TEN REASONS TO HIRE VETS

Are you an employer who wants to thank a veteran for answering the nation’s call to military service–especially in these troubled times.  Then here’s a great gift idea.  Offer a job to an unemployed vet.

Granted, this is an unusual gift.  It’s not the type of thing advertisers market in TV ads.  But in the current economy, many veterans are struggling to support their families.  Consequently, offering a veteran a decent job would do more than simply show your appreciation.  It would be a deeply appreciated and treasured gift–one that few others could match. 

And here’s the best part.  Hiring veterans is just good business. Veterans are technically skilled, disciplined, and mission directed.  So hiring a veteran is really a gift employers can give to themselves–while helping veterans and their families economically.  It’s a rare win/win decision.

Want proof?  Then try this:

HVRP’s Top 10 Reasons to Hire Vets

1. Veterans have proven leadership and teamwork skills.
Military training conditions recruits to work as a team. Military culture considers this essential to develop leadership skills capable of coordinating successfully the efforts of both individuals and groups to achieve common objectives.
2. Veterans have trained to focus on the mission and to take initiative to achieve it.
Military training is always about achieving the mission. Military exercises emphasize how the success of one group depends upon the timely and successful actions of another to advance the mission’s plan. It is part of military culture that those at a junior grade are expected to make big decisions in order to achieve the mission. So veterans know when and why to take initiative: others are depending on them.
3. Veterans have already proved their ability to meet challenges and perform under pressure.
From basic training to field exercises to war games to actual military deployment, veterans have proven themselves able to achieve objectives under difficult conditions, making do with the resources available and solving unexpected problems. Under the bitterest conditions, the American soldier has proven resilient and resourceful, able to overcome obstacles and achieve the mission assigned.
4. Veterans have a commitment to higher education.
The average educational achievement of veterans is substantially higher than the national average. For example, 85% of military officers hold bachelor’s or advanced degrees; that compares to a college graduation rate of 28% in the general public.
5. Veterans are quick to learn and rapidly adapt to change.
Jobs change in the military every 9-18 months, and there is rarely overlap time or transition with an incumbent. Superiors expect a soldier in a new assignment to get up to speed quickly on the critical information and tasks needed to do the job. Within 90 days, they expect that soldier to have mastered the assignment.
6. Veterans represent a talent pool that is diverse and trained to manage people effectively.
The Department of Defense employs nearly 1.5 million men and women. Of this number, 20% is African-American, 10% is Hispanic, and 6% consists of other ethnic groups. The number of women in active duty has increased to an historic high, representing now over 14% of the total.
7. Veterans are technically skilled and take accountability seriously.
The military has over 7000 occupational codes and is the largest training and education organization in the world. Veterans receive top-quality training and then receive assignments to positions that require them to perform with exceptional judgment and skill. They meet the challenge and take accountability seriously because others depend upon them.
8. Veterans offer a robust workforce that is both experienced and youthful.
Over 220,000 military personnel complete their service obligations each year. Moreover, recruits entering the service generally do so right out of high school or college. The standard enlistment runs between 2-8 years, so veterans tend to be in their mid to late twenties when they leave the service. Even veterans who have made the military their career will retire after 20 years of service in their late thirties or early forties, young enough for another quarter century of productive civilian work.
9. Veterans satisfy federal government hiring preference requirements and may frequently offer substantial tax benefits.
As a condition for doing business with the federal government, employers are encouraged to hire veterans and must file the Veterans Employment Report (VETS-100), which tracks the number and types of veterans the employer hires annually. In addition, an employer who hires a veteran can frequently claim the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOC), which can recover for the company up to 40% of the newly hired veteran’s first-year’s wages.
10. Veterans have already submitted to a comprehensive military pre-screening and many have held military security clearances.
An employer may like a candidate and then discover the he or she fails the mandatory pre-employment background check or drug/health test. Before acceptance into the military, the new recruit undergoes a thorough background screening check. Veterans whose military assignments required a security clearance have passed an intensive investigation to qualify. Moreover, frequent random drug testing is routine in the military, as are complete health physicals and dental exams.

If you are an employer, HVRP’s Top Ten Reasons to Hire Veterans may persuade you to make hiring veterans a priority.  If so, HVRP can help you.  We have experienced and skilled veterans who can meet your staffing needs.  We can also help you qualify for special tax advantages employers can receive simply for hiring veterans.  HVRP can help you meet your staffing needs and save money at the same time.  And there is NEVER a charge.

Just call us at 317-931-3055.  Ask for Karin Romani or James Logan, our HVRP Employer Liaisons.  They can give you more reasons why hiring veterans makes good business sense. 

They can also send you the employees who can do the job.  So call HVRP! Call today!

                      David E. Richardson, HVRP Employment Coordinator

 

SOURCES:

http://www.hireheroesusa.org/companies/why-hire-a-veteran

http://www.military.com/veterans-day/hire-veterans.htm

 

DISCLAIMER:  Preparation of this item was funded by the United States Department of Labor under Grant No. E-9-5-6-0037-H2.  This document does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U. S. Department of Labor, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U. S. Government.