How government contractors can attract veterans transitioning to civilian work

Those of us who have worked at companies that employ U.S. military veterans know the benefits these dedicated and loyal workers can bring to an enterprise.

As the Labor Department points out, the benefits go beyond payback to people who have served our country. It’s simply a good way to do business.

Notably, Syracuse University’s Institute for Veterans and Military Families found in a 2016 research project, characteristics commonly identified in military veterans generally map to those that contribute to a competitive and dynamic business environment.

“In other words, the academic research supports a robust, specific, and compelling business case for hiring individuals with military background and experience,” the institute wrote in its report.

This holds especially true for federal government contractors. Given their background, many veterans understand the value of supporting the government’s mission and will go the extra mile to ensure their employer delivers the best service possible to their government clients.

U.S. military veterans and their families have selflessly protected and defended our nation. When it’s time for them to transition to the civilian workforce, companies that prioritize and value veterans’ experience will gain incredible talent and expertise. So how do government contractors commit to, paving the way for leveraging the value of veterans in the recruitment process?

First, it is important for government contractors who seek to employ veterans to be creative in how they look at veterans’ skills and experience to understand how they can apply to open positions at their organization and prioritize that mission dedication appropriately in the selection process.

Commitment to the mission is a critical attribute to a great hire and veterans bring that mindset to the table. When possible, recruiters should create flexible criteria for job descriptions (such as education requirements versus years of experience), to ensure veterans are not inadvertently eliminated.

Pave the Way

Veteran outreach begins with recruiting efforts. But for the best outcome, it should be part of the company’s mission to provide career opportunities for those transitioning to civilian life.

To ensure they are supporting veteran candidates throughout the recruitment process, government contractors should designate a position on their talent acquisition team that oversees military and veteran hiring. This role will seek out hiring events, coordinate with armed service branches and oversee veteran recruiting efforts.

Companies should consider creating a central place where veterans can access resources, such as a landing page where they can post job openings and transition services.

The landing page should include links to relevant third-party tools such as, for example, a “Military Skills Translator” tool powered by Military.com to help candidates translate their military skills and experience into career opportunities.

Companies should research resources such as SkillBridge that aid veterans interested in pursuing work with them, and they should encourage executives to serve as mentors through organizations like American Corporate Partners.

These are great ways to connect with the veteran community and help them reskill or upskill for the requirements needed in their new civilian careers.

They should also consider adding programs for continuous learning for veterans and opportunities for veterans to move to different jobs within the organization. This is an important way to upskill and retain valuable talent.

They should also focus on the company’s benefits for reservists and the national guard and consider adding mental health, wellness and family counseling resources to support employees and their families. At minimum, they must maintain jobs for reservists and national guardsmen, who can be deployed with little advance notice.

Value Those Who Have Served

To attract veterans and the unique skills that they possess, government contractors should make it clear that we value the service, character and skills of our armed forces veterans.

There are many worthy organizations that serve the military, veteran, wounded warrior and military family communities. Companies should commit to including these in their corporate outreach strategies.

Above all, it is important to create a genuinely welcoming culture. One way to achieve this is by establishing a military community employee resource group (ERG).

We have found that veterans and military families treasure this type of forum where they can make new connections, share tips and best practices, and build the foundation for their next chapter. For example, they might host informative brown bag lunches for the entire employee population to build bridges, educate others and correct stereotypes.

In sum, having an established mission and robust strategy for attracting and retaining top military veteran talent will ensure a rewarding journey for both employees and the organization.

Shaveta Joshi is chief human resources officer at ASRC Federal.