Employer Strategies for Military Spouse Retention

College of Management and Human Potential
Virtual Symposium
October 27-28, 2022
Presenter:
Dr. Shanna A. Smith
Session Description:
Employee turnover is extremely costly to organizations, which concerns business leaders in the U.S. because organizations invest time and money in resources, such as recruiting, hiring, onboarding, and training. Grounded in systems theory, the purpose of my multiple case study was to explore strategies employers use to retain military spouse talent. The sample consisted of nine business leaders from large companies known for successful talent retention initiatives for military spouses. Data were collected from semistructured interviews with business leaders and publicly available organizational documents. Data analysis was guided by thematic analysis, member checking, and methodological triangulation. Five key themes emerged from the data analysis: (1) emphasis on the military spouse persona and challenges faced; (2) normalization of flexible, remote work; (3) discrimination and diversity of military spouses; (4) importance of internal support groups; and (4) importance of education and communication. A key recommendation born from the findings was that advocacy for military spouses to become a protected class should continue, which will prompt tax incentives, benefits, and credits for organizations who employ military spouses, as well as bolster diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. The implications for positive social change include the potential for employers to positively impact military spouses, communities, and the nation as a whole by retaining qualified talent and their organizations will not have to spend more on talent acquisition, onboarding, and training.