For Boeing, veterans have the right skills

More than 1000 of Boeing’s 4500 employees in Australia were formerly in the armed forces, and many are still reservists.

Amy List is Boeing Defence Australia managing director and RAAF veteran

More than 1000 of Boeing’s 4500 employees in Australia were formerly in the armed forces, and many are still reservists.

“We find veterans really excel at leading and making decisions, particularly in time-critical environments,” says Amy List, managing director of Boeing Defence Australia and a veteran of the Royal Australian Air Force.

“Military people have a really strong work ethic and strong discipline, and they show up and ­always bring their best. Veterans excel at that adaptability and ­problem-solving skills. There’s also that mindset of safety and compliance to the regulations, particularly in aviation.

“Not everyone is suited to working in that environment, but our veterans have lived and breathed it for years, and they’re perfect for the role.”

As a trained aeronautical ­engineer, List had a distinguished career in the RAAF, but she says her technical training is not her most important asset.

“The most important skill sets I acquired as an RAAF officer were the ones that had little to do with thrust or aerodynamics,” she says.“It’s about making decisions in uncertain environments. The military, across all levels, provides some really outstanding leadership training, and not only training on how to be a leader, they provide a lot of training in how to be a good teammate.

“As a company, we’re very ­focused on supporting our customer, and are very connected to the work they do. So as we look at gathering the best workforce to be able to deliver to our customer, veterans are a key part of that.

“While we might recruit them to come into a job that’s directly ­relatable [to their past skills], hopefully their career path will open for them and they can go in different ways.”

Boeing Defence Australia is one of the Australian Defence Force’s most important partners. From the F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter, P-8A Poseidon reconnaissance aircraft and helicopters like the CH-47 Chinook, to cutting-edge development programs like the MQ-28 Ghost Bat, an uncrewed “loyal wingman” being developed with the RAAF to team with crewed platforms, Boeing is maintaining and developing weapons systems that need to be both complex and reliable.

From the managing director’s chair, what sets ex-service people apart is not their technical skills but their ability to contribute to a dynamic organisation.

“While the specific technical skills, like being able to fix a Super Hornet or understanding the way the software works on a particular aircraft are valuable, I actually find it’s those soft skills that ­really come to the fore when we’re determining what it means to be a great employee here at Boeing,” List says.

Given the value of ex-service people, Boeing is keen to make ­itself as attractive as possible as a post-service employer, and is recognised as an Employer of Choice alongside more than 400 organisations that have joined the ­Department of Veteran Affairs’ Veterans Employment Commitment.

“It formalises what we are agreeing to do to make sure that we’re a great place for veterans to work; that we have those support mechanisms in place; that we’re able to help them translate their military skills to the civilian environment,” List says.

Self-promotion – the art of selling one’s abilities and experiences to a potential employer – is often a skill that ex-service people lack, she adds.

“I think one of the key elements of serving in the military and being part of something that’s bigger than yourself is an inherent ­humility and an inherent understanding that you rarely achieve anything by yourself,” List says. “They’re always wanting to give the credit to someone else. One of the things we work on with veterans as we’re helping them translate their skills is to really make sure they own those key skills, the benefits they bring, and are able to go to job interviews and put their best foot forward.”

Boeing also has a global Veterans Engagement Team with an Australian chapter.

“It’s a central point for all our veteran activities. It helps give them support if they need it, and helps them network,” List says.

“We have a lot of activities to make sure veterans can connect, and share some of those unique challenges they might face, particularly as they transition to ­civilian employment.

“One of the things that we look to do with our with our B-Vet group is to make sure they can come and work for us and immediately find that community of people who understand what they’ve gone through, and can help connect them to other people, and ­resources that might help.”

Ultimately, List says, it is hard-headed business that drives Boeing to employ so many ex-service people. “It’s absolutely good for our business to have veterans in here,” she says.