Why military veterans make standout employees

DISCIPLINE, TEAMWORK, LEADERSHIP—IF YOU’RE LOOKING TO HIRE THESE SKILLS, CONSIDER MILITARY VETERANS.

Companies across America are trying to find ways to adjust to new market dynamics and competitive forces, especially in the rapidly evolving tech sector. The key to success? Hiring the right people: employees who commit to a larger vision and thrive in adversity, even when objectives suddenly change—qualities that many companies find in military veterans. The links between military service and science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) occupations are strong. Veterans are more likely than civilian counterparts to work in STEM, particularly those without an associated bachelor’s degree or any college degree at all. Veterans with a degree are more likely to have studied some field of computer science or organizational leadership. Add strong leadership qualities to those tech skills and it is easy to understand that this talent pool is in high demand. In 2022, the annual average unemployment rate among 8.81 million veterans in the civilian labor force was just 2.8%. But companies may not be getting the most out of these valuable employees. A recent Linkedin report found that 33% of veterans are underemployed, and they are 15.6% more likely to be underemployed than nonveterans. How can companies that are desperate for motivated, skilled workers ensure their veteran hires are fully engaged?

VETERAN-FOCUSED HIRING PRACTICES

Attracting, developing, and retaining veterans often requires a different approach from hiring others. According to the SHRM Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) professional association, 43% of employers do not know how to promote jobs targeting veterans, and 46% say veterans do not self-identify on their recruiting forms. Even small changes to traditional approaches can help, like explicitly including “or equivalent military service” when listing education or experience requirements in job descriptions so that veterans don’t self-select out of applying. Hiring managers also need to understand how résumés of qualified veterans might differ from those of others. “Employers can struggle to see how military experience and technical skill sets translate into the civilian workforce,” says Wendi Safstrom, president of the SHRM Foundation, which offers the Veterans at Work Certificate program, free for HR professionals, to