Hand & Stone Supports Military Spouses Through MSEP Program

Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa is a proud partner of the Military Spouse Employment Partnership program since 2019. The Military Spouse Employment Partnership (or MSEP) is a section of the Defense Department Spouse Education and Careers opportunities program. MSEP offers tools and resources to support military spouses in their career development goals. According to the Department of Defense, 21% of military spouses report being unemployed for over a year. The goal of the MSEP is to ensure military spouses have the opportunities and make connections they need to obtain a satisfying career and wage that is commensurate with their level of training, work experience, accomplishments, and credentials.

As an enduring partner Hand & Stone is committed to hiring and providing training to military spouses in their new careers. We honor this commitment by posting job opportunities across our 550 locations in the MSEP portal and social media groups, participating in military spouse hiring events, connecting our spa owners with local bases to promote career opportunities, and participating in live-streaming events for interested military spouses to learn more about our spas and teams.

Recently we had the pleasure of being invited to MSEP’s 2022 Partner Conference. The theme was “Engage” and it was a beneficial opportunity for our team to learn more about how to be a supportive program partner. The focus included how to be “military ready” as opposed to “military friendly” by identifying our military spouses, what their family’s needs are, learning their language/different deployment statutes, and creating a space within our spas for resources/support to encourage military spouses to self-identify. As an organization, we are excited to be able to offer employment opportunities nationwide, that can accommodate different needs and schedules, and create career stability and long-term growth.

Our team was also able to participate in the MSEP hiring fair while at the partner conference. We spoke to spouses in all stages of life, from newlyweds to families about to retire. They taught us no matter what stage of life you are in everyone needs stability and knowledge. In return, we were able to teach them how a new career in massage therapy as well as front desk, management, and esthetician roles could give them those 2 key takeaways, and more. Over 250,000 military spouses were hired over MSEP’s 540 partners this year alone. Energized by the opportunity to connect with other partners and share best practices, Hand & Stone is excited to help impact those statistics and contribute to hiring and retaining military spouses!

For military spouses looking for more information and resources, please visit Military Spouse Employment Partnership Partner Portal (militaryonesource.mil). To view open Hand & Stone positions, visit – www.handandstonecareers.com. If you have questions about the Hand & Stone/MSEP partnership, please reach out to our Director of Recruitment Operations, Maureen Brent mbrent@handandstone.com