support for military leave and drill schedules in writing. That is what keeps Guard members and earns ESGR recognition.
Know going in: contacts vary by state, so use the ESGR state directory to find yours. A Guard member stays local, so this is a long relationship, not a one-time hire.
Military Spouse Employment, MSEPHire the spouse and you keep the whole household, and the veteran+
  1. Go to the MSEP portal at msepjobs.militaryonesource.mil and review the partner commitment: recruit, hire, promote, and retain military spouses.
  2. Sign the MSEP partnership agreement with the Department. There is no fee. You join more than 1,000 partner employers.
  3. Post your roles to the MSEP career portal so spouses searching there find you. Remote and portable roles get the most traction, because spouses move.
  4. Report your spouse hiring, promotion, and retention each year, including spouses you keep after a move. That is the commitment, and it is the data that shows it works.
Why this matters: spouse unemployment runs around 21 to 25 percent with a similar wage gap, and 77 percent of spouses want or need work. A spouse who cannot find work after a move is one of the top reasons a veteran leaves. Helping the spouse work is a retention move for the whole household, and it is named in the Department of War's transition priorities.

These steps point to official Department of Defense, Army, ESGR, and MSEP resources. Programs change, so confirm details on the official sites before you sign anything.