New career assistance advisor investigating climate change

Published Jan. 17, 2014
By Master Sgt. Brannen Parrish
931st Air Refueling Group Public Affairs

MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. -- With the hiring of Master Sgt. Shavonne Wilson last November, the 931st Air Refueling Group filled its career assistance advisor position and became better equipped to understand and manage its organizational culture and climate.

Career assistance advisors are often viewed as the people you visit when it is time to reenlist. In fact, reenlistments represent the culmination of their efforts. Wilson's job is to assist Airman with the reenlistment process, ensure they receive incentives associated with their Air Force Skill Code and advise the group commander about issues that impact the group's retention.

"On one side I manage a unit career advisor program. Each squadron has an additional duty career advisor, and I prepare them to be responsible for the members in their unit. I also look at statistics and trends to understand the reasons members are staying or leaving the unit," said Wilson. "I have to be able to inform the commander about, who we are gaining, who are we losing, and why they make those decisions."

By conducting exit surveys with members who are departing, speaking with group leadership and reviewing manpower data, Wilson gains insight into the group's organizational culture and climate.

"It's all about the member," she said. "I have to advise leadership on the climate, about what our members feel about this unit and why they want to stay or leave. I have to determine if the issue is personal or whether it is professional."

Wilson served as the 931st ARG Chaplain's Assistant for seven years before becoming the career advisor. Career assistance advisors are on special duty, and therefore, do not attend any formal school to learn the position. Wilson is learning her new position through on-the-job training but her experience as a chaplain's assistant has been helpful even though the nature of the work is different.

"Even as a chaplain's assistant, one of my responsibilities was to assess the climate of the group but I see the climate differently now because I'm seeing it from another angle," Wilson said. "As a chaplain's assistant, I went around and visited people but when people came for counseling, they were there to see the chaplain as opposed to the assistant. Now, I'm approached from a more career-based perspective by our members, which gives me insight into our climate and the reasons behind a members' longevity with us."

Though she deals with Airmen on an individual basis, Wilson said her job involves assisting the commander to ensure the 931st ARG can become the most effective team.

"We didn't become the number one air force in the world because we are individuals," she said. "The individual is weakest. We're stronger when we are together. We became the number one air force in the world because we work together."