Veterans Day Special: Does Your Diversity Initiative Include Veterans?
Veterans bring a unique set of skills to the table and are best suited to a variety of emerging job roles. For Veterans Day 2019, occurring on November 11, read about:
- The state of veteran inclusion in the workplace
- Three best practices for hiring veterans
- Inputs from Waste Management (waste disposal and recycling service for businesses), an organization that has a powerful veteran hiring strategy and a sizeable veteran employee base
- Resources to help you build a veterans-focused D&I blueprint
When it comes to fostering diversity & inclusion (D&I) in the workplace, campaigns for hiring veterans are an absolute must-have. As companies focus on industry experience as a key hiring criterion, this segment has a risk of being left out. As a result, unemployment or underemployment among veterans continues to be a challenge. For Veterans Day (or Armistice Day/Remembrance Day, depending on where you live), we are turning the spotlight on veteran inclusion in the workplace and the best ways to hire veterans.
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The State of Veteran Inclusion and the Need for Better Hiring Methods
The representation of veterans in the workplace has slightly improved over the last few years. That said, certain areas require immediate addressing, supported by businesses across the world. Here are a few metrics that illustrate why you need to find the best way to hire veterans.
- The “jobless rate” for all veterans in the U.S. remained steady at 3.5% in 2018, while that for female veterans declined to 3%.
- Unemployment rates vary widely from state to state, starting at 1.4% in Iowa, going up to as high as 6.5% in the District of Columbia.
- In the U.K., in 2018, the difficulty level of finding jobs depends on a veteran’s place of residence. For example, 26% of veterans in Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland found it “very difficult” to find the right job; this number was only 9% for those living in London.
- The U.K. study also found that veterans aren’t always willing to relocate for a job. Instead, this decision depends on a purchased house, friends and family, and their children’s education.
So, what does this tell us about veterans’ inclusion in the workplace and hiring methods towards this purpose?
First, small businesses and regional organizations must find better ways to hire veterans so that they are not compelled to relocate to find a fulfilling job.
Next, it is vital to extend the definition of “the perfect candidate.” To adopt best practices for hiring veterans, organizations will prioritize potential, cross-industry skill sets, and personality traits over industry experience or educational qualifications.
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Looking for the Best Way to Hire Veterans? Consider These 4 Ideas
It should be noted that the challenge of providing employment and inclusivity towards the veteran population extends beyond the U.S. or one particular country. For example, Veterans Day celebrates the end of World War I and the incredible contributions made by military personnel across countries such as Australia, India, the U.S., the U.K., and others. So, no matter where you are located, keep the following ideas in mind when formulating the best roadmap for hiring veterans:
1. Rework your job posts with an eye on soft skills
Recent studies confirm that soft skills are more important than ever before when building a growth-focused company. Teamwork, leadership, and communication skills are some of the abilities you should be considering when sourcing talent. Veterans, with a long career in tackling challenging scenarios and showcasing exemplary behavior, are ideal for these roles.
Wes Reel, organizational and talent development program manager at Waste Management, tells us in an exclusive: “Foster an inclusive culture that welcomes veterans and recognizes the value they bring to the workplace. Creating this type of culture starts at the top of a company and takes having an understanding of the valuable traits and transferable skills veterans have to offer.”
However, this should be mentioned on the job posts so that a veteran feels comfortable applying to the job. One of the best ways to hire veterans is to highlight that they belong in your organization – and the first step towards making this happen is with an inclusive job post.
2. Offer career development programs for veterans
Career development is a top priority for any modern employee, and this holds for veterans as well. Over half of the unemployed veteran population is in the 25–54 years age bracket – a vital period for career planning, progression, and continuous upskilling.
By building on the qualities they’ve acquired during their time at the military, you can develop a workforce that’s up to date on the most recent, in-demand skills. Further, they will be more likely to stay with your organization as they perceive a direct value-add to their professional lives after having left the army. That’s why dedicated career development programs that are featured in your employer brand is an essential best practice for hiring veterans.
Reel adds, “Once resources are dedicated to military recruitment, companies should also ensure that when the veteran talent is brought on, there are programs in place to promote career development.”
3. Involve veteran members of your organization in the onboarding process
Studies reveal that veteran-owned businesses are often more focused on hiring military veterans. For instance, 23% of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) run by veterans intentionally recruited ex-army professionals in the last year, compared to 10% of regular SMB owners.
The trend is clear: individuals with prior experience in the army and personal familiarity with veteran challenges are more likely to help other veterans transition and find meaningful roles.
In fact, Waste Management has a similar practice, as mentions Reel. “At Waste Management, outreach to the military is part of our talent advisor’s daily recruiting routine. It’s a mandate at Waste Management to attract and recruit veterans as we would any other demographic.”
As a result, creating an onboarding plan that includes veterans already employed at your company can make a significant difference. Remember, this needs to comprise a diverse group of stakeholders, including future team members of the recruit, their line manager, employees with similar experiences, as well as business leaders. This is one of the best ways to make sure veterans feel included and adequately supported in this new curve of their professional trajectory.
In addition to these tips, Reel also recommends involving the community in creating awareness about veteran employment and hiring, and creating a veterans’ network with veteran employment advocates so that your “company is top of mind when veterans start to transition to the workforce.”
4. Account for and reach out to veterans with disabilities
A lot of veterans may have experienced some physical or mental trauma from their time serving. While some come out unscathed, others may need more attention, and their inclusion in the workforce is as important as those without a disability.
Reel shares how Waste Management works towards hiring veterans with disabilities: “We have a strong network of recruiting partners consisting of disabled veteran advocates, and we’re constantly sharing openings with them as we do with any other recruiting partner. We have recruiters on the frontlines actively looking to help and advise disabled applicants. We also provide disability awareness training regularly through our disability outreach partner, GettingHired.”
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How Can Your Workplace Be Made More Inclusive for Veterans? Insights from Waste Management
Michele Zambrano
Former army captain & engineer officer
Area manager/Centralized dispatch of Waste Management Houston, Texas
We asked two veteran employees at Waste Management what they think organizations should do to improve the employee experience for veterans and help retain them. Here are their inputs:
1. Reach out more often
Former army captain & engineer officer, Michele Zambrano, area manager/centralized dispatch of Waste Management Houston, Texas, tells us, “For me, the toughest part of returning to civilian life was trying to relate those around me who did not serve. HR should keep in mind that veterans might not be able to communicate how the skills they learned translate to the civilian world. They should ask open-ended questions to learn more about how a veteran’s experience and skill sets can positively impact their company.”
Domenick DiPaolo, district manager of Waste Management Lake Charles, Louisiana, and a former marine sergeant shares his advice: “My advice for organizations looking to retain veterans is to tap into their existing veteran employee base to ask and learn first-hand about their specific needs, as well as what military causes and groups are important to them and are worth supporting.”
DiPaolo tells us that Waste Management organizes internal programs to connect the veteran employee base and regularly brings in experts to discuss tips and best practices to help employees transition to the workforce seamlessly.
To this Reel adds, “One of the most helpful tactics for recruiting and advancing disabled veterans is simply having all parties communicate. We ask our disabled veterans what they need to succeed and how we can help. I have not witnessed an unreasonable request from a person with a disability in my thirty-five years in the work world, and, in my ten years at the company, I’ve seen Waste Management make every effort to understand, engage, and lend support to this valued community.”
2. Customize the benefits offerings for your veteran employee base
“Veterans are not given options when it comes to choosing health care providers and other benefits. The decision is made for them. They might not know what options are available to start planning for retirement and how to sign up for medical and dental benefits. Additionally, the change to civilian life can also be challenging for their spouses and children. Help them understand what benefits are available to their families. Helping veterans smoothly transition is a great investment in your organization’s future leadership,” shares Zambrano.
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Reaching Out for Resources: The Way Forward
No matter your intentions or hiring blueprint, veteran recruitment can be an unfamiliar and complex terrain for several companies. For instance, 49% of SMBs in the U.S. are struggling to find the best ways to start hiring veterans despite understanding the benefits of doing so. That is why you should explore these useful resources:
- Veteran hiring checklists and toolkits issued by your government – for instance, the Welsh government issued a detailed hiring guide for veterans in 2018.
- Staffing agencies and job boards that focus squarely on the best ways to hire veterans – examples include recruitmilitary.com and Orion Talent.
- The best software for military hiring, which is a rapidly emerging space – we recommend you take a look at Shift.
Reel tells us, “We also employ a military subject matter expert available to all veterans across the country. We’ve found it incredibly beneficial for veterans – disabled or not – to have a fellow veteran to talk to, seek advice from and relate to in the workplace.”
As Veterans Day comes around, this is a great time to rewire your recruitment approach and incorporate proven best practices for hiring veterans. Partnering with military hiring experts may be one of the best ways to get veteran hiring right. This will ensure that you start the new year on a D&I-friendly foot, ready to embrace inclusion, engagement, and future-focused productivity at your workplace.
What, according to you, is the best way to hire and retain veterans? Let us on Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter. We are eager to hear all about your perspective!
