I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to celebrate and recognize the men and women who elect to serve, so that we can live in a free world. I often struggle with the disconnect between societal and community perspectives with workplace issues as it relates to veterans. It seems that veterans are all good as long as they are serving in a military capacity, but once entering the workplace; we seem to think that we have to expect something different from a population that is highly skilled.
The good news is employers really get it, thanks to Veteran Jobs Mission. The veterans initiative began with 11 companies committed to hiring 100,000 veterans. This commitment continues with a coalition of 200 plus companies dedicated to hiring 1 million veterans. Since 2011, 473,392 veterans have been hired. Learn more by visiting www.veteranjobsmission.com.
I like to share some of the insights Diversity MBA 2018 Inclusive Leadership Index (ILI) has on the continued efforts companies are making to hire and engage veterans. (Note: An average of 600 companies participate in the DMBA index on an annual basis.)
- 91 percent of companies intentionally recruit veterans;
- 66 percent of companies have been recruiting veterans for more than 5 years;
- 10 percent of companies train recruiters on PTS issues;
- 44 percent of companies train recruiters on legislative issues as it relates to veterans;
- 64 percent of companies have strategic partnerships with veteran focused organizations;
- On average 6 percent of veterans interviewed are hired. The high ranges from 10 percent to a low of 2 percent;
- 90 percent of companies have initiatives in place for disclosure of identification status; but less than 6 percent identify;
- 83 percent of companies have a veterans employee resource group;
Here are a few best practices to encourage inclusion among veterans:
- ” Have a Beautiful Day” event where veteran men and women bring their spouses to corporate headquarters for a day of beauty; while providing interviewing opportunities.
- Partner with agencies that focus on transitioning veterans from military to civilian life to promote a successful transition to the US workforce.
- Newly hired veterans have buddies and are paired with mentors to ensure navigation within the workplace.
