Veteran’s Day is a day to recognize the contributions and service of both active and inactive personnel. Recruiting talented and skilled workers is critical in today’s economy. Reaching out to veterans is one way of expanding your labor pool. Many veterans have strong leadership, operational and management skills.
Members of the military include financial specialist, human resources personnel, attorneys, paralegals, administrative assistants, medical personnel from doctors to technicians. Often military personnel operate in stressful situations. This ability is an advantage in the fast-paced and rapidly changing work environment.
The number of veterans in the workforce is growing. In November 2015, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a lower unemployment rate for veterans than Americans overall. There are ongoing efforts to train members of the military to join the civilian workforce.
The nationwide initiative Hiring Our Heroes Campaign is designed to help veterans, transitioning service members, and military spouses find meaningful employment. The program offers online resources for job seekers, including an eMentor program and online resume builder and a 24/7 virtual career fair platform. There are more than 30 of America’s largest employers participating.
One way for your company to show you value veterans and their contributions is to create a Veteran-specific recruitment web page. Another way to encourage recruitment is to adopt and post a Veterans hiring initiative as part of the company’s strategy. It is helpful to write job descriptions that align skills desired with military equivalents
When onboarding veterans, it helps to provide an overview of the corporate culture and organizational structure. Creating a mentor program is valuable and provides key knowledge to the veteran regarding their new position. How have you reached out to your local veteran?