Bringing military personnel into your business can reap benefits, but first you need to learn where to find those looking for work and how you can make the employment process seamless.

When it comes to building a team, you want employees who are reliable, hardworking, and mission focused. If you’re struggling to find the right personnel for your needs, consider one highly skilled group of workers that’s renowned for its dependability and dedication: veterans.

Every year, approximately 180,000 military personnel transition from serving their country to living civilian life, which includes joining the workforce. When you add one or more of these veterans to your team, the upside can be massive—for both your business and the economy—so here are some of the top considerations for going about it.

Get started

Much like there’s often a learning curve for military personnel joining the corporate world, business leaders need to educate themselves about hiring our veterans. Where can you find such workers, and how can you prepare your company to best welcome them? Fortunately, many organizations offer solutions for these very dilemmas. The US Department of Labor’s Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS) agency is a good place to start; it has regional offices that not only help businesses find the right military talent but also work with them on how to best understand veterans as they enter the workforce. Similarly, Hiring Our Heroes, a US Chamber of Commerce-based foundation, is an excellent resource thanks to its hiring events and fellowship programs.

Plan

Before you turn your eye to the candidate pool, you should devise a strategy for finding veterans with skills and experience that suit the needs of your organization. First, discuss your intentions with your executive team and employees so that everybody is on the same page. Then craft or adjust the relevant job description, making sure that it’s geared more toward veterans. For instance, home in on the skills required for the position since focusing on experience may feel disqualifying to someone with a military career.

Once the description is ready, where should you post it? You can use common job sites such as Indeed, of course, but also take advantage of a militaryfocused one such as RallyPoint or the National Labor Exchange, which has a section dedicated to veteran-friendly employers. And be well prepared for the interview process—familiarize yourself with common military terms so you can both understand how the skills on the résumé translate to your company and discuss them with the interviewee. (And, yes, it’s OK to ask for clarification; they’ll appreciate your interest.)

To learn more, access the USAA’s Employer Roadmap, which provides a plethora of resources for preparing your business to hire veterans, from understanding the dos and don’ts of recruitment to learning how to empower them once they’re part of your team.

Accommodate and support

When hiring a veteran, you may need to take each one’s unique circumstances into consideration, such as chronic illnesses, physical disabilities, or mental health issues. It’s vital—both legally and ethically—that you account for and make reasonable accommodations for them if requested. This can mean anything from granting them a preferred shift or adjusting their work schedule for treatment to providing noisecanceling headphones for PTSD. Camaraderie is key as well: make sure that you and your team get to know them as individuals and help them feel welcomed as they adjust to civilian life and the work environment.

Teach

Even if the time isn’t right for hiring, you can still make a difference to those who served by sharing your business acumen with them. Many organizations, such as American Corporate Partners, provide mentorship opportunities that allow you to work one-on-one with a veteran to help them achieve their dream of becoming a small-business owner. Another option is to work with your state or the US Department of Labor on an apprenticeship program, which can help veterans obtain skills they need for jobs.

Bringing veterans onto your team can provide a wealth of benefits to your company. Just as important, the hiring process can be easier than you think when you take advantage of the many resources available, making the endeavor a win-win for everyone involved.

TAKE ACTION:
Assess your current hiring process to identify how you can adjust it to be more veteran friendly, then lay out a game plan for bringing veterans into your organization.