November 5, 2020
Thriving as a military veteran at Kaiser Permanente
The organization’s Military Officer Transition Program helped Jennifer Gates shift her career. As a 2021 top Military Friendly Employer, Kaiser Permanente supports veterans in many ways.
Finding a civilian job after serving in the military can be challenging and may require learning new skills. For Jennifer Gates, that challenge led her to graduate school.
Once she graduated, she faced a decision: Should she stay on at her university in a research role or return to the workforce?
“As I learned more about Kaiser Permanente, the mission, and what the organization stood for, I had little doubt what my decision would be,” said Gates. “Similar to the military, the physicians and staff at Kaiser Permanente are extremely passionate about taking care of people.”
A unique leadership development opportunity
Gates entered into our Military Officer Transition Program, a 2-year rotation program that helps prepare high-performing junior military officers for successful leadership roles with Kaiser Permanente.
“Through the Military Officer Transition Program, I had opportunities to explore different pathways of work and how they intersect as part of multidisciplinary approaches to help our members,” said Gates.
After the program, which she completed in 2019, Gates accepted her current role as service director, adult and family medicine for Kaiser Permanente in Northern California. Ten other participants from her transition program also launched their careers at Kaiser Permanente.
Today, Gates is thriving.
“As a veteran, I have felt wholly supported by my colleagues, supervisors, and the organization to excel in the workplace,” she said.
Our ongoing commitment to hiring veterans
Kaiser Permanente has a long history of hiring veterans from all branches and levels of the military since World War II. Today, our hiring efforts continue to evolve and include not only our Military Officer Transition Program but also our Military Talent Network.
Recently, our commitment to providing lasting, vital career opportunities to veterans and their spouses earned us designation as a 2021 Military Friendly Employer. This marks the sixth year in a row that we have received the title from VIQTORY, a service-disabled, veteran-owned small business.
The designation is awarded to employers that provide better opportunities for veterans and their spouses, with hiring, retention, and employee development programs in place to help them reach their goals. Of the 240 employers that received the designation for 2021, we ranked among the top 10 among health and pharmaceutical services organizations.
“Military veterans bring unique strengths to Kaiser Permanente and understand the power of teamwork to deliver when lives depend on it,” said Marcus Williams, Kaiser Permanente military and individuals with disabilities talent strategy leader. “We highly value the skills, experiences, and abilities that veterans have to offer, and that’s what drives us to actively recruit them for our diverse range of career opportunities.”
To help us improve how we recruit and support veterans and their families at Kaiser Permanente, we have built lasting partnerships and strategic alliances with the Military Spouse Employment Partnership and the Veteran Jobs Mission.
If you’re a military veteran looking for a career at Kaiser Permanente, join Kaiser Permanente’s Military Talent Network to receive information about job opportunities that align with your interests or visit our military recruitment area on KP Careers. If you’re a military spouse looking to launch your next career, register on the Military Spouse Employment Partnership site to get started.
