We also have military spouses in more professional roles, such as store management, pharmacist and nurse practitioner.
“If a spouse finds an area they enjoy and want to go back to school, we would love, for example, for a spouse to go from being a pharmacy technician to becoming a pharmacist,” he says.
Right now, a formal program doesn’t exist to help spouses continue employment when they relocate, but CVS Health encourages continuity where possible. “It’s something we do with all colleagues, not just military spouses,” Lee says. “We look at it on an individual case by case basis. The old manager might try to connect with a store in the new location to recommend the employee into a new role.”
Lee says in the next year or so, CVS Health will work on outlining and building a program to help spouses understand the relocation process and what they need to do.
CVS Health is cognizant of the dual communication challenge when recruiting veterans. One is that someone leaving the service might not understand where their skills fit into a company if it’s not directly transferrable. Lee, for example, was in field artillery. But as he says, “Not a lot of people are looking for someone to shoot cannons in the civilian sector.” So he had to examine what skills he had to sell himself and be competitive.
The flip side is that if a hiring manager or talent acquisition team doesn’t have military experience, they’re challenged with trying to understand how to have a conversation with a veteran. Lee and CVS Health are looking at methods to recruit those who were in the service and bring them in for key roles within the company.
The company’s efforts earned it bronze status in the Military Friendly Employers List and the No. 7 spot on the Military Spouse Friendly Employers list in the more than $1 billion category. The lists are part of a series published annually by Military Friendly® identifying those employers and schools that do the most for military families and veterans by asking, “Is this program better for veterans and their families?”
Interested in joining CVS Health? Check out opportunities for you at jobs.cvshealth.com/military.
At a Glance: CVS Health Military Spouse Friendliness
- Military Spouse Employment Partnership partner
- Conducts hiring events on military bases
- Allows military spouses to self-identify
- A similar position will be available if an employee needs to temporarily leave employment due to his/her spouse’s deployment.
- Spouses whose service member is deployed have the option to shift to part-time employment.
- The Employee Assistance Program provider received specialized training to serve military employees who need assistance.
