Tesla Motors, known for its popular electric Model S sedan, is also working to develop a reputation as a leading employer of U.S. military veterans.
With more than 6,000 employees and growing, Tesla counts 300, or 5 percent, veterans among its workforce, according to the San Jose Mercury News.
"Tesla has risen to the top" as a company renowned for having a veteran-friendly workplace, said Ted Daywalt, president and CEO of VetJobs, the nation's leading military job board. "They have a good reputation. They hire veterans who can talk to other veterans. There is a language in the military, and having someone who can speak the lingo is important."
The Palo Alto, Calif.-based company's logistics director is former Navy officer Adam Plumpton, while 600 more veteran candidates are in the pipeline for employment with the automaker. Tesla has been both working to recruit veterans and developing a company culture that encourages them to stay.
Tesla industrial engineering technician Megan Gates is considering re-enlisting when her contract with the National Guard ends in December.
"A lot of people come off of active duty and have a hard time finding work," she said. "But I can perform my job here full time and still be in the Guard. I give Tesla my schedule and say 'these are the weekends I need to leave,' and they work around that schedule. Everyone here is so supportive."
Tesla is eager to hire veterans partly because they can relate to the carmaker's sense of mission, Greg Reichow, Tesla's vice president of production, told the Mercury News.
"At Tesla we're not just building cars. We're trying to transform transportation," Reichow said. "They also know how to lead teams, focus teams and function on teams, and they have incredible integrity and discipline."
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