NORTH CHICAGO, Ill. –
The Talent Acquisition Division (TAD) is coming to a MEPS near you, if they have not already. The newest team in USMEPCOM has begun its journey, bringing to life one aspect of the command’s strategic initiatives.
Consisting of Elizabeth Fonk, human resources specialist and Christian Carr, division chief, the TAD team concentrates its efforts on talent sourcing and candidate experience coordination. As dedicated applicant advisors, TAD navigates potential candidates through the career seeking and onboarding process, aligning with USMEPCOM’s fourth listed strategic goal - human capital.
Known simply around the command as Liz and Chris, they travel the continent looking for talent at military and college job fairs, visiting MEPS to collaborate and train hiring mangers on new systems and talent acquisition practices and coordinating with the recently established Army Civilian Career Management Activity (ACCMA) to utilize several recruitment program offerings.
While the division may be new, the command has been preparing for it for almost a year. The groundwork started in August of 2022 with building strategy, determining manpower and briefing Senior Leadership Council (SLC). The team officially stood up in June 2023.
“We needed to relook and improve the way we recruit and retain candidates,” said Fonk.
To optimize its efforts, TAD employs targeted marketing, tailored to individuals and careers, spotlights MEPS in high cost of living areas and maintains a positive, centralized application experience for interested candidates.
“Prior to this team we only advertised on our USA Jobs platforms. Now we are reaching out to a larger range of applicants,” said Fonk.
To sell the command, TAD developed a brand, an identity potential applicants will recognize and want to join. The branding stretches across TAD’s social media presence on LinkedIn and in-person engagements.
“Meet us where you are” is the idea at the forefront of the brand, inviting applicants to meet the command no matter where they are professionally or geographically. It means there are positions all over the country for all levels of experience - recent college graduates, those seeking a career refresh, and retirees looking to enhance their next life journey.
To both Fonk and Carr, the success of TAD is simply defined.
“Build[ing] a talent pipeline with diverse and qualified applicants for hiring managers across the command,” said Fonk.
Carr agrees, adding that the continued success “will depend on the ability to adapt to changing circumstances and the evolving needs of the military, all while maintaining a commitment to excellence and integrity in the recruitment process.”