Bradley-Morris/RecruitMilitary Only Military Hiring Firm Awarded 2018 HIRE Vets Medallion

The U.S. Department of Labor has named 239 inaugural recipients of the HIRE Vets Medallion Program, the only veterans hiring honor awarded at the federal level. Bradley-Morris, Inc. (BMI) was honored to receive this award for 2018. The prize rewards employers committed to recruiting, employing, and retaining veterans. Small businesses, community-based nonprofits, and national companies received 2018 medallions.

The award recognizes a standard for excellence in veterans hiring and was established under the Honoring Investments in Recruiting and Employing American Military Veterans Act, or HIRE Vets Act, which became law in May of 2017. Job creators must demonstrate a solid commitment to providing veterans with the opportunity to build a meaningful career.

Recipients for 2018 were evaluated based on a range of criteria, including:

• Veteran hiring and retention

• Compliance with veteran-specific labor laws

• Availability of veteran-specific resources

• Dedicated human resources

Not only did BMI earn the award, it was also one of several companies that helped shape the awards and was an early promoter of the opportunity. The award mandates that 7% of employees hired in the qualifying year must be military veterans. Of the new hires at BMI in 2017, 51.72% were former military. Roughly 58% of all employees working at BMI are veterans; and when employees who come from military families are included, the number rises to nearly 80%.

BMI also provided information about how veterans are integrated into its company. Veterans report to a department head who is also a veteran, and the company uses Microsoft Teams to house its veterans’ resource group, where members can share resources and exchange information.

“When we heard the Department of Labor was going to establish the HireVets Medallion as a recognition program for businesses dedicated to hiring and retaining veterans, we made it a priority to get involved from the ground up. As the leader in the military-to-civilian hiring industry, we take this responsibility seriously and wanted to help the Department of Labor create a solid framework and sustainable program,” said Michael Arsenault, Senior Vice-President of Organizational Development for Bradley-Morris Inc. and its subsidiaries, RecruitMilitary and MBA Veterans.

“We’ve been walking the walk for a long time,” he added. “The purpose and practices defined through this initiative have been part of our company for decades. We are happy that an initiative now exists at the federal level, and we’re proud to be one of the few businesses awarded the HireVets medallion in its inaugural year.”

BMI previously qualified as a certified company with Virginia Values Veterans (V3), a statewide training and certification program for employers that assists in implementing best practices in hiring and retaining veterans. RecruitMilitary, a BMI subsidiary, is the strategic employment partner of Disabled American Veterans (DAV) and is an official sponsor at the annual DAV 5k race held in seven cities across the United States.

If your organization is interested in applying for the HIRE Vets Medallion Award, we can help. Recognition criteria varies by level (platinum or gold) and employer size (large, medium, or small). Recipients receive a certificate stating the year of the award, as well as a digital image of the medallion for company use in branding, marketing and advertising.

Employers should allow adequate time to complete the application process. Criteria and application timelines are available [here](http://https://www.hirevets.gov/themes/hirevets_theme/assets/vets/vets-criteria-table-CY19.pdf). For more information, visit https://www.hirevets.gov/.