Companies look for ways to bridge the gap between employers and veterans

report released last month by iCIMS suggests that veterans are facing significant challenges in finding employment. Million of our military are, quite literally, putting their lives at risk for our country and unable to gain employment upon their return to civilian life. In fact, 86% of post-9/11 veterans decided not to apply for or accept a job offer after leaving the military. The reasons for this include disappointment with the salary/benefits, perceived lack of training to do the job, and reading negative reviews about the company. What’s worse, almost half of survey respondents understated or excluded their military service on their resume as they believe it can be devalued by prospective employers. These are tragic numbers. “It is evident that there is a disconnect and a lack of understanding between veterans and employers,” said Susan Vitale, chief marketing officer at iCIMS. “Employers can bridge the disconnect by understanding what veterans really need to feel satisfied and fulfilled in a civilian career path.”

Bridging the gap

According to Entrepreneur.com, companies seeking to engage and grow veteran employees need to acknowledge that there is a cultural difference between the civilian and military work environments. By recognizing those differences and leveraging new language and tools, employers can embrace the veteran community in a mutually-beneficial way. As well as HR training, SHRM suggests additional ways to bridge this gap, such as:

• Getting executive buy-in
• Hiring a veteran for “top of the funnel” candidate engagement as well as internal knowledge transfer for recruiters and hiring managers
• Setting up a dedicated infrastructure
• Asking for feedback. Nearly all (89 percent) veterans surveyed by iCIMS have never been asked by an employer or prospective employer for their feedback regarding its veteran hiring program
• Practicing transparency. PwC allows veteran candidates to speak with an internal veteran employee to give them a day-in-the-life experience at the company and coach them on things to be aware of.
• Starting an internship program

While the communication gap between veterans and civilian employers may feel large, it is manageable. There are companies doing this successfully – implementing the above ideas to ensure our military community can provide, and receive, value once they are no longer active – that we can all learn from.]]>