Manager for the Customer Experience Measurement Group at Microsoft

Shannon Huffman Polson is used to facing daunting challenges. After working as a successful program manager during her initial assignment at Microsoft, she was placed in command of a struggling customer service team facing outdated processes and lack of process consistency across businesses. This made costs much higher than they should have been, as well as introducing a number of risks to the team mission.

But the former Army captain wasn’t intimidated. She had blazed new trails during her military career – the first female Apache helicopter pilot for one battalion, the first women to command an Apache line company for another battalion, a platoon leader in dangerous reconnaissance missions over Bosnia, and the first woman to command an Apache line company for the 2nd Infantry Division.

ORANGE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Volt Workforce Solutions, the staffing business unit of Volt Information Sciences, Inc. (NYSE: VOL), announced that it has been named a “Finalist” in The 2010 American Business Awards. Volt’s veteran hiring initiative, the Volt Military Heroes Program, earned recognition in the category of Corporate Social Responsibility Program of the Year for firms with more than 2,500 employees.

“Today, more than ever, our veterans need career readiness assistance to make the critical transition to civilian careers after serving our country”

The Volt Military Heroes Program provides career support and employment opportunities to transitioning military personnel, while simultaneously providing a valued service to clients, who need well-trained, qualified candidates.

Volt Workforce Solutions President Tom Daley commented, “Many of our veterans face obstacles in connecting with hiring managers due to an inability to translate their hands-on leadership and training while in the service to skills sought by Fortune 500 employers. Our goal in the Volt Military Heroes Program is overcoming the ‘Last Mile’ gap between military and corporate careers and assisting these heroes with meaningful job opportunities.”

A recruitment leader, Volt Workforce Solutions works with veterans, the military and corporate partners to bridge this “Last Mile” gap by providing resume assistance, interview coaching and other career readiness assistance to maximize veteran hiring success. During the past year, Volt has placed more than 1,400 veterans with its clients.

Commenting on the life-changing importance of assisting veterans, Steven Shaw, President and CEO of Volt Information Sciences said, “With 13 dollars and an engineering degree made possible through the GI Bill after serving in World War II, Jerry Shaw and his older brother founded Volt as a technical writing company in 1950. Volt would not exist today if it weren’t for this assistance.”

“Today, more than ever, our veterans need career readiness assistance to make the critical transition to civilian careers after serving our country,” Shaw said. “As a business leader and employer, Volt has a unique responsibility to make a positive impact during this transition. We are honored that Volt’s initiative to strengthen America’s workforce has earned a place among the distinguished finalists of the 2010 American Business Awards.”

Redmond-based Microsoft Corp. today announced that it is inviting organizations to submit proposals for theElevate America Veterans Initiative, which focuses on giving veterans and their spouses the technology skills and support resources they need to be successful in today’s civilian work force.