Veterans are an often misunderstood and overlooked resource pool. Many in the private sector believe their military specialties do not translate well to civilian roles. Often, HR teams overlook the value of a veteran’s transferable skills in the areas of equipment maintenance, planning, budgeting, and crisis response. Direct, specialized job experience is what counts in today’s economy, and, as a result, veterans can get left behind. When business leaders finally connect the dots and realize that it is an individual’s core qualities that count the most - critical thinking, problem solving, leadership - the value of veterans becomes immediately apparent.
Fortunately, the data center industry is home to a growing number of companies who understand and appreciate the enormous value that veterans possess. Over the past several years, a growing number of data center providers have begun leveraging veterans for increasingly complex missions. By recognizing that military skills mesh well with their needs, companies like Compass Datacenters, EdgeConneX and Cloudflare have been able to satisfy pressing business objectives, especially during the unprecedented times we are living in. Instead of going on military operations in the field, a growing number of veterans are now shaping the future of the data center sector through a host of on-site and remote services.
Why veterans?
Veterans come to the data center sector with skills unique to their experiences. In fact, they bring many sought after qualities to an industry that is growing on a global scale. Some of these include:
- Disciplined execution within a strategic framework
- Adapting and learning quickly and constantly
- Teamwork - lead, follow and collaborate
- Mission-first focus
- Insightful problem solving
Paired with the right training, these foundational qualities help military veterans transform into world-class data center technicians. In my experience as a veteran, I have found that individuals that come from this specialized subset of the wider population respond well to being immersed in a positive culture and receiving ongoing support to succeed and grow. I also believe in taking special care when assessing and placing new veteran hires. For maximum effectiveness, a training program should vary by individual based on their experiences and aptitudes. Doing this ensures that knowledge is consumed in the most effective manner possible.
From my standpoint, here are a few best practices companies interested in leveraging the potential of veterans should consider. First, let the duration of the initial training period vary based on where the new hire starts in the process. Then, begin the process of increasing their competency levels through ongoing individual development plans. It is key to integrate all training and services programs so that lessons learned can be leveraged by others, thereby supporting continuous improvement and the retirement of redundant practices. In this way, it is possible to create a replicable, scalable team development process that allows veterans to become exceptionally skilled, quickly, at all aspects of data center operations.
Best of all, this is a methodology that all companies within our industry can and should leverage. Data center operators and providers that incorporate veterans within their teams end up exceeding their own expectations, speeding time to market and maximizing the efficiency of their data centers.
Real world proof
Of course, this industry call to action in favor of veterans would only be words without the example of a real-world data center provider. Examining the story of Compass Datacenter’s entry into the Canadian market, the performance and capabilities of veterans really stand out. Between the summer of 2019 and the spring of 2020, Compass established its first footprint in Canada with acquisitions in both Toronto and Montreal. At that time, my team of veterans was already fulfilling a contract for the previous owner of the Montreal data center. This gave Compass a chance to see them in action and appreciate their high levels of expertise, adaptability and professionality.
As a result, Compass eventually brought us into a much larger strategic exercise. Faced with a need for people and processes to manage its acquisitions, the data center provider invited our veterans to have a hand in everything from the hiring of staff to the creation of special Methods of Procedure (MOPs) and Standard Operating Processes (SOPs). Here’s what Chris Crosby, Compass Datacenter’s CEO, had to say: “Veterans are trained to think quickly and clearly to resolve the problems that inevitably arise. They’ll follow procedures to the letter, but, when a challenge arises that’s not in a MOP or SOP, they are quick to jump into problem-solving mode and apply creative critical thinking to quickly resolve the issue before it becomes an incident. A core differentiator for Compass Datacenters is having a team of folks who get the 'Why' behind what we do. Veterans get it.”
This is the type of positive feedback about veterans I have received from other leading stakeholders in the industry from names like Cloudflare, EdgeConneX and ServerFarm. It is not so much a statement about my team as it is a wider commentary on the inherent and often-untapped value of veterans to the data center sector.
So, what’s your next move?
Military veterans are ideal candidates for work in the digital infrastructure industry if they have relevant training and on-the-job data center experience. Across the world right now, many young men and women in the armed forces are adapting and operating in a manner that drives mission success in extreme situations. These experiences give them powerful tools for working within mission-critical data centers and creating effective operational strategies data center providers can use to scale. They only need companies willing to see their potential and offer the training and experience needed to close the data center industry’s chronic talent gap. In effect then, what’s your next move?
