Many military veterans know firsthand that the skills and experience they developed while serving can be applied to almost any career path. From leadership and discipline to strategic planning and teamwork, military veterans are trained to excel — whether that is on the battlefield or in the boardroom.

Companies that actively recruit veterans will be able to fill their ranks with highly trained, well-educated individuals who possess the leadership skills necessary to succeed in business. In fact, according to Military Times magazine, most veterans possess traits that are often lacking in civilians. These include:

• Leadership: The military is all about working together as a team. At every rank, people are expected to lead by example and follow the lead of others.
• Effective Communication: Military personnel learn how to communicate clearly and concisely to convey essential information quickly and accurately under stressful situations.
• Organization and Planning: Military members must be prepared for any situation. They are trained to plan ahead and anticipate possibilities.

As with most underrepresented job seekers, attracting, engaging, and retaining talent requires an effective and comprehensive strategy. Consider the following framework when creating a military-friendly approach to recruiting.

Outreach: Meet veterans where they are, whether it is specific military-friendly job boards, veteran-only career fairs or recruiting events. You can also partner with existing educational organizations that have veteran programs and can engage candidates who will soon be entering civilian life.

Education: Ensure that your recruiting staff is trained to read military resumes and translate those skills. A basic understanding of military experience, skills and terminology will allow HR (Human Resource) professionals to be able to connect military talent with civilian work.

Engage Your Veterans: Currently employed veterans can be a wonderful resource for attracting and recruiting military talent. Leverage their knowledge for all aspects of your hiring processes and create incentive programs for veteran referrals for open jobs.

Personalize: Showcase your commitment to your veteran hiring programs by personalizing your hiring experience. Create a dedicated career page on your website, use military-friendly language and video testimonials from active veteran employees.

Branding: Build your reputation with the military veteran community. Position your organization as an appealing employer for veterans. Share your company’s mission and values and how teamwork leads to reaching your company’s goals and moving your career path along. Does your organization provide volunteer programs or ERG’s that support veterans?

Our nation’s military is natively comprised of a dynamic and diverse talent pool. The veteran community, which includes military spouses, is quite loyal and interwoven and carries with it a large word-of-mouth presence. It is necessary for companies to create a laser-focused recruitment strategy and establish inclusive workplace programs that are veteran-friendly and evolve into veteran-loyal.

In addition to Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) tax credits that are available, there are also veteran compliance requirements for federal contractors to consider. Contact us with any questions regarding your OFCCP (Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs) compliance needs.