These are very competitive times for finding talent in the marketplace and the US Military offers some of the most talented individuals in that marketplace.

 

That is why using MilitaryHire and its resources are important to your success in filling the current and future open positions in your company.

 

Here are some tips to make sure your jobs get the visibility and reach you are looking for on MilitaryHire and the large U.S. Military candidate audience which we bring to your company.

Job Descriptions Connecting to Candidates

 

Your job descriptions and use of key skill sets your position requires are important to enabling our member candidates to more easily find your jobs and apply.  MilitaryHire uses keyword searches when Veterans seek jobs and so utilizing the language a candidate most likely will use is paramount to include in your jobs descriptions.  That said,some key words and skill sets may not fit naturally into a job description so including adding keywords at the end of the job description in list format will greatly help the chances of your job posts matching veteran searches. Consider lists of certifications, MOS Codes (click here), soft skills, training, and other differentiating terminology you hope to find in the resumes of targeted candidates.   A demonstration of posting a job on MilitaryHire can be found by clicking here.

Relocation

 

You need to strongly consider your position on offering relocation when hiring Veterans.  Unlike civilian candidates, some Veterans are eligible for paid relocation benefits, so limiting your search by not considering relocation only limits your company from considering the broadest set of U.S. military candidates you can hire throughout the country (and world).  Further, your company may qualify under the IRS’s Work Opportunity Tax Credits when hiring a Veteran.  These credits should be considered by your company to offer paid relocation for positions you might not otherwise consider if it enables you to reach an ideal candidate who is outside of a realistic commuting distance for in-person employment.  If your company does choose to offer relocation assistance, make this very visible in your job description and then search the entire MilitaryHire candidate database.  You can control the scope of candidates your company seeks – so expand the field!  See our blog on The Benefits of Hiring Veterans for more information

 

Salary and Benefits

 

MilitaryHire allows you to optionally enter a salary range as a part of your job description.  Consider adding a wide enough range to attract a sufficient range of candidates.  Also consider highlighting bonus plans, ESOP, average salary growth at your company, paid training or education programs,401k programs, and medical benefits as these all hold value to the candidates you are seeking to attract.

 

Job Types and Categories

 

Job type on MilitaryHire is a job posting consideration we ask you to complete to characterize the type of employment this position entails.  The options include full-time, part-time, contract, remote, apprenticeship, temp to hire and intern.  The largest change we have all seen in the past two years is the growth of remote work as an option.  Please consider this option even if the role has not previously been considered as a remote position for two reasons:

1. Making your job more competitive in the marketplace; 
2. Broadening the potential candidate pool you can then hire from.

 

Job Category is the type of skillset that the candidate must most closely match.  This categorization is about the job and not necessarily the company.  Candidates are asked to likewise categorize themselves as candidates, so this effort helps your matching and targeting efforts when looking for people.

 

Calls to Action for Candidates

 

MilitaryHire subscriptions offer differing methods for candidates to apply to your company.  Our 3-Star license offers candidates the opportunity to apply through the MilitaryHire portal to your position.  This means you will not be able to initially see the candidate’s email and phone number to reach out to them proactively, but will see their application on your administrative page of the MilitaryHire portal when you are logged in.  The 4-Star and 5-Star licenses not only allow you to see candidate email and phone numbers when you search for candidates in our database, but candidates can then be directed to your company website or applicant tracking system (url) to directly apply for your positions.  This is a very effective closed loop approach to attract candidates to your jobs AND be able to obtain their applications directly into your company resources.

 

Drive Awareness of Your Company’s Military Friendly Culture

 

Making candidates aware that your company has a Veteran Friendly program is important and should be considered for mention in your job postings.  Any programs or internal teams or meetings which you might offer Veterans offers an increased sense of community to Veterans and is appropriate to mention.  Furthermore, MilitaryHire offers companies the ability to promote their job opportunities to all MilitaryHire members either by state or nationwide via targeted E-Mailings.  This add-on service can serve to highlight your company job openings and your company culture while reaching a broad scope of candidates.  Ask us about this option today to further stand out in the crowd. 

 

Search For Veterans While They Search For You

 

All MilitaryHire subscriptions include not only the ability to post jobs, but to search our large and growing database of US Veteran candidates and their resumes.  These resume scouts are keyword and geographic searches which can be saved and automated to continually search the skills and regions which you are interested in for your next employees.  You then will receive emails daily of matching candidates which match your requirements for easy identification and contact of candidates.  Geographic parameters can be set within a 5-100 mile radius of your company zip code, throughout an entire state or throughout the entire United States.  By setting up your resume scouts for regional, state and national parameters, you will be able to get an understanding of the qualified candidate pool in accordance to proximity of your desired hiring location, leading you to considerations of relocation as previously discussed. Tips for keyword searches to find candidates on our database can be found by clicking here.   A demonstration of developing a job scout on MilitaryHire can be found by clicking here.

 

Do Your Homework

 

There are several considerations for Veterans to join Civilian employment, so be mindful of those options and be able to speak to them in the context of your company and your job opportunities.  Understand programs such as Skillbridge, which is an opportunity for Service members to gain valuable civilian work experience through specific industry training, apprenticeships, or internships during the last 180 days of military service prior to release from Active Duty.   Understand the tax laws regarding hiring Veterans as previously discussed.  Ask Veterans about their relocation benefit eligibility.  Utilize resources available to your company such as those of MilitaryHire’s partners.

 

Summary

 

Following these steps will help your jobs stand out in the very competitive marketplace for Veteran candidates and skills.  MilitaryHire is here to be a tool in your toolbox to build a strong, diverse and effective workforce.