Military Hiring Spotlight: Jeff and Katelyn

Jeff:

Inspiring People to Achieve Success

As I prepared to retire from my 34-year military career and join the civilian sector, I knew I wanted to leverage my experience and take my career in a new direction. That’s why I joined the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Hiring our Heroes fellowship that connects the military community with American businesses.

After I applied and was accepted into the program, seven companies expressed interest in offering me a Hiring our Heroes 12-week fellowship, but only Kellanova had a role that played to my greatest strength and strongest interest – interacting with and inspiring people to together achieve success. I also wanted to return to the retail and sales sectors that I enjoyed before joining the Army on a full-time basis.

After successfully completing the fellowship, I joined Kellanova full-time March 28, 2022 and retired from the U.S. Army on April 1. That week, I went from active military to serving as the Team Virginia Area Sales Manager for Kellanova.

 

A Strong, Values-Led Culture

Overall, it was a smooth transition, but the first year was a challenge as there was so much to learn – everything from understanding the specifics of the job to how the company works. Fortunately, Kellanova has a strong, values-led culture and a commitment to help people succeed. In that regard, it is much like the military culture I knew well.

We also have Business/Employee Resource Groups (BERG) like K Vets and Supporters that serves the military community and brings together those interested in doing so. I’m on the leadership team and help recruit Veterans into the company. I hope to get even more involved in the future.

Working as a Team to Achieve the Mission

The way I see it today, my many roles in the U.S. Army contributed greatly to my being able to transition to the civilian sector and to Kellanova. As a trained infantry (on-the-ground) soldier and combat medic, I am able to quickly assess a situation and make decisions. As the first Master Sergeant in the Army to serve on Capitol Hill, I’m used to interacting with elected officials and Generals, so I understand the importance of treating customers right and fulfilling your commitments. And as someone who has been on multiple deployments, I know the necessity of working as a team to achieve the mission.

Katelyn:

Paying it Forward for my Dad 

Just one month out of high school, my dad was drafted and sent to Vietnam. Fortunately, he came home, but as I grew up, he shared stories of how returning Veterans were treated at that time versus how they have been treated more recently. That’s when I made a promise to do whatever I could to help people leaving the military have a better transition.

Today, as a recruiter at Kellanova and a member of our K Vets and Supporter Employee/Business Resource Group (B/ERG), I’m putting this promise into action.

Veterans bring highly transferable skills to Kellanova that match the values and needs of our organization. They have strong problem-solving skills, can quickly assess a situation and make a decision, are tremendous leaders and can handle stress. These skills are appreciated across our company ‒ in sales, marketing, supply chain and other functions.

 

A New Way to Recruit Veterans 

Our challenge is to find the right Veterans and set them up for success. To do so, we participate in programs like Hiring our Heroes and the Military MOJO Career Fair. Now we’re trying something very different – recruiting Veterans with a QR code on packages of Town House® Crackers, Eggo Waffles® and Rice Krispies Treats™ on grocery store shelves. We want Veterans to know that Kellanova is a great place to begin or continue their civilian careers.