Veterans bring important skills.
Amidst today’s talent shortage and the need to find people who will be engaged, engaged and provide tremendous value to your organization, veterans may be among your best hiring options.
The challenges are huge for organizations today: 81% of hiring professionals are having trouble filling jobs, according to a survey by Employ Inc.and only 23% of people worldwide and 32% in the US are engaged, according to data from Gallup. In addition, pressure continues to demonstrate recruitment’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.
Enter veterans, who bring tremendous skills, abilities and dedication – and who are terrific hires for organizations that value DEI in their hiring process.
A significant pool of talent
There are about 18 million veterans in the U.S. today, representing about 6 percent of the adult population, according to the Pew Research Center. A veteran is someone from any branch of the armed forces who has previously served as an active duty or reservist – and who has been honorably discharged.
There are about 200,000 military personnel who transition to civilian life and work each year, according to the Department of Defense. And they come from any variety of the estimated 7,000 jobs in 100 branches in the armed services. Along with the number of veteran candidates, they bring awesome and transferable talent to the workplace.
Of course, every veteran is different, and individuals have their own unique personalities, strengths, and qualifications—but the armed services tend to teach, reinforce, recognize, and reward key skills. As a result of this culture and formal training, veterans are likely to have talents that are especially valuable to organizations.
1 – Recruitment for leadership, teamwork and learning
Many of the skills service members learn in the military are interrelated, but among the most important are leadership, teamwork, and a willingness to learn.
Captain Tim Merkle of the US Marines says it well, “My experience as a Marine Corps officer provided a crash course in leadership, humility, failure and adaptability. As an officer, I was immediately pushed to lead large groups where my subordinates were the experts, forcing me to be humble and a perfect student.”
And US Army First Lt. Charles Owens says, “My biggest lessons in the Army will always be leadership and flexibility. The Army believes in young people to lead, creating an early foundation of determination and toughness.”
Organizations need employees who can lead and manage while learning and persisting. In fact, based on data from more than one million job ads, management was the top skill companies were looking for — based on 36% of ads. Additionally, leadership and self-confidence were ranked as two of the most important in employers’ top priorities, according to the World Labor Council Adzuna,
Veterans possess these skills in abundance—many of whom began leading in their late teens and early twenties—and who have led under extremely difficult circumstances. The ability to manage, lead, direct and decide is part of the experience — as is the ability to inspire, persuade and bring others together even in the heat of a major challenge.
And even for veterans who have not taken on formal leadership roles, the discipline, rigor and tenacity that are part of a military experience give them the gravitas and charisma to influence others around them – regardless of their role.
Veterans typically have a high stress tolerance as well as adaptability.
2 – Lease for stress tolerance
Work and life are particularly stressful today, with people reporting feeling more anxious than ever before, and employers say one of the key skills they’re looking for in candidates is a high tolerance for challenge.
This is another unique skill veterans bring to the workforce. Captain Marshall Fordon is a fighter pilot with the US Marine Corps and has learned how to handle tough challenges. a job under pressure. I’ve learned to compartmentalize stressors and focus on the task at hand to complete the mission.”
Keeping the mission in mind, singular focus, and the ability to filter out noise, bias, and emotional reaction are critical to assessing problems, staying calm under pressure, solving problems, and dealing with adversity—all essential in organizations today.
3 – Lease for adaptability
Things are moving fast and it’s a VUCA world characterized by volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity. In this context, adaptability, flexibility, problem solving and resilience are primary skills necessary for individuals. And when employees provide these capabilities, they tend to increase organizational capability in these areas as well, helping organizations adapt, pivot, and respond to markets, competition, and customer needs.
Veterans also display this skill set. First Lieutenant Owens says, “While many think the military is a rigid organization, it may be the most flexible in the world. Teaching leaders to adapt and think outside the box has become second nature to us.”
Captain Merkle agrees, “Because no plan survives first enemy contact, I learned how to fail, quickly reframe, adapt to dynamic information, and persevere as a leader and teammate.”
Veterans learn how to prepare and move forward—and be proactive—but also then reassess, regroup, and reset the plan—to maximize the likelihood of success—and these are tremendously transferable skills for fast-paced organizational life and challenges.
4 – Lease to learn
Another feature of a changing landscape is the need for continuous training and retraining. And the military requires formal, systematic, and continuous learning—translating into personnel ready, open, and accustomed to regular skill development.
Whether training recruits, basic combat training or advanced leaders, the armed forces take a formal approach to imparting skills such as stress management, reliability, persistence, conscientiousness, attention to detail, teamwork, management, communication skills, interpersonal skills, decision making, critical thinking and project planning.
These translate into actionable skills as well as a general openness to growth and development—which are advantages for any employee or team.
Hire veterans for the benefit of your business and because you appreciate all the value they bring.
5 – Lease for diversity, equality and inclusion
A strong DEI recruiting strategy includes veterans, but in addition, veterans have perspectives that can make a meaningful contribution to a culture of inclusion, participation and acceptance.
Members of the Armed Forces say they pay close attention to global issues, knowing that world events can drive their deployment. And when they grow, they benefit from exposure to different people and cultures.
In addition, the military creates the conditions for service members to work with a range of people from different backgrounds and experiences.
US Navy Commander R. Jason Delinsky shares, “The military is truly a cross-section of our society. While knowledge and skills can be learned, there is no substitute for those who are self-motivated and exhibit a can-do attitude. With these features, almost any task or mission can be completed.”
Working with so many different people for common goals and common purposes strengthens social skills and the ability to work with all kinds of people.
How to attract and access veterans
Therefore, it is wise to hire veterans for all that they will bring to your organization.
When distinguishing yourself to attract veterans, be sure to effectively brand yourself and create effective systems. US Air Force veteran and HR consultant Greg Modd makes a distinction between an organization that is merely “veteran friendly” and one that is “veteran ready.” A veteran-ready company establishes programs and processes that are systematic and intentional in both their hiring and transition approaches to support vets.
Explore designations such as an company MVAA distinction Bronze, Silver or Gold to recruit veterans and contact veterans through organizations such as Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), the Department of Labor Veterans’ Employment and Training Services (VETS), or the Military Spouse Employment Partnership.
You can also seek access to veterans through channels such as the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) veteran database (HireVets) and job boards such as Monster and Indeed. Some states also offer veteran job seeker banks. The Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency (MVAA) is one example.
Also consider partnering with college and university career centers that offer programs for returning service members or by advertising in military publications (Military Times is an example).
And be sure to take advantage of available veteran hiring incentives, such as SEI (Special Employer Incentives), tax incentives, or programs like SkillBridge that offer military-paid internships for those making the transition to civilian employment.
So many skills
In addition to skills like leadership, teamwork, learning, stress tolerance, flexibility, and inclusiveness, you can hire everything from motivation, hard work, and commitment—to detail orientation, technical skills, rigor, and a penchant for hard work. work. Each vet will have their own best mix of capabilities, which have an impact on organizations and are transferable from a military to a civilian career.
You may choose to hire veterans because they will be good for your business, your DEI strategy, or your need for great talent—but also because you value and appreciate veterans for the tremendous talents they bring and the service they have provided—and you will continue to contribute.
