5 Reasons You Should Be Hiring Veterans

First, some good news: Veteran unemployment has declined since its massive uptick during the 2011 recession. In 2016 veteran unemployment showed little difference when compared to nonveteran unemployment, according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics.

Now, some bad news: Private companies aren’t taking full advantage of this valuable portion of the workforce. The BLS also noted veterans are twice as likely to work in the public sector and a full “16 percent of Gulf War-era II veterans work for the federal government, compared with 2 percent of nonveterans.” Does the government know something the private sector doesn’t?

You bet, and here are five reasons why your organization should start hiring veterans today.

1. Goal-Oriented Personalities

Military operations require many soldiers of varying skills and responsibilities to make decisions that will affect success. Given the potential size and scale of these operations, soldiers are trained to focus uniformly on a common goal.

This results-oriented mindset doesn’t vanish after service. Veterans have ingrained this philosophy into their work ethic and direct it toward any goal they aim to accomplish. This level of focus will help your organization reach its short- and long-term goals while also benefiting company culture.

2. Leadership Tools

If you’ve never served, you may imagine soldiers come in two varieties: the officers who lead and the enlisted who follow. But this perspective misses the subtly of the military leadership structure. Noncommissioned officers are trained in the tools and principles of leadership, and even specialists can be put in charge of teams as situations require.

Thanks to this training, veterans in leadership positions can guide employees and their varied personalities toward a unified goal. Their leadership tools include providing a clear path toward success and keeping team energy directed forward.

3. Esprit de Corps

Given the inherent difficulties and hardships that can come with military duties, service members must learn to work together, relying on each other while taking responsibility for their own tasks. Only by doing both can they succeed. And since recruits come from all over the country, this lifestyle of teamwork is developed by people from a diverse range of backgrounds and cultures.

Having experienced it first hand, veterans will help foster and strengthen the spirit of teamwork within your organization.

4. Education

Veterans are often educated, well-trained individuals. Service members are provided various educational opportunities as part of their military career advancement. After service, programs such as the Post-9/11 GI Bill will even pay tuition and fees at public schools.

Veterans have also trained in practical skills that can be beneficial to your organization. The modern military requires its members to master skills such as mechanics, data management, and a variety of computer programs. This in turn leads to transferable skills such as problem solving, data analysis, and time management, to name a few.

5. Communication

Effective communication is key for any organization, but arguably no organization needs it more than the U.S. military. From generals to privates, everyone needs to communicate goals, needs, and tasks clearly and efficiently for operations to unfold smoothly.

Hiring veterans will ensure your company’s communication channels remain active. Veterans will tell you what they need to accomplish a task and how they plan to do it. They will also not shy away from telling you when something is wrong and what is needed to fix it.

While we’ve limited our list to five, there are many other reasons—from integrity to work ethic to a penchant for “paying it forward”—that make veterans a top talent. It all comes down to a mixture of hard and soft skills imbued into their character through rigorous military training. So, don’t let the public sector reap all the benefits of these valuable workers. Start hiring veterans today.