Hiring Veterans

Since the recent tragedy in Afghanistan, stats are flying in the media about the percentage of returning vets who have traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) and/or posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). All of this media noise can make the idea of hiring a vet intimidating. However, on the one hand, it is illegal to discriminate against vets in hiring. On the other, there are many excellent reasons to hire veterans:

• The vast majority of jobs in the military provide direct experience, training, and skills transferrable to civilian jobs
• Many veterans, particularly officers, have strong leadership skills
• Many veterans have four-year degrees and/or technical certifications
• In general, veterans make up a large population of smart, mature, and experienced potential employees

Luckily, there are excellent resources available to help your organization and veterans work together smoothly and productively...

• America’s Heroes at Work (www.americasheroesatwork.gov) has an entire section for employers that includes a “Veterans Hiring Toolkit.”
• U.S. Department of Labor (www.dol.gov) has a section devoted to hiring veterans, which focuses on the laws affecting federal contractors and subcontractors, including affirmative action for certain veterans.

What has your experience hiring veterans been like? Was it different from hiring non-vets? In what ways? Are you a vet? If so, are your needs as an employee different from those of non-vets? Do you feel that your organization understands your needs? 

We’d love to hear from you.

--by Wendy Caster

Wendy Caster is a writer specializing in finances, health and wellness, and organizational management.  Her short movie, Second Glance, is making the rounds of film festivals.