Supporting Veterans in the Workplace
Invariant’s latest Dialogue for Change, “Supporting Veterans in the Workplace,” explores the benefits of hiring veterans, how to successfully recruit veterans, and how employers can better support and understand veterans.
Invariant’s Monica Matoush moderated a conversation with Mike Hadley, Vice President of Government Affairs at the National Guard Association of the United States; Kevin Hollinger, Legislative Director at the Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States; Allison Jaslow, Chief Executive Officer of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America; and Matt Pincus, Senior Public Policy Manager at Workday.
Here are five key takeaways:
- Military experience is a workplace advantage. Veterans have highly specialized skills and a tested work ethic that leads to impactful work. They are versatile workers and can adapt to change quickly. Further, veterans are entrepreneurial and resilient and have advanced leadership and team-building skills. Despite the clear benefits of hiring veterans, they are often underemployed. Companies should devote resources to actively recruiting this group of people.
- Talent is everywhere. Access is not. Each year, 200,000 service members leave the military and transition to civilian life. One of the biggest challenges is translating their skills from the military into a resume and discovering opportunities that fit their experience. Companies must invest in recruiters who know where to look for veterans, can help veterans translate their skills, and understand the unique value veterans bring to the workforce.
- Cultural competency is key. To support veterans at work, leaders and employees need more familiarity with the population. Creating a supportive environment for veterans starts at the top. Veterans in leadership positions bring a unique perspective that allows a company to support veterans most effectively. Veterans should be included in diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging efforts, and implementing veteran employee resource groups is key.
- Be intentional about diversity. Women and BIPOC veterans are often forgotten about during the hiring process. Biases exist in almost every hiring process, so it is important to be mindful that you are not exclusively recruiting male veterans. Recruiters should seek out diverse candidates instead of expecting those candidates to come to them.
- Support military spouses. The burdens of transitioning to civilian life are not limited to veterans. A staggering 22 percent of military spouses are unemployed, and frequent relocation presents challenges for military spouses. Workplaces can support military spouses by implementing work-from-home policies or, in the case of national organizations, creating supportive programs that allow military spouses to easily transfer between offices or branches.
Watch the discussion here:
