Irving, TX-based La Quinta Inns & Suites says: Be ready to hire! If possible, conduct interviews at the hiring fairs. Contact the organizer of the event ahead of time to see if there will be an area you can use for interviews. This will allow you to have a personal conversation about the candidate’s experience and interests. Then you can tell them about your organization and why you value service members and their families. Ideally, have veteran and/or military spouse employees attend the fair to participate in the recruiting efforts.

Pam Webster, assistant vice president of talent acquisition at Enterprise Holdings, headquartered in St. Louis, MO, recommends that when you get a resume or application with military experience that you don’t understand, call the candidate to better figure out what their role was and what their accomplishments were. You may have to spend more time to assess whether the experience is a fit for what you’re hiring for, but it will be worth the investment for both you and the candidate.