Motivated. Dedicated. Educated.

MOTIVATED. DEDICATED. EDUCATED.

11/17/2021

Courage. Discipline. Integrity. The values and skills that veterans have honed over the years align well with funeral professions. From funeral directors and crematory operators to cemetery managers and maintenance and grounds crew or financial advisors to insurance sales, there are a wide variety of funeral career options available to veterans of all backgrounds and interests.

When asked to name their top business challenges, owners of funeral profession businesses rank finding strong employees at the top of the list. This is an especially urgent need during times of crisis, such as a pandemic, when the ‘service’ part of the funeral profession really shines. Caring, competent, mission-driven employees are needed now more than ever.

But how to engage, recruit and hire more military veterans to careers in the funeral service profession?

THE CHALLENGE

The latest NFDA Member Needs & Satisfaction Study asked funeral professionals what they see as their greatest business challenge over the next 5 years. Nearly 57% of respondents feel their greatest challenge will be availability of qualified personnel. Data shows that workforce concerns have been increasing over the past several years among all segments of deathcare.

In contrast, every year more than 220,000 military service members transition out of service in search of another career. In fact, as of January 2021, the US Veteran unemployment rate was nearly 5%. There are well-trained military veterans looking for meaningful work.

A SOLUTION

A funeral service career can be closely aligned to the many skills that veterans have gained during their military service. Their commitment to getting the job done, organizational skills, interpersonal skills, leadership skills, and overall strength and rigor are admired by funeral businesses. In addition to applying the valuable skills they learned during their service, an interest in furthering their education and acquiring new talents makes veterans top-notch, coveted workers.

Veterans exhibit the qualities needed to be successful in the funeral profession: A high level of trust and resilience. A desire to serve others. The ability to work well in extreme situations. Mission focus and advanced teamwork skills.

Journey to Serve is a free marketing resource program that works to attract veterans into careers throughout the funeral service profession. We aim to help you hire for positions in funeral homes, crematories, cemeteries, advance planning, business-to-business sales, suppliers to the profession, and all levels of support roles.

THE HOW

When recruiting veterans, it is important to acknowledge the unique skills they bring to the workforce. Understanding the best ways to help veterans make the transition to funeral service will help them become valuable members of your team. Funeral professionals can accomplish these goals by leveraging the free, comprehensive Journey to Serve toolkit: a hero video, customizable print and digital ads, social media posts and radio spots and podcast ads, presentations and slide decks, FAQ messaging guidance, a career comparison chart, a customizable chart flyer, blog posts, quizzes and more.

For veterans, the resources from Journey to Serve demonstrates how skills align, what educational opportunities and resources are available, and the chance to hear from other veterans who have made the transition. As an extra incentive, the Funeral Service Foundation and the ICCFA Educational Foundation will award two $5,000 academic scholarships to military veterans to help offset the costs associated with pursuing a career in funeral service and deathcare. The annual scholarships are equally funded by both organizations. A third scholarship, the Hunter M. Harbeson Memorial Scholarship, will provide $2,500 in academic support to a qualified veteran.

Employers wanting to offer placement through the GI Bill Apprenticeship Program must contact their local state certifying official to start the process, which includes creating a comprehensive training program that will teach the skills necessary for the veteran to become successful in their position. This may include classroom training in addition to hands-on experience. The program can help veterans transition into a civilian job by creating a mentoring environment. As an example, Merendino Cemetery Care utilized the program and found that it changed their organizational culture to a mission-focused approach, which was beneficial to the entire company. Read more about one veteran’s own personal journey to serve below.

THE PROOF

Veterans already working in deathcare agree that funeral service aligns with their skills and passion to serve. The Journey to Serve website is full of testimonials from veterans who have found a satisfying next career in funeral service, like this one from CANA Member Merendino Cemetery Care employee, Daisy Rivera.

DAISY RIVERA

U.S. ARMY SIGNAL CORP AND MERENDINO CEMETERY CARE

Daisy has always been an adventure lover. When she was recruited for the military as a high school teenager, she knew it was the right fit for her thrill-seeking character. She served 10 years in the U.S. Army as a communications specialist in the Signal Corp. Her main responsibility was to install radios and messaging, integral elements of clear communication. Daisy was stationed in Germany, Colorado, and South Korea during the Gulf War in 1991.

One of the hardest days of her life was the day she said goodbye to her one-year-old son at the airport as she was leaving for South Korea for an entire year. After learning how difficult it can be to say goodbye to those you love, she made the tough decision to leave the military and focus on family. Thereafter, she became a 911 operator for 21 years. She also served in the National Guard and Army Reserves while working full-time. She was the first-ever female commander of the Lincolnwood American Legion Post #1226.

Today, Daisy is the Midwest Branch Manager at Merendino Cemetery Care, where she oversees grounds management for 15 cemeteries. She works out of the Chicago branch, where she manages a team of five. She has a great trusting relationship with her team, which she attributes to skills learned during her time in service. “You have to trust in your leaders. I trust them, and therefore the trust is returned,” Daisy explains.

the future

Hiring veterans makes good business sense.

They are focused on mission accomplishment, and can continue their Journey to Serve by helping the families in your care.

Our goal is to make your job of finding qualified personnel easier by offering free resources to help you communicate with veterans and recruit them to your open positions. The Journey to Serve toolkit of customizable marketing materials will help you target the right audience efficiently and effectively.

MORE ABOUT JOURNEY TO SERVE

Veterans Day is our opportunity to thank and show support for those that have served. Journey to Serve is a new program aimed at recruiting military veterans to careers in funeral service. Launched in 2021, the program is a joint initiative of the Funeral Service Foundation (NFDA’s charitable arm) and the ICCFA Educational Foundation. The Funeral Service Association of Canada has also co-sponsored the project.

The largest philanthropic organizations in the funeral profession have come together to help the profession face the challenges of finding and hiring qualified personnel. We hope you will take advantage of the tools provided at www.JourneyToServe.com to find your next great hire.

Journey to Serve provides free resources to the profession to help recruit veterans into meaningful work in all aspects of funeral service. On October 19, 2021, Journey to Serve was approved by the Department of Defense as a web resource on Military OneSource. This is a giant win for Journey to Serve, and means that the program is now front and center for service members preparing to transition out of their military careers.

In support of the initiative, CANA offers active service members and veterans a discount on Crematory Operations Certification Programs. Whether or not they are members of CANA, Canadian and US military members and veterans will receive a special rate of just $195. Learn more and register: goCANA.org/COCP.

Jim Price has been a member of the Park Lawn team since February of 2016, beginning as CEO of Midwest Memorial Group, LLC, the first Park Lawn Corporation acquisition in the United States, and currently serves as President of the ICCFA Educational Foundation. Prior to joining Park Lawn, Jim co-founded and served as EVP / COO of Foundation Partners Group and formerly co-founded and served as COO of Keystone Group Holdings. Jim also currently serves on the International Cemetery, Cremation & Funeral Association (ICCFA) Board of Directors and ICCFA Governmental Affairs Committee. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the NACG (National Alliance for Children’s Grief). He also serves on the Advisory Board for the Sykes School of Business, Center for the Study of Ethics, at the University of Tampa in Tampa, Florida. Jim has over 50 years of experience in the funeral profession and is a graduate of the California College of Mortuary Science.

Lee Wiensch, CFRE is the Executive Director of the Funeral Service Foundation. A certified fundraising professional, Lee has worked in development and association management throughout her 30-year career. At the Funeral Service Foundation, Lee works with the Board of Trustees to set direction for grantmaking, fund development, strategic planning, communication, industry outreach, financial planning and leadership development. Lee holds a bachelor’s degree in American Government from Georgetown University and is a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) and Certified Celebrant/Life Tribute Professional.