Jun 7, 2021
“When you have diverse candidates from varying backgrounds, that
brings diversity of thought, and that diversity of thought spurs
innovation. In order to continue to thrive as an organization, you
need to be innovative.”
A U.S. Air Force Veteran with more than 20 years of military
recruiting experience, Launia Terry, M.S., SHRM-SCP, has devoted
her career both during and after military service to human
resources, with a focus on diversity and inclusion. This week,
Launia joins hosts Lindsey Pollak and Mike Abrams on the FourBlock
Podcast to share some of the challenges she faced in her own
transition and provide expert insights and actionable advice for
organizations who want to take steps to go from being
“military-friendly” to truly “military-ready” for veterans in their
workforce. Launia discusses why diversity and inclusion in the
workplace is so important and offers guidance for those interested
in pursuing career pathways in the diversity and inclusion
field.
As for why she continues to give back to the veteran community
despite her busy schedule, Launia says, “I had such a difficult
time with my transition, that if I can help one veteran to have a
much smoother transition...I feel like I’m making a huge
impact.”
In addition to serving as FourBlock’s Diversity and Inclusion
Leader as well as a Career Readiness Instructor for the
Philadelphia Career Readiness Program, Launia is the Director of
Corporate Talent Acquisition for Day & Zimmermann, a century-old,
family-owned company specializing in construction & engineering,
operations & maintenance, staffing, security and defense for
leading corporations and governments around the world.
Launia joined Day & Zimmermann in September 2016 and has held
several progressive roles. In her current position, she leads the
talent acquisition function by providing strategic insight into the
full lifecycle of recruiting staff employees, diversity recruiting
initiatives, and relationship building between hiring managers, HR
business partners, and candidates.
Launia has a bachelor's degree in Human Resources Management from
Park University and a master's degree in Human Resources
Development from Villanova University. A recently retired U.S. Air
Force Veteran, Launia has more than 20 years of recruiting
experience.
ABOUT US
Welcome to the FourBlock Podcast, a show that examines veteran career transition and the military-civilian divide in the workplace.
General Charles Krulak coined the term "Three Block War" to describe the nature of 21st-century military service defined by peace-keeping, humanitarian aid, and full combat.
But what happens next? Veterans are often unprepared to return home and begin new careers. We call this the Fourth Block.
FourBlock is a national non-profit that has supported thousands of transitioning service members across the nation in beginning new and meaningful careers.
Mike Abrams (@fourblock) is an Afghanistan veteran, founder of FourBlock, and author of two military transition books. He represents the military transition perspective.
Lindsey Pollak (@lindsaypollak) is a career and workplace expert and New York Times bestselling author of three career advice books. Lindsey represents the civilian perspective of this issue.
Veterans, explore new industries and make the right connections. Find a career that fits your calling. Join us at fourblock.org/
Sponsor our program or host a class to equip more of our veterans at fourblock.org/donate.
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Podcast episodes are produced and edited by the Columbia University Center for Veteran Transition and Integration.