Former military members make great team members, with honed interpersonal and collaborative skills, as well as easily transferable technical skills. These employees are dedicated, loyal, and value teamwork. Another great reason to hire them? Finding employment is one of the major hurdles for veterans when they transition from military service. Hiring a few on your teams can go a long way in easing that burden while bringing top-notch talent to your company.
1. Prioritize skills-based hiring
A recent study from The Veterans Metric Initiative revealed that 61% of veterans are underemployed or unemployed. By tapping into military vets, employers like you can immediately widen their talent pool and have a higher chance of finding the right candidate. Focusing on the skills honed in the military and taking a skills-based approach to hiring promotes diversity by expanding access to career opportunities for millions who have served their country. Military members transitioning from service are highly trained in soft and technical skills that are valuable across industries and at every level of corporate life.
From soft skills such as loyalty, teamwork, and discipline to more technical skills in logistics and processes, veterans enter the civilian working world with a variety of strong, transferable skills. By focusing on the skill portion of a person’s resume or profile, you can hire someone whose training will consist of specific tasks or duties, rather than teaching problem-solving or strategy.
2. Promote a culture of teamwork
Service members comprise a tight-knit community who spent years working together to complete important tasks. If you value that perspective on your teams, demonstrate it! Showcase your company’s culture and dedication to teamwork via company social media, host hiring events for veterans to learn more about your team, or use your company blog to feature awesome projects that took a cross-functional effort.
3. Offer growth opportunities
Skills are a great indication of where a candidate is in their career and ability levels, and every company should offer employees access to training and professional development, regardless of their background. But this benefit can be especially important and attractive to veterans. While some might have a college degree, others likely don’t, and may or may not have an interest in a formal degree. That doesn’t mean they aren’t qualified, and it surely doesn’t mean they aren’t interested in certifications, courses, and other opportunities. Use your career site to list what you offer or explain how your company invests in its employees.
4. Digital tools to reach veterans
Utilize talent acquisition platforms to find and connect with former service members.
Virtual hiring fairs are a great way to attract new applicants and start building a pipeline of candidates. Military members who are transitioning into civilian life might be looking for roles all over the country, and virtual fairs allow these candidates to connect hundreds of miles away.
Search by skills to find qualified candidates and use your talent network to reach out – and don’t forget to enable easy-apply so that interested people have one fewer roadblock to becoming a new hire.
Another tip for employers looking to attract veterans? Take extra care with your job descriptions to include skills that align with those possessed by former members of the military. This will make it even easier for veterans to quickly find and apply to your job listings.
