Kyle
Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist
Description of role at Royce Geo
Private sector experience prior to the Army
How he prepared to transition out of the Army
Companies he worked at prior to Royce Geo
Differences in interviewing veterans and civilians
Veterans in interviews asking about veterans support
Biggest challenges faced during his transition
How to adapt when in the corporate environment
Overview
Kyle provided terrific insights into the hiring process at Royce Geo and the challenges candidates face in the recruitment process. Veterans are often interviewing for the first time and don’t know the questions they need to ask related to issues like benefits, housing, salary, and other pertinent issues.
Description of role at Royce Geo
“We actively go out and source talent to work here at the company, both veterans and non veterans. Almost all the individuals that we hire have a security clearance and are previous, most are previous service members with intelligence type backgrounds.”
Role in the Army
“I was an imagery intelligence analyst. So, I analyzed satellite imagery on various targets throughout the world.”
Private sector experience prior to the Army
“I grew up in a small community. I’ve been working since I was 14 years old. But, full time, about a year of full time experience before I joined the Army. I worked in construction.”
How he prepared to transition out of the Army
“Mine was a little interesting and probably unique. I was TDY or deployed, whatever you want to call it up, until about three weeks before I left active duty. So I did not attend your typical transition programs like most service members do. I was pretty much deployed right up until I got off active duty. Luckily, I had prepared personally ahead of time and had conducted interviews while I was on active duty to ensure I had a job waiting for me when I got out.”
How he searched for a job
“I created profiles on different sites like clearancejobs.com, and LinkedIn was definitely extremely important. Looking back, I probably would have networked a lot more while I was on active duty had I known what I know now. So, networking is extremely important, even while you’re still on active duty. I posted my resume on clearancejobs.com, interviewed with quite a few different companies before selecting a job.”
Companies he worked at prior to Royce Geo
“Mine is kind of different. When I got off active duty, I continued my intelligence career supporting various intelligence agencies, NGA, FBI. Some years I did some deployments as a contractor as well. I kind of stumbled into becoming a recruiter. I had an opportunity to take a senior level role in the Northern Virginia area. I moved my family up there and then they told me, ‘Oh, the position is no longer available.’ So, I was scrambling. I had a friend at a company that needed a recruiter, and I found that having the background in the roles that we hire for made it an easy conversation with potential employees. I’ve been a recruiter ever since.”
Differences in interviewing veterans and civilians
“A departing service member doesn’t necessarily know the questions they should be asking at times. This is their first interview in a corporate type environment. So, a lot of questions that they should be asking such as, ‘How long is your contract?’ ‘What is the salary range?’ Stuff like that, kind of falls through the cracks due to a lack of experience in the corporate environment, which is completely understandable. But, transitioning service members could use a lot more guidance and mentoring as they depart active duty.”
Veterans in interviews asking about veterans support
“They definitely want to come to a company where the culture is similar to where they’re departing active duty. So, I do feel like Royce has that culture, and it helps that we’re 65% vets, so that culture definitely rolls over into the company.”
Biggest challenges faced during his transition
“Learning that corporate culture and being a little more politically correct and not so rough around the edges is definitely important and is a learning curve for departing servicemembers. And then all the things that you’re not used to being part of your responsibility such as health housing. So, there’s some growing pains there, but I would say those are probably the top ones.”
How to adapt when in the corporate environment
“I think finding a fellow veteran within the company that has already made the move and has experienced the growing pains themselves can kind of guide you through some of those issues and smooth your transition.”
Benefits of working at Royce Geo
“Yeah, the small company feel and culture is big. The huge veteran presence…it’s almost unheard of in the contracting world to have this high of a percentage of veterans. Everyone is approachable here at the company. We’re not the type of company that’s mass hiring people just to put a butt in a seat. That’s not our culture. So, I think having that small company feel where you’re comfortable to approach anyone with your issues and concerns. I think that’s probably what sets us apart.”
Where the Royce Geo recruiting team finds candidates
“They’re definitely getting their profiles out there and their resumes on hiring sites like Clearance Jobs and LinkedIn. But also, Royce geo does quite a bit of veteran outreach where we go to the transition offices and brief them on what they can expect when leaving active duty. It’s not a hiring event. It’s more about how we can help you ask the right questions as you depart active duty. So, we do those more as a community outreach than a hiring event.”