Travelers Military Employee Answers the Call to Support Pandemic Operations
Ray Fortier knows logistics. Whether through his experience as a member of the Operations Leadership Development Program at Travelers or as a captain in the Connecticut National Guard, you will find Ray ready to take on new roles and new challenges.
In early April of 2020, Ray answered the call to support the Connecticut National Guard’s COVID-19 response plan.
He sat down with us to share his experience working on the front lines of the state’s response efforts and also what it is like to be a military employee at Travelers.
What is your role at Travelers?
I am in my fourth rotation in the Operations Leadership Development Program (OLDP). My current rotation is in Technology Business Support. I serve as a liaison between the Business Insurance Field and Technology organizations. I also oversee various projects and initiatives.
How long have you been with the company?
Five years. I started right after graduating from the University of Connecticut in 2015.
Tell us about your service in the Connecticut National Guard.
I’ve been serving as a logistics officer for over seven years. I spent my first two years with the 143rd Military Police Company then joined the 1048th Transportation Company, where I led a platoon of 55 soldiers focused on transporting and distributing commodities and equipment. I later moved to the role of Battalion Plans Officer (Future Operations), overseeing training and operations for a combat sustainment support battalion. In early 2020, I moved into the Plans Officer role at the 143rd Regional Support Group.
What is your current mission and role with the CTNG?
Since early April, my mission has involved overseeing Connecticut’s “Commodities Warehouse” as a part of its COVID-19 response plan. Our site is the central hub for all inbound shipments and outbound shipments for hospitals, state agencies, first responders and municipalities. I am the officer in charge of all warehouse operations, which includes inventory management, coordination of inbound and outbound shipments, transportation planning, site security and other capabilities required to make a military-run warehouse function successfully.
Why are your role and mission important to you and the community?
While stepping away from my role at Travelers was difficult, having the opportunity to assist the State of Connecticut in distributing greatly needed commodities has been one of the most fulfilling and satisfying moments of my career so far. Nurses, doctors, paramedics, firefighters, police officers and everyday citizens have needed supplies and equipment for months. Our mission is to get those supplies to these people as quickly as possible, so they can ensure the critical functions of our state are kept intact. There’s nothing more important than that.
What first-hand experiences can you share?
In the operation’s early stages, we were extremely low on a lot of requested critical personal protection equipment (PPE), like hand sanitizer, exam gloves and surgical masks. Incoming shipments were infrequent at best. Around the fourth week of our operation, I was doing my regular warehouse walks. I noticed tiny travel-sized hand sanitizers with Travelers’ logo across the side sitting in one of the aisles. As soon as I saw them, a feeling of pride swept over me and for a moment, I thought about how everyone was doing back at work. Within days they were distributed throughout Connecticut to folks who needed them. It’s funny how such a small item with our red umbrella made me feel connected to my company and coworkers after weeks of being away on this mission.
What’s it like to be a military employee at Travelers?
Working at Travelers while serving in the military has been extraordinary. Travelers has proven what it says about supporting those with military commitments. Whether it’s for normal monthly and yearly training or longer-term missions, support from the company and my leaders and fellow colleagues has been more than I could have expected. It gives me peace of mind that I can step away to serve my community and know my career will still be there when I return.
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Travelers to Reach Goal of Planting 1 Million Trees
Travelers to Reach Goal of Planting 1 Million Trees in Partnership with American Forests
Through its partnership with American Forests, the oldest nonprofit conservation group in the nation, Travelers will soon reach its goal of planting one million new trees.
In celebration of the 50th Earth Day, and in keeping with the company’s dedication to environmentalism, Travelers is also continuing its partnership with American Forests through April 2021. Through this partnership, Travelers has planted one tree for every Personal Insurance customer who opted in to paperless billing in 2019. The company will continue these efforts and expects to plant up to a half-million more new trees.
“We are proud to have reached this important milestone and to continue our successful partnership with American Forests,” said Michael Klein, Executive Vice President and President of Personal Insurance at Travelers. “We are committed to operating our business efficiently and sustainably. This program achieves both, by creating a convenient experience for our customers and meaningfully reducing our paper usage and carbon footprint.”
“With Travelers’ support, we planted 1 million trees in some of America’s most endangered forests – taking 1 million steps for safe, healthy communities and a vibrant natural environment,” said Jad Daley, President and CEO of American Forests. “We are very grateful to Travelers, one of our largest corporate partners, and excited to continue working together to make a positive impact on our planet.”
Additionally, Travelers regularly implements cost-effective ways to positively impact the eco-efficiency of its business. Other measures include:
- Reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 35% since 2011.
- Reducing energy consumption by approximately 50% since 2006 at its largest-owned campus.
- Relying on renewable energy sources for 17% of the electricity consumed at its owned facilities.
- Ensuring its owned campuses are ENERGY STAR® certified.
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TRANSITIONING TO A CIVILIAN CAREER WITH EASE
Many of the duties you performed in the service have a civilian counterpart in business and industry, including here at Travelers. Still, the job search process can be challenging. That’s why we want to help you along the way, with practical resume and interview advice that can make your transition from the military easier and more successful.
YOUR RESUME: Making a good first impression.
The goal of your resume is to obtain an interview. It should give potential employers an overview of your background, while highlighting your accomplishments. You want to stand out among your peers. At a minimum, your resume should include your professional experience in a themed or chronological order, as well as your education, achievements and volunteer interests.
GENERAL RULES
- Keep your resume recent and relevant.
- Limit your resume to one or two pages in length.
- Make it concise and easy to read.
- Use bullet points instead of paragraphs.
- Check for and fix spelling, grammar and punctuation errors.
- Include the URL to your LinkedIn profile (if applicable).
- Do not include personal data or photos.
- Use an identifiable file name (First.Last.docx or First initial.Last.docx).
MILITARY-SPECIFIC RESUME TIPS
- Avoid military jargon, as the majority of people will not understand.
- Explain job titles in civilian language. For example: Platoon Sergeant (Team Lead).
- Refer to your transition as a “separation from the service.”
- Use numbers to quantify your experience (size of platoon, dollars managed, value of equipment, etc.).
- Focus on transferrable skills such as leadership, teamwork, problem-solving, attention to detail, process and procedures, and situational awareness.
- Military spouses should identify as such, in order to explain job and location moves.
YOUR INTERVIEW: Getting the job.
Your resume is your chance to make a good first impression. But, the interview is where the job is won!
BEFORE THE INTERVIEW
- Research the company on their website and career pages.
- Do an online search for recent company and industry news.
- See how the company performs in their industry and against competitors.
- Prepare a list of questions to ask during the interview.
- Reflect on your greatest strengths and be prepared to discuss them.
- Practice – do mock interviews.
INTERVIEW DAY
- Dress appropriately for the company and job you are seeking.
- Use military time. Arrive 15 minutes early.
- Treat everyone you meet like they are the Commanding Officer.
- Give a strong handshake, smile, and maintain good eye contact.
- Sit comfortably without distractions. Avoid fidgeting or otherwise appearing nervous.
- De-militarize your skills/experiences and offer explanations of military terms.
- Many companies do first-round phone screens; they are an interview so take them seriously.
PHASES OF AN INTERVIEW
This is your chance to set the tone with a sort, interesting introduction.
Tell Me about Yourself
- This is your chance to share your story with a short, but interesting introduction:
“I grew up in ___. I decided to join the [military branch] because____. I had a great experience including___, and learned ___, ___ and ____. That brings me here today to learn more about [company] and your opportunity for [position].”
Question and Answer
- Be prepared for open-ended, behavioral questions about your previous experiences (“tell me a time when…” or “give me an example about…”).
- Give specific answers about your past experience by using the STAR technique: S – Situation/ T – Task/ A – Action/ R – Result.
- Pay attention to non-verbal cues and occasionally ask if your answer was detailed enough, or perhaps too detailed.
- Ask questions based on your research about the company and current industry events.
- Ask about the expectations of the position. For example: “Can you describe what success looks like for someone taking this position?”
The Wrap-Up
- Develop a quick elevator speech to wrap up your key points:
“Based on my visit and discussions today, I am very interested in joining [company]. I believe my ___, ___, and ___ skills position me well to both learn from and contribute to the success of the organization. Is there anything more that I can tell you about my experience, or are there areas where you feel I am lacking?”
- Ask the interviewer about next steps and thank them for their time.
- Be sure to ask for a business card and send a thank you email promptly after the interview.
Chances are, interviews and boards that you have participated in throughout your military care have adequately prepared you to take on an interview in the civilian corporate world. Still, it’s always helpful to have a toolkit for reference. For additional interview tips, read our post about Behavioral Interviewing.
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Q&A WITH A TRAVELERS EDGE® ALUMNA
Kate M.FMLDP Participant
St. Paul, MN
Former Travelers EDGE scholar, Kate McCollam, sat down with our team to discuss how the program affected her education, her career and ultimately her life here at Travelers.
Kate is an FMLDP participant currently supporting Corporate Audit in St. Paul, MN. She became a Travelers EDGE scholar during her second year in college and has now been working at Travelers for 2 years and 7 months. Read more below to learn about Kate’s EDGE journey.
How long have you been at Travelers?
Two years and seven months.
How did you get involved with Travelers EDGE?
In my second year at college, I became a Travelers EDGE scholar. At the time, I was looking for qualifying scholarships and being a first-generation college student in the U.S. presented the opportunity to apply and become an EDGE scholar.
How did Travelers EDGE affect your education?
I obtained an Accounting Degree in 3 years due to the support of Travelers EDGE.
When I began to pursue my accounting degree, I started at a community college. It was more affordable; I was able to work during the day and attend classes in the evening to ensure that I was making payments towards my education and would not have to address a big debt after college.
The moment I became a scholar, I was fortunate to receive financial support that gave me the freedom to take classes at the pace that I was able to address rather than at the pace I was able to afford.
How did Travelers EDGE affect your career?
Being an EDGE scholar and utilizing the internship experience and connections that I built, helped me obtain an amazing job here at Travelers. Travelers is a driving leader in the insurance industry and to be part of that is powerful.
Tell us about your current role.
I am a Financial Management Leadership Development Program (FMLDP) participant. The FMLDP is a 3-year rotational program that offers a diverse set of assignments in financial planning and analysis, internal auditing, international finance, and corporate accounting. For my current assignment, I am working within our internal auditing function where I have the chance to work with a dynamic team of talented professionals and learn about Travelers’ control environment, governance and risk management processes.
Is there anything else you wish to share?
It feels great to be part of such a vibrant community. Working at Travelers is not simply doing your job, but rather a continuous promise to be your best self and leverage the available resources to keep getting better. It is being continuously challenged, but always having a friendly resource to ensure you feel supported. It is a place where hard work, enthusiasm and professional ethic are the key drivers of the culture and I truly appreciate that.
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Travelers Recognized for Diverse and Inclusive Culture
Company Release – 2/24/2020 9:00 AM ET
Named a Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation
HARTFORD, Conn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– The Travelers Companies, Inc. (NYSE: TRV) today announced that it has attained a perfect score on the 2020 Corporate Equality Index administered by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, maintaining its distinction as a Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality.
“We’re focused on creating a workplace that brings together people with different backgrounds and ensuring that our employees feel valued, respected, supported and empowered,” said Fred Colon, Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer at Travelers. “From our hiring efforts to our training and development programs, we’re fostering an inclusive culture where all employees have the opportunity to thrive.”
Travelers supports several initiatives designed to maintain an environment that embraces diverse perspectives, including:
- Diversity Networks: The company supports eight Diversity Networks, which are employee-led groups focused on attracting, retaining and developing all employees through networking, mentorship and community volunteer opportunities. Its LGBT & Allies network was launched in 2012 to raise awareness of LGBT-related issues through education, networking and business initiatives.
- Appreciating Differences: Travelers requires all employees to complete an interactive diversity education program to help them better understand how to leverage differences for shared success.
- Employee Benefits: Travelers provides health insurance benefits for transitioning employees and family members to cover professional counseling, hormone therapy and, if clinically appropriate, gender reassignment surgery. The company is committed to providing a positive and respectful environment for employees and has developed guidelines offering support for transitioning employees, their co-workers and their managers.
- Inclusive Leadership Performance Objectives: All managers’ annual performance objectives include two diversity-related goals: to purposefully foster a work environment where all employees are included and appreciated, and to attract, retain, engage and develop employees from all cultures and backgrounds.
- Diversity Speaks: The company sponsors events designed to create a culture that embraces the power of difference. The events feature employees and guest speakers who share personal stories and provide different experiences and viewpoints.
For more information about diversity and inclusion at Travelers, visit travelers.com/diversity.
About Travelers
The Travelers Companies, Inc. (NYSE: TRV) is a leading provider of property casualty insurance for auto, home and business. A component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, Travelers has approximately 30,000 employees and generated revenues of approximately $32 billion in 2019. For more information, visit www.travelers.com.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200224005543/en/
Media:
Courtney Garro, 860.277.8719
cgarro@travelers.com
Source: The Travelers Companies, Inc.
Important Legal Information
This site contains information about Travelers. Travelers disclaims any duty or obligation to update such information. Any “forward-looking statement” is made only as of the date such information was originally prepared by Travelers and is intended to fall within the safe harbor for forward-looking information provided in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, may be forward-looking statements. Words such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “likely,” “anticipates,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “projects,” “believes,” “estimates” and similar expressions are used to identify these forward-looking statements. Results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements. Factors that can cause results to differ materially include those described in the Corporation’s most recent Form 10-K and Form 10-Qs filed with the SEC and contained on this site.
This site may contain links to other Internet sites, and may frame material from other Internet sites. Such links or frames are not endorsements of any products or services in such sites, and no information in such site has been endorsed or approved by Travelers.
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GUIDE TO ERGONOMICS IN THE WORKPLACE
Effective and successful workplace ergonomics involves the application of basic workplace principles to help address a worker’s discomfort, chronic pain or injury. A large part of good ergonomics involves workstation arrangement, equipment orientation and employee work habits. Proper placement of workstation equipment helps, but good ergonomics starts with the selection of furniture that can be easily adjusted to meet the needs of varied employees.
Having an effective ergonomics process can help you identify those job tasks and workplace factors that can put employees at risk of developing musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). These types of conditions can result in additional expenses and lost productivity for your company. Addressing the risks should be a business imperative. Establishing a good ergonomics process can help reduce the frequency of MSDs, address ergonomic risk factors and concerns, and control workers compensation costs.
Some areas to consider in minimizing the risk of MSDs include:
- Good workstation chairs.
- Proper keyboard and mouse placement.
- Correct monitor/reference material positioning.
- Sufficient lighting to help reduce eyestrain.
Good work habits are essential to avoiding injuries from computer use. Even with the best workstation and properly positioned equipment, employees could end up with discomfort or MSDs. Your employees may develop bad habits over time that can lead to the development of MSDs.
Good habits to promote include, but are not limited to:
- Change your work position, chair height and angle, and keyboard position throughout the day.
- Look away from the screen periodically to focus on distant objects.
- Use the “ALT” functions on your keyboard where possible to reduce mouse use.
- Hold the phone with your non-writing hand or use a headset. Do not hold the phone with your chin and shoulder as this can lead to neck tension, headaches and pinched nerves.
- Stand to reach items on shelves above your desk, rather than reaching from your chair.
- Squat or go to one knee while getting materials from bottom drawers or shelves.
Changing work habits takes time and dedication. Even a slight keyboard height change can initially feel awkward. If a change feels awkward, work using the modified arrangement for at least a week to give it a chance to become natural.
Armed with this information, you can increase employee safety and comfort through education and workstation modifications, rather than making costly furniture or equipment purchases.
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5 WAYS MINDFULNESS MAY INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY FOR YOUR SMALL BUSINESS
Long associated with meditation and relaxation, the practice of mindfulness has become more mainstream in recent years. And, with studies showing that humans aren’t as good at multi-tasking as we think we are, practicing mindfulness or meditation may actually help us be more productive at work.
Ever felt scattered while having 12 browser tabs open on your laptop, while keeping up with a group text on your smartphone and answering emails as they come in? In an age of multi-tasking, mindfulness can help us be in a state of moment-to-moment awareness of our experience. So, can practicing mindfulness help your small business become more productive?
Here are five potential benefits:
1. Mindfulness may help you and your team prioritize better. Multi-tasking is really task-switching, because it’s not possible for the brain to handle two tasks simultaneously. A research study at Stanford University found that multi-tasking actually made participants less able to switch tasks effectively, likely because they were less able to filter out irrelevant distractions.1 Since not every task has the same level of importance to your small business, being able to discern what’s most important can be a critically important skill.
2. Mindfulness can help boost your working memory. Research has shown an increase in working memory among participants in an eight-week mindfulness training.2 That working memory can translate to productivity if employees are able to better recall training and other information useful for their work – and may even help them avoid accidents and injuries at work if they are better able to remember safety practices.
3. Mindfulness can help reduce stress. According to an American Psychological Association survey, 60 percent of respondents reported that work is a very or somewhat significant source of stress, second only to money matters.3 Serious health issues can arise from stress, from hypertension to cardiovascular disease. Mindfulness training, especially when practiced as a team, can help reduce anxiety and teach emotion regulation strategies to better handle difficult situations.
4. Mindfulness can help improve focus. Distractions abound in the modern office. Open office concepts can mean employees need to filter out foosball matches to focus, frequent meetings may disrupt workflow, and notifications from email, texts and other social media can make it hard to concentrate. A study that looked at how participants were able to focus found that experienced mindful meditators performed better on all measures of attention and had higher self-reported mindfulness than those with no meditation experience.4
5. Mindfulness can be a good team-building activity. Practicing mindfulness can be a great way to bring a team together, by providing a team-building activity and by teaching how to better relate to one another. Whether you invite an instructor in to lead a yoga, tai chi or qigong class, or you offer a more structured meditation training program, the team can apply what they learn to handling challenges at work, being more focused and taking time to be present.
Thinking of how to get started? Of course, any mindfulness program should be voluntary for employees. Thirty-minute sessions once or twice a week can create a space where your team can practice guided meditation and discuss how to apply it to their experiences at work. Creating a more mindful culture can have benefits for you and your team, both inside and outside of the office.
Sources:
1 http://www.pnas.org/content/106/37/15583.full.pdf?sid=d448f6fe-219c-402a-a617-03e7c5ed527c
2 http://www.amishi.com/lab/wp-content/uploads/jha_stanley_etal_emotion_2010.pdf
3 http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/2014/stress-report.pdf
4 Moore, A. & Malinowski, P. (2009). Meditation, mindfulness and cognitive flexibility. Consciousness & Cognition, 18(1), 176-186
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Travelers Military Employee Answers the Call to Support Pandemic Operations
/in Diversity & Inclusion, Military Optional call to support, connecticut national, connecticut national guard, covid-19 response, covid-19 response plan, development program, employee at travelers, leadership development, leadership development program, military employee, military employee at travelers, national guard, operations leadership, operations leadership development, operations leadership development program, outbound shipments, plans officer, response plan, role at travelers, travelers /by marcin