How can companies that want to hire veterans, do so smoothly and effectively? Veteran unemployment in America is staggering and grows by the day with more than 200,000 men and women leaving service each year. (Walsh, 2016) This is in part due to businesses being unwilling to hire veterans because they lack the knowledge and understanding of what a veteran truly is. This lack of understanding often leads to companies not considering veterans for positions and deter veterans from even applying to these companies, leaving them feeling betrayed and hurt. Veterans have served their country for so long that many veterans develop a sense of pride and connection with the American public and when they are misunderstood or not given the respect they feel they have earned serving, it can lead to feelings of betrayal and hurt by a people who have said they support them. In an effort to help, companies can develop a strategy for hiring veterans and training for both sides; educating businesses in the culture and common themes in the veteran community and educating veterans in the civilian equivalent can often lead to a much more effective and successful hiring program. To solve this, businesses should consider a comprehensive Veterans Hiring Program that alleviates issues that occur with veteran candidates, provide a hiring strategy and training to understand the culture of those candidates they wish to hire and training for those candidates to understand civilian culture bridging the civilian-military gap.
There are more than 200,000 men and women leaving active military service each year providing competing companies an immense pool of the experience and professionalism that companies have come to expect from military service. (Walsh, 2016) With so many service men and women leaving active duty, the opportunity for companies to benefit from their expertise is greater than ever before. Companies want hard-working, honest, and intelligent individuals they can invest time and money into in hopes of a valuable return on their investment. Veterans are looking for these positions that require a great deal of responsibility and provide an opportunity to lead and manage bringing a unique aspect to the companies seeking that type of worker. These men and women usually have degrees and are proficient in a variety of reputable skills companies desire. They leave the military with valuable skills like leadership and mentoring, multitasking under stress, discipline to ensure tasks and projects are completed, and dedication to values, morals, and ideals.With the exception of disciplinary issues, the men and women leaving active duty range from wanting a more stable environment to simply desiring more money. Some just want the ability to control their own lives, from hairstyle to nail polish. The vast majority of veterans are looking to advance personally and professionally as they see fit. (Marshall, 2016)
Many service men and women run into a slew of problems trying to find employment after their military service. A veteran’s biggest hurdle, after so many years of serving and living by the military’s ideals of service before self, is assimilation to corporate culture. In the corporate world, this paragon is opposite, self before service, and that can derail many veterans. (McAllister, 2015) In the civilian sector, it is not uncommon to see people care a great deal about themselves, in fact it’s necessary to get ahead and compete. Civilian employees are in a much larger pool and therefore must stand out from their competition and that requires focus on self to ensure they progress personally and professionally. The issue for veterans is that they’ve been taught service before self and to put others’ needs above their own and that can create animosity and confusion as they see this behavior, it can also hinder their performance. Veteran employees expect to see similar actions from civilian counterparts as their past experiences in the military. When veterans see selfish behavior it makes them feel like they are betraying their team or taking the glory for themselves even when they do the work they are taking credit for. This betrayal they feel can lead to animosity toward their leadership team and cause their performance to decrease exponentially.
Another issue that comes up during the job hunt is as veterans leave the military with so many military skills and abilities, especially adaptability, but they lack many of the skills and abilities necessary for the civilian sector i.e administrative positions and etiquette. There are also a great deal of veterans leaving the military after 4 or 6 years without degrees or special skills other than what they learned in the military. This happens for a number of reasons but sets the veteran up for failure as they transition. Their lack of planning and preparation leave many of the veterans in an impossible situation in which they have real-world experience but no formal education or training validating that experience. This generally leads to the veteran searching for an extended period of time and usually settling on a position that is sub par or well below their level of capability. This lack of knowledge and training impacts the vast majority of veterans in today’s environment, mostly due to the lack of importance placed on education by the member equating to a limited amount of jobs they qualify for. (Kleykamp, 2016)
It is important to note a small but imperative group of veterans struggling to find jobs, the wounded veteran. Whether physical or mental illness there are a number of wounded veterans looking for jobs and having difficulty landing one. Some of the most difficult situations in this space are ones dealing with the placement of veterans with mental disabilities i.e. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). These veterans struggle inwardly with little indication to illness however, these individuals have some of the most difficult times finding jobs. These illnesses affect each veteran differently but usually have the same effect on their duties generally causing decreased productivity. Additionally, corporations know very little about these illnesses and are usually very cautious when hiring candidates because of the lack of knowledge. From the corporate side it is easy to see why there is weariness when hiring a veteran with PTSD or TBI, there is a stigma with mental disorder and illness. (Burnett-Zeigler, Inger, 2016)
The civilian lack of knowledge goes much farther than illness and skill, it is much more broad. Those in today’s society who have no association to the servicemen and women have a complete lack of understanding of the culture, or behavior, of these men and women. The military culture is a unique and different culture full of tradition and pride. To understand military culture is to understand the veterans that have adopted the culture. One of the biggest issues that arises during the job process is the misunderstanding or misinterpretation of a veteran candidate. This misconstruction is a direct result of the lack of knowledge corporations have regarding military culture. Essentially, businesses misinterpret values and morals and pride as negative when, from the veteran’s perspective, they are simply the opposite. Veterans place honor and pride and the team very high on their list of priorities and necessity. Therefore, seeing a veteran place or say words like team or together on resumes and in interviews is frowned upon in the civilian sense but looked highly upon in the eyes of the veteran. To change that view corporations should consider training and education to ensure their Human Resources departments and recruiters are savvy and fully understand what veterans are trying to say. (Employment Assistance For Veterans, 2016)
As veterans leave active duty they prepare for the next chapter of their lives as civilians. The excitement and uncertainty involved in the process has led to a number of resources create
d to assist members as they transition out of the military. Potentially the biggest program of recent is the Transition Assistance Program (TAP). TAP is “a collaborative partnership between DOD, the Military Services, the Department of Labor (DOL), the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)” that helps active duty service men and women leaving or retiring transition into the civilian world by educating and preparing members for what to expect after service. (House Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee, 2016)
Another set of programs, in place to assist veterans in their search for jobs, were created by the Institute for Veteran and Military Families (IVMF) of Syracuse University. The IVMF was given 3 million dollars in 2014 from the U.S. Small Business Association (SBA) and for the past two years attained additional money to assist in their efforts. The IVMF is responsible for programs like “Boots to Business” and supplemental programs to TAP to encourage veteran entrepreneurs. (Institute for Veteran and Military Families, 2016) These programs ensure veterans have all potential information regarding owning and running a business for themselves and teach them how to create their own opportunities. Additionally, the IVMF compiles annual reports on the benefits of hiring veterans and how to develop a strategy to hire, train, and develop veterans as they become a part of an organization. Civilian businesses are dedicated to helping veterans find jobs and acquire skills necessary to be successful in the civilian environment. J.P. Morgan and Chase developed a program to help ease some of the concern companies have when hiring veterans. In cooperation with more than 200 businesses across the states, 100,000 vets jobs was an initiative started in 2011. Though this initiative was the result of the company foreclosing on veterans’ homes, a direct violation of the Service members Civil Relief Act which protects service members while on active duty. The company publicly apologized, paid the claims, and then formed a coalition of companies that has placed close to 300,000 veterans since 2011. (Walsh, 2016) In addition to the programs and initiatives, the U.S. federal government has set a precedence to ensure veterans get hired but joining the 100,000 vets jobs initiative by allowing tax breaks for companies willing to hire and train veterans. This tax break allows up to the entire first year salary in some states strengthening the coalition and ensuring service men and women are successful in their transition back into the civilian sector. (House Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee, Walsh, 2016)
In line with the IVMF, it is important to understand how creating a strategy for hiring and developing veteran candidates and civilian employees is an imperative part of a healthy and effective hiring program. The first portion of a successful program is training, for both the civilian employees and the veteran candidates. Civilian employees, specifically recruiters, need specialized training on the culture and intricacies of veterans and how they work. Once recruiters and employees are educated the hiring process becomes more clear. Once educated, personnel review veteran candidates with understanding for their culture and can truly decipher and interpret the information provided.
After the hiring process, it is equally important to introduce the veteran candidate to the organization and culture they will be a part of. This introduction should consist of cultural aspects and organizational aspects so that the veteran can integrate and assimilate into the organization. Throughout a veteran’s military career, he or she has been given most everything they may need. Unfortunately this has bred a dependency on leadership to provide instruction. Incorporating direction, goals, vision, objectives, etc. into the training of veteran candidates and then slowly weaning them will ensure the candidate is set up for success and transitions into the civilian environment effectively and efficiently. Veterans thrive on having an attachment to a mission, vision, values, and a code therefore focusing on education and integration into the organizations structure and ideals will result in loyalty and hard work from the veteran candidate in addition to setting a clear view of leadership’s perspectives. (Kelty, Kleykamp, Segal, 2016)
The most important aspect of hiring veterans is the veteran’s perspective. It is from this perspective in the end that has the most potential for creating a negative outcome and a bad business situation. In order to get a good return on investment hiring authorities should take a hard look into veterans that have likewise taken a hard look at themselves. It is easy to write a resume and put all of the key words that are necessary to be seen and equally as easy to speak well and impress someone during an interview but digging a bit deeper may reveal the true worthiness of a candidate. For example, how active is the candidate? Has the candidate been involved in his or her community, volunteering and being a productive member of society. Are they educated or educating themselves? Has the candidate finished college or been accepted into a masters program. Do they actually qualify for the position? Does the candidate have credentials or references that can validate his or her claims. All of these questions are valid and reveal a great deal about the candidate applying for a position and it is incumbent on the hiring authority, who has been trained on military culture, to ensure the right candidate is being vetted. (Hill, 2016)
One of the common issues among veterans is they don’t know what they truly want to do. Most civilians go to college and find themselves at a crossroad or situation that guides them down a path or were lucky enough to know from a young age what they want to do when they “grow up.” But for veterans this is often mottled amidst basic training and being told where to be and what to do for so many years. The only solution for this problem is self-reflection and personal development. Veterans have to take a step back and really dig inward to figure out what they want to do with their life and where they want to go. The alternative to this includes going immediately back into the career field they were in while in the military and most didn’t like that field when they were in much less after getting out. Understanding their passions and what will make them want to get up and go to work day in and day out will truly make a difference in the organization that hires them and the veteran themselves. (Kelty, Kleykamp, Segal, 2016)
In today’s world it is easier than ever to connect and network with social media and events. Veterans who wish to apply for jobs with companies should consider using social media to their advantage and network with members of the companies they are looking to apply. This is multifaceted, the veteran can get a better understanding from members currently employed of the culture and environment of the company before applying and potentially getting accepted into an organization that isn't the right fit. Utilizing social media like Facebook and LinkedIn are great ways to connect and network with peers in different organizations before making a big move. Choosing members that are recruiters or work in Human Resources and from maintenance to secretaries in a number of organizations that veterans are looking to apply and asking to speak with them about the company's vision and goals and culture allow the veteran candidate to get a better feel of what he or she may be walking into.
Veterans should be taking advantage of programs available to them from the G.I. Bill to federal aid and the 100,000 vets jobs programs but in addition to these programs and resources it is imperative to remember that there are more than just one veteran out searching for a job and that there are a plethora of veterans who are already in positions in companies across the worl
d. One of the biggest and potentially most useful resource for veterans is fellow veterans. With the amount of people leaving service each year its easy to forget that these men and women are going out and landing jobs. Reaching out to a fellow veteran may open a door that was previously closed. These men and women also speak the same language, understand the same culture, and live by the same values as the veterans seeking new careers. There are a number of ways to network with fellow veterans from LinkedIn groups for veterans to new technologies that allow veterans to sign up to become mentee’s on a virtual platform of more than a thousand successful veterans. Veterans understand loyalty and brotherhood probably better than most and that holds true far beyond military service so utilizing fellow veterans should be a given but is just simply overlooked too often. (Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee Hearing, 2016) Utilizing fellow veterans also ensures candidates looking for jobs aren’t wasting time going down paths of failure. Connecting with a veteran who has already been down the path a candidate is on may keep the candidate from making mistakes the mentor made, streamlining the process and making for a much more timely transition. Lastly, mentorship continues personally and professionally after leaving service and after transitioning into the civilian sector. Once a veteran candidate has landed a job and can finally relax, it is time to give back and ensure his or her fellow brothers and sisters to come have a mentor or connection that can do for the new job seeker what someone else had done in the past with them.
A Veterans Hiring Program is a strategic plan developed by companies to ensure long term, effective, and efficient hiring of veterans into an organization to alleviate issues that develop during the hiring process. These programs help place veteran talent in organizations wishing to capitalize on military training and values to help their company flourish. This country has men and women serve honorably for decades voluntarily and these men and women simply wish to continue their service in the civilian sector. Veterans have protected their country and attained personal and professional experience that can benefit civilian companies and want to give these companies a competitive edge. With the help of a Veterans Hiring Program, civilian companies can systematically and efficiently hire top military talent and bridge that civilian-military gap.