There’s been a lot of talk about the viability of often-overlooked job seekers—untapped talent—who also have a strong work ethic, are mission-focused, perform well under pressure, and are experienced at working for diverse teams and organizations.
Military veterans have those characteristics and more, employment experts say.
In the report Unlocking the Potential of the Veteran Workforce, the SHRM Foundation found that 80% of HR representatives reported that veterans have the educational backgrounds they need and 78% of HR professionals said that veterans have the necessary technical expertise.
A November 2023 article in The Wall Street Journal noted veterans’ appeal for employers “is rooted in hard work, humility and attention to detail,” qualities that “are hard to find in the age of quiet quitting and coffee badging.”
“The learning curve for former service members in the private sector can be steep, companies say,” The Wall Street Journal article noted, “but they come with little sense of entitlement and can handle—or even crave—constructive criticism.”
The veteran unemployment rate was 2.9% in June 2024, up from 2.7% the previous year. Also in June 2024, the comparable nonveteran unemployment rate was 3.9%, up from 3.5% the previous year, according to federal data.
Many struggle to find jobs that employ, recognize, and compensate them in line with their level of military experience.
On National Hire a Veteran Day—a day created in 2017 to encourage employers to consider veterans when filling jobs—here are some questions that employers should be asking themselves, according to the SHRM Foundation’s Employing Veterans Digital Toolkit:
- Do we have a close working relationship with talent placement agencies?
- Is there advocacy for a veteran employment program?
- Do our leaders and hiring managers understand the importance of workforce readiness alignment?
- Does our website attract veteran talent?
- Do we have a dedicated point of contact for federal, state, and nonprofit military organizations that can recruit veteran candidates?
- Do position responsibilities have a clear purpose and align with our organization’s goals?
As employers make veteran hiring a priority, there are a number of jobs sites they can use to attract veterans and learn of military-focused job fairs, including SHRM HireVets, Hire Heroes USA, Recruit Military, and Military Hire.
“Today may be National Hire a Veteran Day, but SHRM Foundation’s Military Community at Work initiative supports HR stakeholders every day in supporting veterans,” said Wendi Safstrom, SHRM Foundation president. “Your workforce will be better for their contributions to your organization.”
HR professionals, people managers, and business leaders can hone their skills in veteran hiring through the Foundation’s Veterans at Work Certificate program. The 10-hour course, which includes an exam and survey, is free and open to everyone, including non-SHRM members. SHRM certification holders can earn 10 professional development credits toward their SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP recertification for completing the Veterans at Work Certificate program.
SHRM Online collected the following news articles and resources to assist employers with veteran hiring.
Attracting Veterans to Your Workplace
The unemployment rate is returning to pre-pandemic levels, but many jobs continue to be left vacant as retiring Baby Boomers and a declining population rate have reduced the number of people available to work. Given the current labor market, companies cannot afford to continue to overlook veterans who make up a group of unemployed and underemployed candidates.
How to Hire Veterans: From Sourcing to Onboarding
There are 2.1 million job seekers searching for “military encouraged to apply” jobs on Indeed.com. Consider these tips to help you find and attract former service members.
(Indeed)
Civilian-to-Military Occupation Translator
Identify relevant military experience by matching your civilian job opening to military careers that use similar skills.
Mission-Ready
The SHRM Foundation has a free downloadable guidebook, Mission-Ready: Strategies and Best Practices for Recruiting, Retaining and Advancing Military-Connected Talent. The guidebook, which the Foundation developed in partnership with Comcast and the Institute for Veterans and Military Families, takes HR professionals and hiring managers through the entire employment life cycle. It includes checklists and reference points to guide you through each step of the journey.
DOL Employer Guide to Hiring Veterans
This downloadable resource from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) provides best practices for hiring veterans; federal, state, and other resources for employers to facilitate veteran employment; and recommendations on how to attract, train, and retain veterans.
Helping Veterans Find Career Success
If employers hope to hire veterans, there are initiatives they can create to attract these talented individuals. Kenvue, a consumer health company with offices across the U.S. that serves 22,000 employees, offers comprehensive veteran benefits.
The company provides 36 months of 100%-paid base pay in addition to military pay if a veteran is called to active duty or training, 40 to 120 hours of transition paid time off to help with the return to civilian life, and 10 days of military spouse leave.
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