Become a Veteran-Friendly Employer

To receive Bronze-level certification an employer will:

• Commit to set (or maintain) a veteran hiring goal of a specific percentage or number of veterans over the calendar year. *This is a "goal" set by your organization, for your organization.
  • Goal to hire _______ veterans of ________ total hires during the calendar year.
  
  
  • Goal to maintain _________ veterans of ________ total staff during the calendar year.

• Sign the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Statement of Support.
• Attach signed copy

• Host and/or attend one or more veteran-centric hiring event or career fair in the calendar year. *Let us know when you are attending these events and we will help spread the word to our stakeholders and veterans.
• Incorporate MVAA's VFE veterans benefits informational video to your onboarding/orientation process for new veteran hires.
• Share MVAA information with veteran employees on an ongoing basis, through breakroom postings, email distribution, or other avenues.
• Provide HR personnel in your organization with www.michigan.gov/mvaa and the Michigan Veterans Resource Service Center call number 1-800-MICH-VET (1-800-642-4838) to assist your veteran employees.
• Participate in one or more of MVAA's VFE events annually, where best practices and information is shared with/amongst veteran-friendly employers

To receive Silver-level certification, an employer will:

1) Meet all Bronze-level criteria (stated above),

2) Be an active participant in four or more of MVAA's VFE events annually, where best practices and information is shared with/amongst veteran-friendly employers.

3) Meet two of the optional criteria below:

• Have a hiring process where applications are marked and/or tracked as veterans, Guard or Reserve members and spouses.
• Have a veteran-specific onboarding/orientation process.
• Have a veteran or Guard/Reserve specific benefit package that includes a military service credit.
• Have a veteran or Guard/Reserve specific benefit package that includes annual PTO for VA healthcare appointments.
• Have a veteran or Guard/Reserve specific benefit package that includes differential pay.
• Have a specific benefit package that includes continued healthcare coverage for currently serving Guard/Reserve members that are activated
• Have an established veteran-specific employee retention program, such as an active veteran employee affinity group, a veteran-to-veteran employee mentorship program, or regular veteran-specific recognition program.
• Have a veteran-centric or veteran-specific training program, such as a GI Bill approved registered apprenticeship program, a GI Bill approved on-the-job training, or participate as a VRE non-paid work experience participant site.
• Be an official or regular participant in an established military/veteran-specific hiring program, such as the DOD SkillBridge program or the Guard/Reserve Interview Promise Program.
• Be a certified Veteran Connector with the MVAA. 
• Employ person(s) whose primary job function is veteran outreach, hiring, recruitment, or retention.
• Have a veteran preference program in your hiring process.
• Have a women veterans hiring initiative.
• Have a veteran spouse hiring initiative.
• Provide formal training to HR professionals, managers, and supervisors on how to effectively retain veteran employees, such as the Society of Human Resource Management's free Veterans at Work certification program.
• Have a veteran specific career management program such as a Junior Officer Leadership/Management Development Program or Veteran Hiring Rotation Program.

To receive Gold-level certification, an employer will:

1) Meet the mandatory and the selected optional Silver-level criteria and have been an active participant in the VFE program for a 12-month period

2) Meet all three (3) of the required criteria below

• Maintain a veteran employee retention rate of at least 75% over the most recent 12-month period or have a specific and dedicated Veteran retention program in place such as an active veteran employee affinity group, a veteran-to-veteran employee mentorship program, or regular veteran-specific recognition program.
• Be an active participant, and at request, a presenter, in six or more of MVAA's VFE events annually, where best practices and information is shared with/amongst veteran-friendly employers.
• Have a veteran-specific onboarding/orientation process in addition to the MVAA's VFE veterans benefits informational video provided at the Bronze-level

3) Meet a total of five (5) or more of the optional criteria below.

Three (3) are required specifically for Gold-level certification

Two (2) may be used from previous silver-level certification

VFE's that meet the required criteria and 8 or more of the optional criteria will receive a special designator of being Veteran-Ready Employers

• Have a hiring process where applications are marked and/or tracked as veterans, Guard or Reserve members and spouses.
• Have a veteran-specific onboarding/orientation process.
• Have a veteran or Guard/Reserve specific benefit package that includes a military service credit
• Have a veteran or Guard/Reserve specific benefit package that includes annual PTO for VA healthcare appointments.
• Have a veteran or Guard/Reserve specific benefit package that includes differential pay.
• Have a specific benefit package that includes continued healthcare coverage for currently serving Guard/Reserve members that are activated
• Have an established veteran-specific employee retention program, such as an active veteran employee affinity group, a veteran-to-veteran employee mentorship program, or regular veteran-specific recognition program.
• Have a veteran-centric or veteran-specific training program, such as a GI Bill approved registered apprenticeship program, a GI Bill approved on-the-job training, or participate as a VRE non-paid work experience participant site.
• Be an official or regular participant in an established military/veteran-specific hiring program, such as the DOD SkillBridge program or the Guard/Reserve Interview Promise Program.
• Employ person(s) whose primary job function is veteran outreach, hiring, recruitment, or retention.
• Be a certified Veteran Connector with the MVAA.
• Have a veteran preference program in your hiring process.
• Have a women veterans hiring initiative.
• Provide formal training to HR professionals, managers, and supervisors on how to effectively retain veteran employees, such as the Society of Human Resource Management’s free Veterans at Work certification program.
• Have a veteran specific career management program such as a Junior Officer Leadership/Management Development Program or Veteran Hiring Rotation Program.