Since 1918, the same year Veterans Days originated, TIAA has taken great pride in veterans who are our employees, family members, clients, and board members. The knowledge, experience, and integrity veterans bring to our organization helps make it stronger and more inclusive.
TIAA strives to create new opportunities for those transitioning out of the military, help veterans contribute to the workforce (and their families), and make the transition to civilian life successful. Through our relationships and programs with organizations such as the Veteran Jobs Mission, Veterans Bridge Home, Hire Purpose, Operation New Uniform (ONU), and the American Corporate Partners (ACP) Veteran Mentoring program, we are focused on attracting veterans to the TIAA workforce.
Mentoring is a foundational component of TIAA’s Our Corps employee resource group (ERG). The Our Corps ERG’s mission is to help TIAA military veteran employees advance their careers, build strong partnerships with local and national military community organizations, and attract and retain key employees with a military veteran background. Working with the American Corporate Partners (ACP) Veteran Mentoring program helps drive the Our Corps ERG’s primary business impact by meeting and working with recent veterans who come to us looking to enter the workforce after serving. This impact goes hand-in-hand with growing our engagement with the veterans community inside and outside TIAA.
Promoted within the ERG, the ACP mentor program assigns a mentee for two years to one of our veteran employees. For example, one of our employees and an ACP mentor, Art Locklear, connects monthly with his mentees. Art is a Plan Compliance Consultant for the Institutional Retirement Plan Services department at TIAA, and is also the National Communications Chair for the Our Corps ERG. Art wants to help his veteran mentees get established in the corporate world, so he helps them with rsum building, business goals, and referrals to the HR department for review and next steps (if the mentees are interested in a job at TIAA or wants to be employed in the area). This is one of the many opportunities that allow veterans to come together and work for a bigger impact at their job with TIAA. TIAA’s Our Corps ERG has about 35 active mentors in the ACP program. This engagement with individuals helps TIAA employees work harder to make a positive difference and create results in the veteran community nationwide.
TIAA strives to be an Employer of Choice for veterans, and Our Corps ERG promotes bringing on veterans as “new recruits,” hired by TIAA. TIAA’s Our Corps ERG offers recognition, career development, community-focused opportunities to employees with military experience and employees who have family in the military, and supports building strong partnerships with the veteran community.
Overall, ongoing mentorship programs and all the efforts of the Our Corps ERG helps drive TIAA’s operative recruitment for veterans, increases engagement with veterans and ERG members, and creates a positive business impact.
The company and its leaders realize the service and dedication of veterans as an important part of our society and communities.TIAA ranks diversity and inclusion as a high priority in order to encourage and support a diverse workforce, including veterans.
