At Blue Shield of California, we’re committed to creating a veteran-inclusive workspace by offering benefits that support our veteran team members who’ve served our country. These include an employee resource group, community outreach, and volunteering opportunities for the resource group to engage in, whole-person health resources, military service leave and professional development programs and resources.

Unfortunately, there are a variety of stigmas and misconceptions about hiring or working with veterans, such as notions that: 

Dr. Nicole Stelter
  • Veterans can be ‘risky hires’ and won’t perform well
  • A veteran is likely to have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
  • Veterans have violent tendencies

Blue Shield’s Director of Behavioral Health, Nicole Stelter, PhD, LMFT shares her views on the value veterans bring to the workplace. Prior to joining Blue Shield, Dr. Stelter served four years as a behavioral health officer supporting multiple military branches and service member families. 

“I am a veteran, and proud to work for a company that received a gold rating from Military Friendly for being a great place to work for veterans. Our company is committed to recruiting, supporting, and developing career opportunities for military veterans and their families.”

“Working with veterans and with employers, I know that there are still some misconceptions about what it means to hire a veteran. Here are some of the more common myths I want to debunk:

  • A person’s veteran status and military experience do not make them a 'poor performer' in the workplace. Once hired, according to a Call of Duty Report, veterans are rated as strong performers, with 59% of employers reporting that they perform ‘better than’ or ‘much better than’ their non-veteran peers. 
  • Military service does not make someone 'inflexible' to learning new things and working with diverse sets of colleagues. Veterans have valuable, adaptable skill sets, such as problem solving, performing well under pressure, and working well with others from diverse backgrounds. 
  • Veterans are not the only group of people at risk for PTSD and suffering from PTSD (or any mental health/substance condition) doesn’t automatically preclude someone from being a good worker and colleague. Between 11 and 20% of veterans experience post-traumatic stress disorder, according to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, due to exposure to life-threatening situations, and anyone exposed to trauma can develop this disorder regardless of serving in the military. 
  • Veterans are not 'prone to violence' - Most veterans are not at a greater risk for violent behaviors. Employers can also help provide support through employee resource groups and various accommodations to help them transition back into civilian life. 

Because of stigma and misunderstanding, many people are surprised to learn that veterans can be multi-skilled, adaptable co-workers. Far from just 'making warriors', military service often provides the environment and training for a broad variety of skills and qualifications. This includes opportunities and training for leadership development and other valuable transferable skills like teamwork, accountability, and creative problem-solving."

To actively recruit, hire, and support veterans into the workplace, Blue Shield:

  • Actively sources applicants and potential candidates with military experience     
  • Is sensitive to reading military resumes in order to understand various terms and verbiage that translate as leadership titles
  • Enquires about a candidate’s behavior as opposed to experience
  • Offers a substantial variety of training and mentorship programs and benefits

Veterans bring important diversity to company culture. At Blue Shield, we want to help veteran applicants find their next professional mission while conducting meaningful work that helps others. Some of the roles we actively recruit for include:

  • Business Analysts
  • Systems Analysts
  • Information Technology/Cyber Security
  • Developers
  • Budget Analysis
  • Quality Assurance
  • Auditing
  • Human Resources
  • Business Development
  • Project and Program Management
  • Nurse Case Managers
  • Operations Supervisors
  • Appeals and Grievances Representatives
  • Information Security
  • Information Technology Development

Are you looking for your next calling? Whether you’re a service member transitioning into civilian life or a veteran simply looking for new employment, we’d love the opportunity to see how your skills can fit in with our company. 

If you’re looking for a place to do meaningful work, please look over our career opportunities.