Clemson University shares Military Friendly Employer designation with iconic institutions like Amazon

Clemson University has been named a 2020 Military Friendly Employer, a designation awarded to employers whose commitment to serving the military and veteran community is comprehensive in scope and meaningful in terms of actual outcomes and impact; from hiring and career advancement to customer service and charitable investment.

Out of nearly 2,000 applicants Clemson is one of only 290 employers in the nation to earn the designation, and is among a list of iconic institutions such as Amazon, the American Red Cross, the United States Postal Service, Walmart, The Home Depot and General Motors.

Josh Brown, Clemson’s director of talent acquisition, said the Military Friendly Employer designation will complement the Military Friendly School designation Clemson has earned multiple times and hopefully raise the school’s reputation even higher in the eyes of prospective veteran employees across the nation.

“We are excited to see the impact this award has on attracting more active duty service members and veterans to seek out Clemson as an employer of choice,” said Brown.

The designation was made by Victory Media, a service-disabled, veteran-owned small business (SDVOSB) that connects the military community to civilian employment, educational and entrepreneurial opportunities through its G.I. Jobs​®, Military Spouse®​ and Military Friendly​®​ brands.

Clemson University and other organizations earning the Military Friendly® Employer designation were evaluated using both public and government data sources with responses from a comprehensive survey completed by the employer. The list is created each year based on extensive research using public data sources for more than 8,800 employers nationwide, input from employed veterans and responses to the proprietary, data-driven Military Friendly Employers survey from participating organizations.

The full list will be published in the December issue of G.I. Jobs magazine which is distributed globally to reach the veteran community. The list can also be found at www.militaryfriendly.com.

“Clemson University has taken great measures to better serve and support our military veterans in recent years, for both education and employment,” said Brennan Beck, director of military and veteran engagement. “As a U.S. Army veteran who works directly with student veterans, I take pride going to work each day for an institution that values our military service. I have been encouraged over the past few years working with the University’s Office of Human Resources  as they take a more proactive approach in recruiting and retaining military veteran employees and recognizing the value in the leadership and diversity they bring to our institution.”

Since 1889, more than 10,000 Clemson men and women have served in the armed forces. Each fall, Clemson hosts Military Appreciation Day at a home football game to celebrate and honor those serving in the military, and many campus landmarks including Memorial Stadium, Memorial Park, the Scroll of Honor Memorial and Military Heritage Plaza are permanent reminders of Clemson’s military heritage. Clemson’s award-winning Army and Air Force Reserve Officers’ Training Corps units and Pershing Rifles honor guard carry on many of the University’s military traditions today.

“Although our active duty cadre (faculty and staff) in the ROTC programs are not state employees, Clemson University treats us as if we are full members of a very supportive Clemson family,” said Col. Keith Balts, professor and chair of Clemson’s Department of Aerospace Studies and commander of Clemson’s Air Force ROTC. “I am not surprised by this designation and know the extremely military friendly environment here elicits the envy of many other ROTC units at other universities where the support is not nearly as strong. Clemson University leadership, the Clemson Corps alumni association, and all faculty, staff and students truly make this a welcomed environment in which to serve, especially important to our ROTC cadre Airmen who are geographically separated from our host Air Force Base and associated resources.”

Clemson’s support of the military can be witnessed at the upcoming Veterans Appreciation Brunch, an annual event sponsored by the Staff Senate, Faculty Senate, Military and Veteran Engagement, and the Office of Human Resources, which will be held at Vickery Hall on Oct. 29 from 9 to 11 a.m. All Clemson employees and students who are veterans are invited to attend.