At Ease, Solider: Ways to Nurture Former Military Personnel in a Civilian Position

Some of the finest colleagues and employees I've worked with were veterans. Curiously, some of the worst were folks signing up for military service. Taking advantage of the transformation the military provides, along with the training and leadership skills, is a must for large and small employers alike - if they don't, they are letting a huge talent market go untapped.

Regarding P&G's Blue and Grey group: does anyone know anything more about it? I'm curious. Do they help one another in a therapy-style fashion, do they help them network with others or is it just a feeling of belonging?

Much of the useful advice about hiring veterans actually is useful for all candidates. More employers / hiring managers need to be less restrictive when it comes to evaluating candidates' experiences and better able to recognize potential and the value of non-traditional backgrounds. Too often hiring managers don't make the connections between unconventional experience and the open position. Making those connections clear, though, is the real point of a cover letter.

Thanks for the comments. @Lydia I think that a company could recruit for veterans without making others feel left out. Many times, in my area, we have job fairs strictly for veterans. Companies take advantage of these events to reach out to these veterans. Probably the best way to do it when it comes to recruiting a certain class. @Shannon thanks for that. But remember, that veteran is no longer active in the service and wants to find a position within a company and be one of the team. He doesn't want to be singled out but wants to blend. It's a tough enough transition from military to civilian life without companies making a fuss. They will adjust in due course - just like they did when they joined the service.

The idea of creating a military-friendly company is essential. I would suggest that companies actively seeking the skills and talents of veterans form a partnership with veteran associations and government agencies that aid with transitions. Companies need to show that they are willing and able to meet the needs of these specialized employees.

I very much agree that companies should actively recruit veterans and learn to understand the value they can bring to a company. I disagree however, that it's an employer's responsibility to sponsor a networking group. I think it could be easy for this to create a situation where people with non-military backgrounds feel discriminated against. I do believe however that vet career support groups outside of companies do a lot of good work on this front. And veterans also have their own networks to help with the transition to civilian careers.

@Kellen thanks for your comment. Sure a company could use a recruiting agency or even get the job posted with MWR on a local military base. The issue here is that they want to make sure that they are not discriminating again non-military applicants so they really have to proceed with caution. They could indicate, in the job posting, that veterans are welcome to apply but make sure that the posting is open to all.

I'm interested in other ways to make your company "military-friendly." What can a hiring manager do to make sure that job listings get in the hands of veterans? Is there a way to target veterans for certain jobs that they would be suitable for? I know that in the past I would have loved to know that the position I was trying to fill was exposed to veterans. How do you do it? Mention it in the ad? Use a service?

Thanks for your comments. @Erin it is very true that it is almost like going through culture shock when you leave the military behind and become part of the civilian workforce. So true that only the veteran can answer that question. Not everyone needs vocational training after departing the service. I know I didn't go through any vocational training but had no problem finding first a job and then a career. @Sarah matching skills are up to the veteran. Although transitional assistance classes are offered, there just isn't the time for them to work with each veteran who is departing. It's a group session and lasts for a few days but it has to cover so much more than just job searching. There are websites that offer ways to translate your military experience, skills and jargon into civilian terms. That certainly helps!

Nice article, but I have to question one thing. "First, is this person able to thrive in a civilian environment?" I'm not sure that this falls under an employer's duty to verify. How can anyone but the applicant know the answer to that question? I do believe that transitioning into the civilian workforce is a very important step, and vocational training goes a long way, though.

While these are all very good points, I think that unfortunately, matching skill sets and finding a good fit ultimately falls on the veteran because companies hire for positions that are available and they hire people who apply for those positions. That being said, being able to translate their training to what they can do outside of the military should be a key part of vocational training for veterans so that they can seek out positions where they will be successful and fulfilled.

More and more businesses should hire veterans for one very simple reason: when these men and women are given tasks, they accomplish them. That was part of their military training. Service members follow orders and diligently complete a mission. No one is better trained to finish the job than someone in the U.S. military.

Thanks for your comments. @Catherine if only that were true. Most companies want you to change your management style and way of thinking to theirs. It's sort of like when you graduate from college and you start a new job based upon your degree. In reality, how much of what you learned in college is being used on the job? Probably very little. You have to learn the company's way of doing things. Same is true for a veteran. @Jay it probably would not be a good idea to have training. The veteran knows that things are not done the same way and he/she will have to learn to adapt just like they did when they joined the military. @Katharine it certainly is true that veterans are used to a more formal structure but they will adapt.

It's very unfortunate that veterans usually get lower level jobs in civilian life that don't fully utilize the training, skills and experience that they obtained in their military careers. I like this article because it discusses how companies should make themselves more accessible for veterans, rather than focusing on how veterans should change themselves to become better applicants. The way that veterans are treated in our society really needs to change and one way is to make it easier for them to find employment.

While a former soldier who led a unit may have good management potential, it would probably be important to make clear to him/her the different managerial strategy that will likely be necessary. The military chain of command is much more structured than the culture of the typical American workplace, and the soldier may need to adjust his/her style.

Maybe another great military-friendly things to do would be to implement training programs in the workplace for other employees, so that they too can help military members settle in? Would that be a viable option for both smaller and larger companies from a cost perspective, and would it be legal (under anti-discrimination law)?