Military veterans and servicemembers are not only highly trained for professionalism and discipline but also have an accelerated learning curve and respect for procedures — and it turns out that study after study finds they make exceptionally good employees.
A Syracuse University study called The Business Case for Hiring a Veteran: Beyond the Clichés found that veterans:
- Are entrepreneurial;
- Assume high levels of trust;
- Are adept at skills that transfer across contexts and tasks;
- Have advanced technical training;
- Are comfortable in diverse environments;
- Exhibit high levels of resiliency;
- Have strong team building skills; and
- Have strong organizational commitment.
No organization on Earth has access to the modern technology that’s in the hands of America’s military. And the individuals who put that technology online are our servicemembers.
While this experience is certainly valuable to technology companies, research suggests that the skills extend outside the world of high tech. Veterans who work in highly technical fields have shown an advanced ability to transfer technical solutions to organizational challenges.
And there’s another bonus to having veterans join your workforce — employers who hire qualified veterans may receive significant financial incentives, such as the U.S. Department of Labor’s Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC), for example. The IRS created the WOTC program to incentivize employers into hiring individuals from certain groups that have historically faced employment barriers. Among these groups are “qualified veterans,” which include those who are disabled and unemployed.
The California Employment Development Department (EDD) also assists veterans and their eligible spouses to maximize their employment and training opportunities. Employer resources include an Employer Guide to Hire Veterans.
Mike McCluskey, Senior Technical Editor, CalChamber
CalChamber members can read more about Veterans Bring Leadership, Advanced Skills to the Workforce in the recent HRCalifornia Extra. Not a member? See what CalChamber can do for you.
