Employers that have remained open during the pandemic find themselves in a bit of an odd situation: Unemployment is high, but hiring is still tough.
There are a lot of reasons for this, including the fact that many people are unemployed because of caregiving needs or the desire to remain safely out of the public until virus levels decrease. Regardless of the reasons, however, employers are finding that bringing on new staff right now isn’t as simple as they had hoped.
One option for employers looking to hire, whether now or in the future, is to consider recruiting military veterans, which can yield many potential benefits. Let’s look at a few:
- A veteran with military experience likely has a skill set that can be applied to the workplace. The person’s military life would have been focused and goal-oriented, and being able to make decisions under pressure and working well within a team are likely skills they possess.
- By hiring veterans, employers may qualify for tax credits via the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) program if certain conditions are met. (For more information on the WOTC, read: WOTC 101.)
- Veterans are likely to have a good work ethic and high-level problem-solving abilities, as well as be disciplined about their work.
- A veteran may have specialized skills an organization needs, depending on the person’s specific background, which may reduce the amount of training the employer needs to provide. According to a Society for Human Resource Management article:
“The online tool O*NET provides an easy and quick resource for demystifying the resumes of military talent. It allows searching by military occupational code (MOC) or job title and cross-referencing MOCs to civilian equivalents, or vice versa. This exercise translates military skills to roles within nonmilitary employers.”
- Veterans are likely to have a global perspective, which can be a business asset.
- Veterans are likely used to relocating, so if this is something your organization would benefit from, it could be another asset to consider.
- By advertising that your business hires veterans, you may benefit in the public relations sphere.
- A veteran is likely to be adaptable, have leadership skills, and be proactive about the job’s needs.
- Many employers find that veterans are more likely to stay loyal to an organization, which may help improve an organization’s turnover rate and team cohesion.
- Veterans are likely used to continually learning and mastering new skills, which can be a great business asset. They are also probably comfortable learning new technology.
There are many resources available for employers considering hiring more veterans. Start with veterans.gov, and be sure to use available resources to maximize the return on investment of any hiring decision.