As the job market rebounds and adds jobs each month, business recruiters and managers are having an increasingly difficult time filling job openings.
As you look for new places to find talent, consider the large group of prospective employees who have served in the United States armed forces. They have a unique skill set to bring to your vacancies.
According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, each year roughly 200,000 men and women transition out of the military and the majority of those individuals will enter the civilian workforce.
What kind of skills do veterans have?
Some important skills that veterans bring to the workplace include:
Leadership – According to military.com, the military trains individuals to lead by example as well as through direction, delegation, motivation and inspiration. Veterans understand how to manage behaviors to get desired results, even in trying circumstances.
Teamwork – Working on a team is an essential function of every soldier’s duties while on active duty. They spend months, and sometimes years, within these teams collaborating and relying on team members for their safety. Through this experience, they can unify and guide their peers towards achieving goals.
Discipline – During their time serving, veterans operate in a “mission critical” mindset which requires following procedures to deliver on schedule. In the civilian workplace this translates to a focus on quality, safety and detail.
Skills – Many veterans have learned cross-functional skills including information technology, transportation, logistics, communication, management, security and many others. This can be beneficial to employers looking for prospective employees who are already trained.
Many resources are available to employers looking to hire vets
If you choose to tap this pool of talent, there are many resources available including:
- The Department of Labor Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS) provider several employer resources including a job posting board, Hiring Toolkit and one-on-one assistance through local American Job Centers.
- The Employer Support Group of The Guard Reserve (ESGR) offers local job fairs to connect employers with Guard and Reserve members, veterans and their families.
- College and university career centers often offer special programs for educational opportunities for veterans and assist in placing them in full-time employment after graduation. There are Student Veterans of America chapters on many campuses that help to place veterans.
If you have questions about designing a recruiting program to attract and retain U.S. veterans, please contact the experts at BCN Services or call us at 1-800-891-9911.