The federal government is going all out to make it easy and attractive to hire returning veterans. For today’s Advisor, we’ve collected some valuable tips to help you consider this special opportunity.
Why Hire a Vet?
The America’s Heroes at Work website offers the “Top 10” reasons to hire a vet:
- Ability to learn new skills and concepts.
- Strong leadership qualities.
- Flexibility to work strongly in teams or work independently.
- Diversity and strong interpersonal skills.
- Ability to work efficiently and diligently in a fast-paced environment.
- Respect for procedures and accountability.
- Hands on experience with technology and globalization.
- Strong personal integrity
- Strong sense of health, safety and property standards.
- Triumph over adversity.
Educate Yourself about Military Job Types
For those without a military background, it is helpful to become better educated regarding the types of jobs and levels of responsibilities a veteran may have had.
Enlisted Personnel are the specialists of the military. They are trained to perform specific hands-on tasks in the military as needed for any mission.
Non-Commissioned Officers (NCO) are enlisted military members holding a position of some degree of authority, usually obtained by promotion for performance, knowledge and discipline.
Warrant Officers are highly trained specialists and subject matter experts. They remain in their primary specialty to provide specialized knowledge, instruction and leadership to enlisted members and commissioned officers alike.
Commissioned Officers have the primary function of providing overall management, planning and leadership in their area of responsibility.
Learn the Facts About TBI and PTSD
For many civilians, a “wounded warrior” is a veteran who has acquired a physical injury or a disability that can be “seen” (e.g., an amputee, wheelchair user, etc.). Often not considered are those service members who have experienced “invisible wounds” during their time in combat. Two of the most common of these are Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and/or Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). (The America’s Heroes at Work program has created an online training module designed to educate HR professionals, hiring managers and others about TBI and PTSD employment issues called “TBI, PTSD and Employment.” Find it at America’s Heroes at Work.
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Make a Special Effort When Recruiting Veterans
Consider using military language in your outreach and job descriptions. O*NET OnLine offers a Military to Civilian Crosswalk that may help you improve your veterans outreach by targeting specific Military Occupational Classification codes that relate to civilian positions.
Consider alternatives to full-time employment. Offering work experiences, internships, and apprenticeships can be a good way to attract veterans.
Know what you can and should not ask during an interview. Interviewing a veteran or wounded warrior is no different than interviewing any other candidate. A good interviewing practice is to ask all candidates the following question: “Have you read the job description? Can you, with or without a reasonable accommodation, perform the essential functions of the job?” You are not asking the candidate to disclose whether or not they have a disability, but are ensuring they can perform the essential functions of the job. In addition, you make it clear that as an employer you understand this process and are not likely to discriminate due to disability.
Questions relevant to experience or training received while in the military, or to determine eligibility for any Veteran’s preference required by law, are acceptable. However, some questions to avoid include:
- “What type of discharge did you receive?” Only federal agencies—or those that assign a Veterans’ hiring preference or have requirements related to security clearances—should ask questions related to military discharge (especially in a pre-employment phase).
- “I notice that you’re in the National Guard…are you going to be called up for duty anytime soon?” This is similar to asking a woman if she is planning to have a baby anytime in the near future.
- “Did you see any action over there?” “Did you lose your arm getting hit by an IED?” “Have you seen a psychiatrist since you’ve been back?” Questions related to deployments may be interpreted as trying to determine if the Veteran has PTSD or TBI and could be construed as violation of the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) or the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
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While interviewing, keep in mind that the concept of “professional presentation” is often different for former military personnel than for civilians. Military personnel (particularly those recently separated/discharged from military service) will often present themselves with eyes forward, back straight, and using “Sir” and “Ma’am” vocabulary (often without much smiling).
Employers should recognize that former military personnel may need permission to “speak freely” to create a comfort level where they can appear in the most positive light.
In tomorrow’s Advisor, more on hiring vets, plus an introduction to the “lawsuit preventer,” audit checklists.
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