Hiring Military Veterans Strategy

If you are a company looking to hire veterans, you have come to the right place. MilitaryHire.com is a central location for the available resources, connecting veteran-friendly companies with this unique community of talent. This blog series is an effort to help direct companies on the steps needed to make an effective hiring program possible.

The first step is designing a strategy to hire veterans.

The key to this approach should be to determine how military veterans could best fit into your organization’s recruitment goals. You also need to become familiar with the benefits of hiring transitioning service members, veterans, and wounded warriors. One thing is clear: the hiring of military veterans will be the best recruiting decision your company has ever made.

As a veteran myself, I know military personnel do not like being unproductive. We are eager to get back into an environment where we can make a difference on a daily basis. Therefore, finding skilled veterans, willing to work does not seem to be a problem.

Perhaps, getting the full potential out of veterans is. If a company wants to plan the best veteran-hiring strategy possible and have a low turnover rate, then there are other helpful things to consider.

A complete strategy must take several things into consideration. First, the plan needs to be long-term. Actively recruiting and hiring veterans is not enough. Organizations must realize the value of retaining these employees. Also, firms that have systems in place to accommodate veterans with disabilities take more planning but reach out to an even larger talent pool.

Company knowledge of disabilities such as PTSD can go a long way in bridging the gap between the corporate environment and veteran employees. Breaking some of the stereotypes and myths about PTSD and military service, in general, is a good place to start.

The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs explains government regulations, established to protect veterans. The Labor Department website is also an excellent location for veterans interested in knowing their rights as job seekers. Also, finding companies that have successfully hired veterans and seeking their advice would be another option.

There are networks all over the Internet (LinkedIn groups) to review lessons learned and help your company develop an effective program for veterans. It is a lot of work and planning, but in the end you will be reaping the benefits of hiring the most selfless workers America has to offer.

If you have any other programs or helpful tips for hiring veterans, please comment below.

The next five steps in the Labor Department’s six- step process will attempt to provide more specifics on how to hire veterans.

More to follow…

-Dan Blottenberger

Dan has eight years of professional writing experience with the U.S. military as a combat correspondent, including three years as a journalist for the Stars and Stripes European edition. He has written press releases from a cot in the Iraqi deserts and breaking news stories from the front seat of his Ford Focus in a Bavarian snowstorm. He has a bachelor’s degree in communications and a master’s degree in American Studies. He is currently finishing an MBA in Heidelberg, Germany.

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