Case Study
J.P. Morgan
As one of the leading employers of ex-military personnel in the world, employing more than 17,000 Service leavers since 2011, J.P. Morgan know a thing or two about the value of utilising the Armed Forces talent pool.
We recently had the pleasure of speaking with EMEA Military Veterans Affairs Programme Manager, Emily Collins, who explains why Service leavers are such a great fit for the firm.
How long has J.P. Morgan been working with the CTP?
Our Military Transition Programme commenced in 2011, and since then we’ve been working hard to maintain engagement and a consistent dialogue with Service leavers through the CTP.
We’ve attended a number of CTP Employment Fairs, virtually and in-person, and we’re looking forward to hosting the CTP Employer Forum event at our London office in November.
But we’re not just focused on bringing Service leavers into the bank. We also launched our Veteran Entrepreneur Support Scheme in 2019 where we provide ex-military personnel looking to start their own business with a mentor to guide them through the process. We want to do whatever we can to facilitate success for individuals leaving the Armed Forces.
Can you tell us about the programmes you run for Armed Forces leavers and your selection process?
We currently offer three programmes for Service leavers; our 6-month Military Transition Programme, a 9-month Military Technical Pathways Programme, and a 2-year Military Pathways Programme – all of which are designed to provide military personnel of all ranks with direct access to the financial services industry, a platform and network to gain a greater understanding of the opportunities available to them, and the chance to embark on a meaningful second career with the firm.
The 6-month and 2-year programmes provide direct routes to roles across the entire firm; from banking and asset & wealth management, to operations, cyber & technology and much more!
Service leavers start their placement with a one-week induction in London where they have the opportunity to upskill both personally and professionally, and meet their cohort from across EMEA for the first time. Throughout the course of the placement we deliver ongoing learning, development and networking sessions, have regular check-ins to track progress and ensure everyone is assigned a buddy and mentor for additional support.
The Military Technical Pathway however, is specifically for Service leavers who are interested in having a career as a software developer. These individuals take part in an intensive 10-week Java bootcamp, followed by a 2-week induction and 6-month placement where they can put everything they’ve learned into practice.
Offering a range of programmes is our way of ensuring Service leavers of all ranks and backgrounds have a genuine opportunity to pursue a second career with J.P. Morgan.
How has inviting Service leavers into J.P. Morgan changed or improved the firm?
We have seen first-hand the diverse range of skills and experiences available within the military talent pool, and firmly believe that a more diverse workforce makes for a more innovative, creative, and effective organisation. Here at J.P. Morgan we champion diversity of thought and experience, and by having Service leavers of all ranks join our programmes, we’ve provided our hiring managers with unparalleled access to a wealth of talented individuals who are extremely well suited to the vast majority of our roles.
Having our Military Veterans Affairs team facilitate this element of J.P. Morgan’s wider diversification strategy has helped the firm become more representative of its clients, and has brought different avenues of thought and experience into the business at all levels.
What are the benefits of recruiting from the Armed Forces pool of talent?
For a long time now, we’ve admired the extensive skillsets brought to the firm by Service leavers, and have found many of those who have come from the Armed Forces to be natural leaders – capable of managing a team to high performance – possessing excellent communication, analytical and problem-solving skills.
It also never hurts that many individuals coming from the military are results-oriented, able to build strong professional networks within the firm, and are always willing to listen, learn and collaborate as part of a team; all key qualities we look for in candidates.
In my experience, the benefits of recruiting from the Armed Forces are innumerable, and we’ve often found Service leavers to be the perfect fit for our teams across the entire organisation, thanks to the experience and transferability of the skills acquired during their time in service.
And how many of your employees have you seen come from CTP?
Since 2019, we’ve seen 215 Service leavers join our Military Transition Programmes, many of whom have gone on to secure permanent roles with the firm. The number of individuals entering the programmes has also continuously grown year-on-year, from 25 in 2019 to 100 in the first half of 2022.
We’re delighted to see so many Service leavers join us here at J.P. Morgan and are looking forward to welcoming more talented individuals into our organisation in the coming years.
Finally, has having access to the Armed Forces talent pool alleviated any recruitment challenges for J.P. Morgan?
The programmes we run in conjunction with our relationship with the CTP have been brilliant for injecting talent directly into our business in a cost-effective way; and so it’s no surprise that our team leaders and hiring managers come back every year to bring new Service leavers into their teams.
Everyone in the firm knows just how well ex-service personnel continue to fulfil our talent needs, and I firmly believe Service leavers and J.P. Morgan have a very bright future working together.
