This month, on Thursday, November 11, we stand in respect and reflect upon the heroism of our country’s veterans. Veterans Day was initially called “Armistice Day” in recognition of the armistice agreement that ended WWI in 1918. In 1954, the 83rd U.S. Congress amended the Act of 1938 by changing the word “Armistice” to “Veterans,” honoring American veterans of all wars.
As we continue honoring our veterans, there are many ways to pay respect, by donating time or money to a local veteran’s organization or raising awareness and supporting veterans’ causes. Companies can implement initiatives that recruit, hire, retain, and engage Military Veterans at an organizational level.
Quartz created Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) initiatives to support military personnel:
- Military Service Employee Resources Group (ERG): This employee-led group focuses on the experiences and perspectives of our military service employees. The ERG provides opportunities for employees to network, develop personally and professionally, improve cultural understanding among employees, improve recruiting efforts, and promote diversity, equity, and inclusion education within the organization and in the community.
- The Partnership for Youth Success (PaYS) Program: It is a strategic partnership between the U.S. Army and a cross-section of corporations, companies, and public sector agencies, that guarantees Army Reserve and Active Duty Soldiers and ROTC cadets two job interviews and possible employment after completion of their Initial Entry Training, degree requirements or completion of the first term of service.
- Professional Development: Quartz promotes and supports scalable and sustainable employee development and organizational effectiveness by providing high-quality learning opportunities and programs to meet individual, group, departmental, and organizational objectives.
Meet some of our very own veterans
At Quartz, we are proud of the service of our veteran employees. We asked Quartz Military Service ERG members questions about their military experience, professional development, and commitment to DE&I.
As Crew Chief – B-52H at the United States Air Force, Greg coordinated all necessary maintenance to keep the aircraft in warfighting form. Goals and statistics were utilized to measure and track aircraft performance. “I assigned tasks and scheduled technicians to perform repairs on the aircraft as I saw necessary. The airplanes had to be ready to fly at any given moment,” Greg said. As a Crew Chief, change, adjustment, and adaptation were part of the work. Crew members relied on Greg to ensure their aircraft was functioning at its best.
Quartz. Which tools does Quartz provide you to integrate your military skills into your new position at the company?
Greg. I feel fortunate that Quartz has enabled me to be part of several process improvement projects. I have had to tap into many different tools; one related to my experience is Lean Six Sigma. As I look back at my military background, I can see many similarities to what I do for Quartz today: Facilitate meetings, create and use checklists, set goals, utilize statistics, and sustain/maintain processes.
Q. How does Quartz Culture help you in your personal and professional life?
G. Coming from a culturally diverse upbringing and military background, I have felt comfortable and enjoyed working in other countries such as Mexico, Italy, and Argentina. Even though I am not fluent in speaking different languages, I have found that if you’re willing to speak a few of those languages and understand the cultures, most people accept and embrace who you are. I thoroughly embrace the need for more diversity, equity, and inclusion. And I look forward to the future with the direction Quartz is taking us.
Q. Which Quartz DE&I initiatives do you find more helpful for your professional development?
G. I have found Quartz volunteer paid time to serve our local communities very helpful. I volunteer at a local non-profit organization called 6:8. Their vision is ‘transforming communities by making service personal.’ The volunteer experience has had a humbling and positive impact on my professional development to reduce poverty and promote social justice.
Quartz. Which skills did you learn at the armed forces that are helpful in your current job?
Ben. Never give up, teamwork, do what’s right, treat everyone with respect and patience.
Q. Which tools does Quartz provide you to integrate your military skills into your new position at the company?
B. Quartz 3 R’s core values. Respect: Create an environment where everyone is treated fairly and with dignity. Everyone’s voice is heard. Employees should be honest and ethical always. Relationships: Build strong relationships with customers and members and within teams, departments, and management. Responsibility: Hold oneself and each other accountable, strive to meet Quartz’s standards of excellence and foster mutual trust. Another way to help our professional development are many company pieces of training and classes.
Q. How does Quartz Culture help you in your personal and professional life?
B. It represents being helpful within your community as well as at home. It gives me the space to ask why things are done the way they are done, without being afraid. Asking these questions opens a door for learning and potentially making things better.
Q. Which Quartz DE&I initiatives do you find more helpful for your professional development?
B. This is my first experience getting involved with DE&I, so I am excited to learn other perspectives and share my experiences to help them learn.
Quartz. Which skills did you learn at the armed forces that are helpful in your current job?
Tricia. Organizational, leadership, and motivational skills; I also learned a lot about diversity. Coming from a small town, I didn’t grow up with a diverse group of people. Once I joined the military, I learned a lot about other cultures and people with different backgrounds.
Q. Which tools does Quartz provide you to integrate your military skills into your new position at the company?
T. Quartz provided me with additional training on communication skills which aligned nicely with the skills I learned so many years ago in the military.
Q. How does Quartz Culture help you in your personal and professional life?
T. One of Quartz’s core values is respect. Respecting others and treating others as I want to be treated no matter their background.
Q. Which Quartz DE&I initiatives do you find more helpful for your professional development?
T. Continuing to learn about other cultures and backgrounds through Quartz culture, training, classes, and company activities
By Yuly Osorio, Marketing Communications Coordinator | DE&I Change Team Committee
Visit our DE&I page to read more about our initiatives and resources.
