We like to take opportunities from time to time to shed light on partners /vendors that are doing things differently AND that we’ve had some personal successes with here at HBC.
As you may or may not know, I have been involved with Bunker Labs and their CEO Circles program for 2 years as of this December. One of the greatest honors and privileges I have had in this program is to meet other veteran and military spouse led companies from all over the country.
Enter Instant Teams, a recruiting company specifically designed to support military spouses in their quest for meaningful work. I know we’ve all dealt with it and depending on who you are talking to and the position of the sun and what the weather’s like, there’s a myriad of reasons on why we are all struggling to find talent. You’ll hear everything from this generation this or that, nobody has a work ethic anymore, everyone wants to work from home, etc. etc. I think maybe there’s some truth in some of those things but the other thing just like businesses have always done that nobody talks about, is the fact that we all need to adapt and overcome (Semper Gumby) in order to stay relevant.
Where am I going with all of this and why does this matter?
Well, Liza Rodewald the CEO of Instant Teams is in my current cohort in Bunker Labs and we met there. I for a long time didn’t have much turnover and was pretty proud of that fact, but boy, as soon as the world went back to normal, the flood gates opened. People I had bent over backwards for who I thought would be here with me at HBC long term were all of the sudden gone. Did some need to go, yes, but at the same time, I was shocked with a few. I was very fortunate to be involved with Bunker Labs when the mass resingation or whatever it’s called hit me personally here at HBC. Every time something happens that’s not great, you get back up on your feet, dust yourself off and you live and you learn, right?
I really believe that’s what we did with the help of Instant Teams and why I wanted to write a quick article about them, mainly to inform other business owners about them (and other) military spouse focused recruiting firms. That might not be something that’s on your radar, but if you’re looking for talent and can have people that work remote, then it should be.
Anyone reading this who currently partners with HBC has probably at least talked to Ryanne (pronounced exactly how I pronounce my name, hence that moniker 2.0) at least once or twice. I do really think we found a diamond in the rough with Ryanne. Not only is she a military spouse but she’s also a Navy Veteran herself. She used to drive boats y’all. All kidding aside, she’s pretty amazing and there’s no way in the world I would have ever been able to connect with her and find her had it not been for Instant Teams. She’s been the quickest study we’ve ever had here at the company and I truly think the sky is the limit with her. She’s a bad@ss. All this while supporting a pilot husband and keeping tabs on her 3 yo daughter who knows me as boss baby, which I love.
Let me throw something out there for those of you not familiar with the military community. All veterans know this, but for those that have never served, for every successful career military man or woman, there’s a support system behind them that allows them to serve and be successful and unless they are just single and live/die/eat/sleep their branch of service, in most cases their support system consists of a husband / wife that is staying home and managing their household and family while the service member is devoted to the military. You know what happens to a military spouse every time a service member gets transferred? They have to pick up and leave and move to another (hopefully not) God forsaken new town every 2 – 3 years. I could legitimately argue that being a military spouse in many cases is tougher than being the service member. Think about it, these folks have skillsets and are educated and many are career minded, BUT being the military spouse that they are, they too have to pickup and leave with their husband/wife. That’s tough and something most employers, at least pre-COVID, probably weren’t ok with.
Fast forward to 2024 and guess what, yes, there’s certainly a demographic of work from homers that want to work from home because they really just want to get paid to be at home and not work very hard, that’s NOT who I am talking about here. There’s a huge population of military spouses who have SOOOO much to give and just need an opportunity. I think Liza and others who are focused on this community are really providing an amazing service not only for these military spouses but also for companies like HBC who have been fortunate enough to engage and find talent through their firm.
As military families navigate the unique challenges of frequent relocations and deployments, one significant hurdle often arises: finding stable, fulfilling employment. Enter Instant Teams, a recruiting company specifically designed to support military spouses in their quest for meaningful work. In this blog post, we’ll explore the benefits of partnering with Instant Teams and how they are transforming the employment landscape for military families. So I’m done with my soapbox and I am sure you are about done listening, but my point for the day, Instant Teams is a godsend. They have helped me find amazing talent and the next time I need another team member, I’ll more than likely go back to their well. They certainly aren’t the only company out there that is focused on placement for military spouses, but they are the ones we’ve had an amazing experience with.
Next time you are looking to hire, I would challenge you to consider Instant Teams or a firm similar to theirs. If you end up making that hire, you’re doing more than just hiring a new team member, you’re also supporting a military family who is out serving this great country of ours. And, if anyone wants an intro to Instant Teams, please just ask.
Thanks for the read!!
Ryan
