Veteran Inclusion & Partnership

American FlagToday marks the beginning of Military Appreciation Month – an opportunity to honor those currently serving in our military, veterans and all of our military families.

At National Vision, we are honored to be able to join in the celebration of the achievements of our military as well as taking the time to remember and acknowledge the immense sacrifices made in service to our country by thousands of brave men and women.

 

Our Original Pledge

In October 2014, we made a pledge to ensure veteran partnership and inclusion was a priority across all sectors of our organization. We are now proud to say that we have 150 veterans as part of our family.

Through partnerships with organizations and communities who share a common goal to attract and retain top veteran talent, we’ve also learned of the hardships faced by military spouses in establishing and maintaining a career while supporting their spouse’s service to our country. It is with this knowledge that we are announcing we are expanding our efforts and dedication to also include welcoming military spouses into our family as well.

The Challenges of Transitioning Out of the Military

As we began this journey, we quickly realized our military members face many challenges when transitioning out of the military and into the civilian workforce. Veterans have expressed to us they often have a difficult time trying to find their place and find it difficult to translate the skills of many military occupational specialties to a civilian career.

Vets might ask themselves “Where do I fit in?,” or “How do I use my skills in the military in a professional environment?”

Through refinement of our program and collaboration with other organizations, we’ve helped veterans realize they bring with them unmatched skills that can’t be taught in a classroom – leadership, attention to detail and motivation to carry through challenging situations, just to name a few.

With the business world resting its foundation on more collaborative work cultures, there is no better group of men and women whom have demonstrated this mindset than those in uniform.

Our Commitment

The veterans who have chosen to work with National Vision have made such an enormous impact on our organization, we want to expand the program even more. We have made a commitment to hire 500 veterans and veteran spouses over the next five years.

We hope not only to meet, but to surpass our own expectations. With this commitment, we are matching the unique talents and skills of the military community with existing opportunities and creating new opportunities throughout all facets of our organization.

Our Vision and Our Hope

Fighter Pilot sitting on a jetIt’s no secret that we believe that everyone deserves to see their best, to live their best. 

We also believe in integrity, teamwork and a strong work ethic – skills that make veterans valuable assets not only to our associate population but to the expansive optical retailing industry.

It is our hope our efforts to attract, retain and develop veteran and military spouse talent within the organization will grow into an even more impactful program focused on broader inclusion and partnership within the military community.

Further, we are establishing a robust mentorship program where current veteran employees will be able to pass along the knowledge of our business to future associates of both the veteran and civilian communities, as well as mentor newly transitioning veterans through the process of moving back into the civilian workforce.

What’s Next?

We will continue to expand our presence within the veteran community and continue to learn from the education that our men and women in uniform, and those that support them, have to offer.

National Vision is continuing to invest in initiatives to increase awareness of our commitment so that we may reach those within the military community who are searching for new opportunities.

We thank all of those who serve and have served in the past. We would be honored to be able to work along side the greatest men and women of our nation.

Forrest Tennant

Forrest Tennant

Talent Acquisition Generalist at National Vision
Forrest Tennant joined National Vision in May of 2014 as a Talent Acquisition Generalist. He works primarily with corporate recruiting and has further developed NVI's focus on Veteran inclusion and partnership. Prior to NVI, Forrest was a member of the talent selection team at Georgia-Pacific.
Forrest Tennant

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