3 Veteran Stories After their Service || Ross Stores, Inc. & Hiring Our Heroes

"The best way to honor a veteran is to hire a veteran."

This Friday, November 11th, America celebrates Veteran’s Day: a federal holiday meant to honor all veterans of the armed services who have served, or are still serving, during times of war as well as peace. While this commemoration focuses on their sacrifices and service to our country, what is life like for a veteran?

Sometimes, the transition from the military to civilian lifestyle may be tough—that’s why Ross Stores, Inc. has partnered with Hiring Our Heroes to help those transitioning service members find employment. At Ross, we’ve found that transitioning service members, veterans and military spouses are a great fit for our culture and have the qualities we seek in our Associates. We offer many points of entry, across our entire organization, depending on your service, experience, and interests. We’ll give you a career, a challenge, and a place to call home.

This year, we’ve brought on three fellows on board through Hiring Our Heroes, who aim to connect the military community with civilian companies to create economic opportunity and a strong and diversified workforce.

We asked our fellows how the Ross Hiring Our Heroes Fellowship assisted them in their military transition, and here's what they said:

Ken

It has allowed me to gain a better understanding of life beyond the military by incorporating me directly into a team of professionals, operating in a safe environment where learning is encouraged. It has set my mind, as well as my family’s, at ease knowing that I have an opportunity for employment with an open dialogue about future positions within the Company. Overall, my experience at Ross has been a great one and opened my eyes to opportunities in Distribution Center maintenance that I had not previously considered.

Patrick

The biggest thing I want to mention about the program has been the amount of stress that I am put under is almost non-existent, which in turn helps the transition at home. The program from day one has allowed me to more effectively integrate into the culture here at Ross. Meeting with my manager is much easier because they are more present during the shifts and provide feedback that is more substantial week-to-week, rather than waiting for an annual performance report or a midterm follow-up. Additionally, I enjoy that all the shift supervision has been super helpful, and willing to help me further my understanding of the roles and how they all interconnect; they genuinely care about the culture they are a part of. The training at all levels has been streamlined to provide me with a quicker and more enriching time. I have appreciated the amount of understanding that is had while on shift when it comes to helping a new supervisor become more acclimated to the requirements. It has been uplifting to hear from each of my fellow supervisors and my manager who all routinely say how much they appreciate me being here and for adapting so quickly to the new environment.

Octavio

My Ross Hiring Our Heroes Corporate Fellowship has assisted me in my military transition into the private sector by offering me extensive professional development within the company’s professional culture. This program has allowed me to grow my confidence in trying a new career in the efforts toward my post-military career goal. One of my positive observations here was how after a two-day onboarding schedule, I was immediately able to immerse myself into the marking department’s 1st shift to be fully engaged with the Supervisor functions and day-to-day activities allowed me to become a contributing team player amongst the Associates, Supervisors, and Managers. The leaders have been fully supportive in providing me with the guidance, knowledge, tools, and understanding of the TEAM culture within the Company. This opportunity has allowed me the ability to exercise my soft skills brought forth from my experience and leadership gained in my 30-year military career. I continue to grow as each day goes by, becoming more and more proficient with the systems and processes used daily. I enjoy interacting with the Associates within the marking department to understand and address any of their issues or concerns that may require a higher-level awareness/action, outside the Supervisor’s scope. I am truly grateful to have been selected by Ross as their HoH Corporate Fellow for they have made me feel as one of their TEAM members, which has provided me with the confidence and assistance in facilitating my transition from my military service.

We thank these fellows not only for their service to our country but the time and contributions they have made here at Ross!

To find your next opportunity with us, visit the Military Page on our Career Site.

To learn more about the Hiring Our Heroes Fellowship program, visit their website.

#BeABossAtRoss #VeteransDay #MilSpouses #ValuesStartWithOurPeople