Bridging the Gap Between Veterans and Employers
Center for Human Capital Innovation
Increase The Effectiveness Of Your Leaders And Employees.
The transition from military to civilian life is a significant shift for most veterans. It involves adapting to new environments, cultures, and expectations in the workforce. A substantial part of this transition is finding work suitable to their qualifications and experience. For employers, hiring veterans can bring unique strengths to a team, such as discipline, leadership, and problem-solving. Veterans may also bring sought after technical proficiencies and years of experience applying these proficiencies. Unfortunately, veterans and employers often face challenges in finding the right matches. Recognizing these difficulties and knowing what resources are available can make the process smoother for veterans and employers alike.
Understanding the Transition to the Civilian Workforce
A transition from the military to the civilian workforce can be daunting. Adjusting to a different work culture and translating military skills into civilian job terms are common obstacles. In its recent article, 5 Reasons Veterans Struggle to Transition to the Civilian Workforce, veterans aid group Combat Veterans to Careers cites a number of key obstacles, including loss of camaraderie, difficulty in showing the relevance of their military experience, lack of formal education credentials, cultural differences, and acclimating to the type of self-promotion needed in job applications.
Furthermore, in a 2022 academic journal article, Veterans to workplace: Keys to successful transition, the authors highlight veterans’ negative attitudes towards job searches. Many feel undervalued due to misconceptions about their capabilities, and employers often don’t see the relevance of a military background to their business needs. Veterans generally need help aligning their experience with civilian job qualifications, and employers are not always sure how to make their workplace more welcoming for veterans. Both of those are feasible, though, with the right education and support.
Translating Military Culture to the Civilian Workplace
Veterans bring a wealth of skills and experiences that can significantly benefit civilian employers. According to the Department of Defense in its article Translating Military Culture to the Civilian Workplace, it is critical that veterans and employers bridge the gap between military culture and civilian workplace expectations. For example, the authors recommend the following:
“Military speech is heavy with acronyms and references to sensitive or complex job descriptions, Military Occupational Specialties, and other jargon that civilian employees aren’t able to relate to. It’s best, when speaking with co-workers and writing emails, to avoid using jargon such as “roger,” “v/r,” and “break.”
Veterans can also emphasize the fact that they received extensive, high quality military training and leadership experience that can be seamlessly translated into corporate settings. For instance, veterans are accustomed to structured environments and possess strong teamwork and leadership skills. These assets can be leveraged to enhance any organization.
Creating a Veteran-Friendly Workplace
The first step to create a veteran-friendly environment is to focus on understanding the unique needs of veteran employees. The 2024 RAND study “How Working Conditions in Civilian Jobs Can Affect Veterans’ Health and Well-Being” highlights how work environments can influence veterans’ health, stressing that proper support and workplace accommodations are crucial.
Employers are encouraged to cultivate a culture that values the strengths of military experience while offering the necessary support for any adjustments. This includes offering flexible schedules, creating mentorship programs specifically for veterans, and access to mental health resources. The authors point out that, for veterans, physical and psychosocial hazards in their civilian jobs can exacerbate preexisting conditions which may have developed during their service.
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There is Help!
Assistance is available to equip veterans with the tools and confidence needed to effectively enter and thrive in the civilian job market, as well as incentives and/or free resources for employers to hire them, especially through the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). See our lists below for a sample of these programs:
Employers can also use the checklist from “Is Your Organization Veteran-Friendly?” to assess the effectiveness of their policies for veteran hires.
Employers and veterans both play crucial roles in the transition from military to civilian life. Organizations can benefit greatly from integrating veterans into the workforce by recognizing the unique skills veterans bring and providing them with the right support and opportunities. Likewise, veterans, equipped with resources and support networks, can navigate the transition successfully, bringing their strong work ethic, dedication, and resilience into new roles. Both parties thrive through awareness, adaptation, and leveraging the assistance available. This collaboration not only enriches workplaces but also ensures that those who have sacrificed for their country have successful and fulfilling careers post-service.
Have you created a veteran program at your organization? Are there other issues preventing veterans from getting hired or employers from hiring them that we missed?
** PROGRAM LINKS
For employers:
1. Operation Impact by Northrop Grumman; 2. The Wounded Warrior Project; 3. Veterans Opportunity to Work; 4. Military OneSource Civilian Employment Programs; 5. Combat Veterans to Careers