Veterans at work: Celebrating the service and skills of our military professionals at Smartsheet

At Smartsheet, we have the privilege of working alongside a group of dedicated individuals who have served our nation with passion, valor, and unwavering commitment: our military veterans. Their unique experiences, invaluable skills, and incredible teamwork are assets that enrich our workplace and help us thrive as an organization. Together with the Military @ Smartsheet employee resource group (ERG), we celebrate the service and skills of our military employees, and provide space for camaraderie and professional development. We are proud to embrace our military community, and to support them through the transition from military service to civilian life and employment.

Military veterans bring a strong sense of team and community to the workplace. Veterans often share a unique bond forged through their experiences in service, which fosters a supportive and collaborative environment. The Military @ Smartsheet ERG, which includes veterans, family, and supporters, brings people together and helps drive our organization's success by cultivating a workplace culture grounded in trust and mutual support. The ERG organizes regular team-building events for members, including panels and happy hours, and fundraised for Stop Solider Suicide as part of Smartsheet's 2022 Giving Tuesday campaign.

“Working with and learning how to immerse myself in various cultures and backgrounds is one of the most important things I learned from the military.” -Ashley F., Sr. Security Engineer II at Smartsheet

Helping veterans thrive as civilians in and out of the workplace

On November 6th, the Military @ Smartsheet ERG hosted a Veterans Day panel with a discussion focused on how each panelist’s military experience has aided their success in their civilian career. The panelists included both internal employees as well as veterans working in industries ranging from construction to technology. The panelists spoke about the importance of veteran hiring initiatives that make it easier for qualified military candidates to find and apply to corporate job openings, and mentorship programs to help them acclimate and grow within their new corporate environment. 

The panelists also spoke at length about ways companies can do a better job reading, understanding, and contextualizing military experience for an office environment. They emphasized the unique skills and experiences veterans bring to the table, and that they often face difficulties translating those experiences into  “corporate language” in a way that hiring managers and human resource departments can understand and appreciate. One panelist gave the example that they worked as a ship navigator in the Navy, and in order to be successful in a corporate work environment,  they had to translate their experience from technical military words and titles to terms like “agile and decisive decision-maker.”

“It comes down to ‘am I going to make the right decision that impacts the success of our organization?’ It's not just what's happening now, it's what happens as a result of the decisions that I make, and the agility to make those changes is important,” -Chris G., Regional Director, New Business at Smartsheet

Ultimately, the discussion underscored that veterans are often seeking meaningful employment after their service that allows them to expand upon the skillset they developed while serving our country. Perhaps, then, one of the best ways to express gratitude for their service is to continue learning how to best support veterans fully through their transition into civilian life. Here at Smartsheet, we’re grateful for the skills and experience of our military employees and are excited to continue growing our participation in these panels and engaging in other military and service-related initiatives. 

To all military service members and veterans, from all of us here at Smartsheet, thank you so much for your service and commitment.

Join the Smartsheet community

We are dedicated to fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive work environment that encourages everyone to grow and thrive, at work and beyond. We encourage our employees to show up authentically each day, and we value the unique life experiences that each person brings to the table.