Placing Veterans in New Careers Never Gets Old

Connie Metzger may not be a veteran, but she sure likes recruiting them. Twelve of the 27 years she spent at Air Products were in talent acquisition, and she worked closely with Bradley-Morris’s recruiting services team to staff her positions. “Bradley-Morris was a great resource for bringing in veterans. I hired lots of machinist mates, electrician mates, and skilled labor positions through them,” she said.

When a company reorganization led to a layoff, one of Metzger’s first calls was to J.T. Blum, BMI’s Senior Vice President – Channel Sales. “I asked him if he thought there was a place for me,” she said. “I loved the part of my job that involved recruiting veterans. I had worked with competitors, but I knew BMI was the best. So, I set up a home office, flew to Virginia for training and here I am,” she laughed. “I am thankful and blessed to now be part of the Bradley-Morris team and enjoy working to place veterans into great career opportunities,” she said.

“Connie and I had worked together for several years and always joked that if something changed in her life, she wanted to work with us at Bradley-Morris/RecruitMilitary,” added Blum. “Well, things changed and when she called me, I thought she was kidding. I quickly realized she wasn’t, and it was a no brainer.  To have someone working here who saw value in what do from a client perspective and wants to be part of the fight as part of our company is an incredible and humbling thing to see. I’m so happy Connie is a part of our team!”

Her affinity for hiring military was born from her previous employer’s strong culture of hiring veterans. For companies embarking on building this culture, Metzger emphasized the dedication, leadership, and solid skillset that comes from military training, pointing out that veterans are focused on following procedures, safety and work well with teams.

Metzger maintains one of the most important aspects of making a successful hire is making sure every aspect of the job is a good fit. “Sometimes the anxiety of the transition to a civilian career can override judgment about quality of life and other factors. It’s important to have conversations below the surface to ensure something is a good overall fit versus just filling a job.” That, Metzger believes, is where Bradley-Morris really shines.

“As a client, I valued Bradley-Morris over its competitors,” she said. “The recruiters work hard to find quality candidates and opportunities that bring the right quality of life to veterans and their families. To us, it’s more than just filling a job order. I have so many stories about veterans I placed at Air Products and the successes and career advancements they’ve had – most of them presented to me by Bradley-Morris!”

Whether it’s finding jobs for enlisted versus officer candidates, the work she does is special to Metzger. “They bring a lot of leadership, commitment and dedication,” she said. “They are very trained and willing to work off-hours. Veterans don’t take little things for granted, which puts them steps above other candidates without that background. They’ve known sacrifice and they are very promotable and dedicated once they find the right position.”

“I love making the match and really becoming part of that veteran’s life,” she continued. “I’ve placed several transitioning veterans who were retiring since I’ve been with BMI. It’s a very difficult time for them and can be very nerve-wracking. Many have families, spouses and they’re trying to translate their experience of 20 years into the civilian world. I love being their advocate and telling them it’s going to be ok.”

Metzger recalled a successful candidate who advanced over the years from site supervisor to corporate headquarters. “He once told me, ‘Connie, I remember exactly where I was when you called me. I’d just lost my job and didn’t know what I was going to do. I talked to someone at BMI, had a phone interview, and then my career started.’ That makes it all worthwhile for me,” she said.

“It’s really rewarding when you find that right candidate and you know in your gut, ‘This is the one,’” she said.

by: Katie Becker