How Schneider Electric’s CHRO Cultivates Nontraditional Talent

Hiring managers know that we are in the midst of a talent shortage that will only continue to grow, yet only 23% of HR professionals are seeking talent from nontraditional sources. The impending retirement of Baby Boomers and the increasing need for specialized technical skills will further expand the talent gap, indicating that the cultivation of alternate talent pipelines is more important than ever. 

More than three-quarters of organizations experienced recruiting difficulty when filling full-time positions, according to SHRM’s 2024 Talent Trends report, which surveyed 2,366 HR professionals. As the leader of human resources in North America for the energy management and automation company Schneider Electric, I understand how important these talent pipelines are in not only filling vacancies but also recruiting highly experienced and engaged employees. 

While it may take time to build programs for nontraditional talent, the payoff outweighs the investment. I believe nontraditional talent can contribute to a workforce that is — to use words at the core of our company mission — more resilient and sustainable.

Below are two talent pipelines that we’ve tapped into at Schneider Electric North America to grow our workforce.
 

Veterans

Annually, we tap into a fresh talent pool of 200,000 highly experienced U.S. military personnel about to transition to civilian life. Veterans often bring transferable in-demand skills such as a strong work ethic, leadership, and adaptability. In partnership with federal programs, we identify talent and place them in internships for about three to six months. In over 80% of cases, these veterans are offered and accept an opportunity to join our company full time. Once they’re hired, we continue to provide a community of support through our Veterans Employee Resource Network to help employees transition to corporate life.

We’ve seen our veteran hires become highly engaged employees who contribute to a positive culture. Take the example of Lucero Zuniga, a hiring manager in our Services division who has hired five veterans through the internship program. Zuniga said that she appreciates the internship as she gets to see the potential of a new hire candidate in action. She has found that veterans have many soft skills, such as communication, organization, and priority management, that make them a great fit for project manager positions on her team.  

In addition to bringing the right skills and experience, veterans who come in through the internship program have positively impacted the engagement of colleagues and serve as positive role models that foster a culture of collaboration and teamwork. After the flooding in North Carolina last year, some of our veterans in the area volunteered with a Schneider Electric partner, Footprint Project, to build microgrids to provide electricity. This was an incredible example of our people coming together to benefit a community in need. 

Returning Employees 

Career breaks are becoming more common, and we’ve transformed our talent acquisition strategies to account for employees who are ready to return to the workforce. LinkedIn found that 62% of professionals have taken a career break at some point. These returning workers, or “returners,” can often be overlooked because of the long-held bias that a disruption in a career reflects poorly on the individual. Career breaks happen for many reasons, such as caring for an aging parent, raising children, continuing education, and handling other potential interruptions that can happen in life. 

At Schneider Electric, we’ve been successfully tapping into this talent pool since 2021 with a returnship program. We create opportunities for training, mentoring, and coaching to help returners in our program transition back to work. As with veteran hires, retention rates for returners are typically above average, with 70%-90% rates.  

One of our first returners, Vera Hicks, had a successful career in the technology industry and took an extended break to care for her mother. Upon returning to the workforce at Schneider, she found that her past experience and self-initiative helped her show value immediately in her new role. 

Returners typically make strong candidates who bring experience, education, and a readiness to quickly contribute to the workforce. ReacHIRE, a company that provides programs for returners, said 60% of its participants have advanced degrees. In addition, there’s a 40% greater retention rate for returners compared to other hires, and these employees are 4.2 times more likely to improve organizational productivity and corporate culture.

What’s Next 

Currently, our team is working to expand our veteran outreach to military spouses who want to return to work. Military spouses often find it difficult to maintain a traditional career path given the constant moves they’ve experienced to support their spouses’ careers. They may have stopped working for extended periods to accommodate family needs. But they still have marketable skills, experience, and education that we can tap into, making them a perfect fit for a returnship program. 

As we move forward in an ever-evolving workplace, it’s clear that creating an inclusive, flexible environment can deliver great business outcomes. Given the labor shortage, committing to expanding talent pipelines is not only important for growth, but it also makes good business sense. At Schneider Electric, we believe that “Life is On” for every person, no matter where they’ve been or how long they’ve been away. 

Mai Lan Nguyen is the human resources leader for Schneider Electric North America. Schneider Electric is a global industrial technology leader bringing world-leading expertise in electrification, automation, and digitization to smart industries, resilient infrastructure, future-proof data centers, intelligent buildings, and intuitive homes.