Diversify Your Workforce with Veterans

Is your company looking to reap the rewards of hiring U.S. military veterans? If you answered yes, then you’ve come to the right place. You may not be exactly sure how to hire veterans, and that’s okay! We’ll help you reach out to this potential talent pool using the best approaches to hiring veterans. This series of articles will attempt to share some advice on the process of hiring veterans and show that military veterans are worth every penny you invest in them.

The unemployment rate for veterans continues to worry veterans’ advocates. In 2020 alone, the national unemployment rate increased from 3.1 percent to 7.9 percent. Though this change reflects the impact of COVID-19, it is exceptionally higher than in previous years.

There are several explanations for this trend. Perhaps companies are not certain on how to go about hiring or reaching out to veterans. Recruiters may want to consider tapping into the veteran talent pool through organizations such as MilitaryHire.

Why Hire Veterans?

Companies across the U.S. are already implementing strategies to hire thousands of veterans over the next decade. Many of these companies truly recognize the skills veterans can bring to their organizations.

“Your service made you a leader and a disciplined, strategic thinker with a level of loyalty that is unmatched,” writes General Electric about their devotion to hiring veterans.

In an effort to better explain the attributes military veterans bring to companies, I conducted a short survey with some of my fellow veterans. I asked them this question: Why should companies be interested in hiring veterans? Their responses included:

• “We can get the job done without supervision.”
• “Veterans are more determined. It is programmed into us to be adaptable. We train to adapt and overcome, face challenges, meet objectives.”
• “[Veterans] take their responsibilities seriously, they come from a culture that ingrains in them that completing the job is critical to the overall success of broader goals.”
• “Veterans choose to make a positive difference for the world and will do the same for companies.”

Research seems to agree with this conclusion. Patriotic sentiments, government regulations, and tax incentives are not the only reasons for hiring military veterans. The skills and experiences developed in the military translate into a significant return on investments for civilian organizations.

“These folks are generally used to getting things done, rather than coming up with 50 reasons why something is impossible,” according to Elaine Kamarch of the Brookings Institution, quoted in The Economist.

Military-Based Skills to Look For

Companies that elect to hire veterans are not only getting a veteran’s determination to get the job done, there are a plethora of other skills that are developed through military culture. In 2012, the Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University divided the skill-related benefits of hiring veterans into the following 10 categories:

1. Veterans are entrepreneurial.
2. Veterans assume high levels of trust.
3. Veterans are adept at skills transfer across contexts/tasks.
4. Veterans have [and leverage] advanced technical training.
5. Veterans are comfortable/adept in discontinuous environments.
6. Veterans exhibit high levels of resiliency.
7. Veterans exhibit advanced team-building skills.
8. Veterans exhibit strong organizational commitment.
9. Veterans have [and leverage] cross-cultural experiences.
10. Veterans have experience/skill in diverse work settings.

Transitioning service members, veterans, and wounded warriors is a worthwhile investment. The skills and devotion that veterans bring to the workplace are a massive benefit to any employer.

Additional Benefits of Hiring Veterans

In addition to the extensive skills that veterans can bring to the workplace, there are a handful of benefits that companies won’t want to miss out on when it comes to hiring veterans. These include:

• Unique perspectives. Veterans have a lifetime’s worth of diverse experiences. Because of this, they’re able to work alongside a variety of individuals and transition easily into a new environment.
• Reduced onboarding costs. Their quick adaptability means you won’t have to spend as much time onboarding them to the team. They’ll be able to easily pick up new skills and get to work.
• Giving back. There’s no better feeling than being able to serve those who served. Show your appreciation for the sacrifices veterans have made for our country.

So, now that you know why you should hire veterans, let’s discuss how to recruit veterans to your company. Read on to learn more about the best practices when it comes to hiring veterans.

How to Hire Veterans: 6 Steps

If you’re a CEO and your company has not taken advantage of this potential talent pool, you may be a little behind. Luckily, it’s never too late to start.

The Labor Department lists six steps to assist companies looking to hire military veterans. This toolkit helps simplify the hiring process by highlighting reasons for doing so. The six steps are:

1. Design a strategy for your veterans’ hiring program.
2. Create a welcoming and educated workplace for veterans.
3. Actively recruit veterans, wounded warriors, and military spouses.
4. Hire qualified veterans and learn how to accommodate wounded warriors.
5. Promote an inclusive workplace to retain your veteran employees.
6. Keep helpful tools and resources at your fingertips.

When it comes to the best way to hire veterans, it can be beneficial to work with military hiring professionals like our team at MilitaryHire. We’ll work closely with you to create a veteran-friendly brand and match your company with qualified candidates. You won’t have to worry about how to hire veterans with MilitaryHire on your side!

To learn more about these steps and other resources on how to hire veterans, head over to MilitaryHire.com. I’ll be writing about each of these six steps in more detail.

To be continued…

-Dan Blottenberger