Out of Line Ep. 17 | Why 98% of Companies Get Veteran Hiring Wrong | Chip Mardis

Your company is probably getting veteran hiring wrong, and your HR team has no idea. 🎖️ Less than 2% of Americans have any connection to the military, so most HR leaders and staffing partners walk right past what veterans and military spouses actually bring to the table. Chip Mardis knows both sides of that desk. Army veteran, former captain called up for Desert Storm, and a career HR leader who climbed to chief human resources officer. Now he runs Blue United Sourcing, placing veterans and military spouses into leadership, management, skilled trades, and IT roles. He and Tiffany Scott get into the mentor who told him he was not an entrepreneur, why 98% of corporate America is clueless about military talent, what it feels like to take the uniform off for the last time, the Civilian Ready transition program, running a company with his daughter from 4,000 miles away, and why he had to stop selling before anybody would buy. 👀 ⏱️ CHAPTERS 0:00 Cold open 0:44 Intro 1:26 "You're really not an entrepreneur": a mentor's gut check 3:28 Running a company with his daughter 4,000 miles away 7:54 Army captain, Desert Storm, and getting out 9:27 From Army captain to his hands and knees 11:34 Becoming a first time CHRO 12:09 The 95% retention culture 12:24 Bringing military talent into corporate HR 14:41 The 40% military spouse unemployment problem 15:19 Launching Blue United Sourcing 17:08 Partnering with his daughter 19:13 Let the market tell you what it wants 20:53 Sell, sell, sell and selling nothing 26:42 Why 98% of companies get veteran hiring wrong 27:30 Losing the camaraderie when the uniform comes off 29:39 When the executive team asked for more JMOs 33:44 Where the clients come from: IT, MSPs, referrals 36:44 Why won't HR just look at a resume? 42:20 Turning around a business nobody wanted 47:10 Moneyball, and why HR should be the umpire 51:52 Build the church for the confessional 53:43 Your title is not who you are 55:34 Civilian Ready and life after the uniform 59:27 Where to find Chip and join the talent network 🎖️ EVERYTHING CHIP MENTIONED Join the talent network: https://apply.workable.com/blue-united-sourcing/j/457FAE9D89/ Blue United Sourcing: https://www.blueunitedsourcing.com Contact Chip: https://www.blueunitedsourcing.com/contact-8 Chip on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chipmardis Civilian Ready: https://civilianready.org 🎧 LISTEN EVERYWHERE Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/out-of-line-with-tiffany-scott/id1882144516 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2LnreneFTLjy1vFXVLnv9N YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OutOfLinePod 💙 If you or a veteran you know is struggling, the Veterans Crisis Line is available 24/7: dial 988 and press 1.