Education

How do veterans get the education they need to keep advancing? Read below to learn more about the education that the military community can receive before joining your company.

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Education Grants, Loans, and GI Benefits
Education Grants, Loans, and GI Benefits

The “8 Keys to Veterans' Success” program. The Department of Education has been working with America’s colleges and universities and employers on improving the educational experience of veterans. This effort also includes helping veterans and spouses achieve postsecondary success and led to the specific program “8 Keys to Veterans' Success.” More than 400 schools have signed on and agreed with these strategies, which should assist businesses in landing more qualified candidates.

Military Spouses

What qualities make military spouses exceptional employees? Read the blogs below to learn about this highly skilled but sometimes undervalued population within the military community.

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Military Spouses: A Hidden Pool of Talent
Military Spouses: A Hidden Pool of Talent

More than 50 percent of veterans are married. With a majority of American households now requiring two incomes to support a stable standard of living, any solution to help veterans transition out of the military must take into account the talent inherent in their spouses.

Our returning veterans display tremendous levels of knowledge, skill and experience for their age, and they are more than eager to continue contributing to society. Throughout multiple deployments over the last 10 years, their spouses have been living with the same commitment to dedication and sacrifice.

Retaining Military Spouses
Retaining Military Spouses

When a veteran’s duty station changes, military spouses are not necessarily ready for a career change. One Air Force spouse quoted in Blue Star Families’ 2013 Military Family Lifestyle Survey Report indicates that she has had to turn down “numerous promotions due to PCSs [Permanent Changes of Station].” She adds that it’s “impossible to move up; I’m constantly starting at the bottom when I look for employment.”

Recruiting Military Spouses
Recruiting Military Spouses

The average military spouse’s resume rarely tells the whole story. More often than not, employers need to push past the paperwork to find out that the candidate they are reviewing has an unusually strong set of skills and attributes. One way to accomplish this is through networking—taking the time to meet military spouses.

Hiring Fairs

How do we make the most of our participation in hiring fairs? Read the blogs below to learn some best practices to ensure you get started on the right foot when you meet with transitioning service members face to face. 

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Hiring Fairs, Job Boards, and Other Resources
Hiring Fairs, Job Boards, and Other Resources

In addition to hiring fairs sponsored by Hiring Our Heroes, your company may want to partner with military-specific recruiting firms like Orion International or Bradley-Morris, which host their own hiring fair events. Veterans also hit events sponsored by NCOA Career Expos, America ICARE and JobZone. Keep in mind, some hiring fairs charge employers to attend. 

Hiring Our Heroes Resources
Hiring Our Heroes Resources

There are so many ways to connect with veterans and spouses that for many companies, the challenge is knowing which resources to turn to first.

Although there are other resources out there that contain guidance and opportunities for job seekers and employers, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation's Hiring Our Heroes programs and tools combine all of that under one roof. Employers can post jobs, and veterans can respond to them. There’s also information on hiring fairs, workshops, hot markets, networking events for spouses and more.

Guard & Reserve

What do we need to know about employees in the Guard & Reserve? This segment of the military population is ready to work immediately while still serving their country. Read below to learn more about them and why they are assets to your organization.

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Prepare for Veteran Employees' Service Commitments
Prepare for Veteran Employees' Service Commitments

Your military employees’ deployments and emergency call-ups for big natural disasters don’t have to mean major headaches. With the right strategy and forethought, those workers’ colleagues will be able to fill any gaps left by those who are serving. The good news is, cross-training and skill-set development will not only reduce the impact felt by missing workers, they will make your whole workforce stronger. The key is being prepared.

Understanding and Supporting Military Duties
Understanding and Supporting Military Duties

It starts by understanding their perspective. Morale improves among those who continue to serve in the National Guard and Reserve when you demonstrate that you know about their world. Even if they are gone for a weekend of training and it doesn’t affect their work hours with you, your remote support and encouragement means a lot and is critical to their success.

Learn to Speak "Military"
Learn to Speak "Military"

The military has its own culture, complete with its own language. Knowing a few basics about that culture (and just a few of its thousands of acronyms) will help you interpret resumes, find the strongest applicants and understand what the heck your interviewees are talking about. For more of an education, sign up for one of the Hiring Our Heroes employer webinars that are led by highly experienced trainers who can provide insight on recruiting, hiring and retaining service members.

What You Think About Veterans May Be Wrong
What You Think About Veterans May Be Wrong

Myths surround the veteran hiring marketplace, and savvy employers must wade through them to get to the truth of the matter. Read this blog to learn the truth about just a few of these myths and don't forget to comment on the blog if you can help other employers learn more! 

Hiring Process

How can we tailor our hiring process for veterans and military spouses? The blogs below will help you understand how this process is a bit different from hiring a civilian and why it's worth making the change.

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Make a Pledge to Hire Veterans
Make a Pledge to Hire Veterans

When you pledge your support to hire veterans and military spouses through the U.S. Chamber and Capital One's Hiring 500,000 campaign, you’re not only joining a cadre of 1,700 other businesses—you’re also tapping a talent pool of thousands, veterans and spouses alike. Since the initiative began, companies have made 260,000 hires. And there are thousands more qualified candidates in the pipeline, waiting to be connected with employers just like you.

Do's and Don't's of Interviewing Veterans
Do's and Don't's of Interviewing Veterans

Behavioral and situational interview styles are the most effective when interviewing both veterans and spouses. That’s because veterans are accustomed to concise and polite conversation. They are not accustomed to boasting about their accomplishments, scope of authority or level of responsibility, as they have been operating in a team environment. Gaps in a spouse’s resume or volunteer experience may overshadow the great skills and experience they have gained over their professional career. In both cases, you as the interviewer have to probe for their accomplishments and for detail revealing their adaptability and how their experience can contribute to your company.

Resume Translation

Where can I find veteran resume translation tools? Read below to find more information on tools you can use to understand how a candidate's military service can directly translate to your company's career paths.

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Matching Military Experience with Civilian Jobs
Matching Military Experience with Civilian Jobs

It’s job candidates’ responsibility to clearly describe their skills and experiences, and put their best foot forward. With veterans, however, sometimes those talents aren’t always reflected on their resume. Why? One reason is that veterans' roles and job duties are different in the military world, with different terminology from the private sector. Another reason is that veterans may not fully articulate the scope of their experiences because they are trained not to be boastful. The overall result: a communication gap with hiring professionals.

Veterans Show Up Ready to Work
Veterans Show Up Ready to Work

No matter who goes into the service, they are different when they come out. They’ve pushed their physical and mental limits and realized anything is possible. They have tools to handle stress and conflict. They know how to lead—and often, just as important, how to follow. They’re comfortable performing under stress. They share some core values like service to others before self. All of these things combine to make a quality employee—one who can make the difference between your business “just getting by” and growing.

Training

What training tools and resources are out there to help us support veterans? Read the blogs below to learn what tools are available and how to access them.

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Training, Apprenticeships, and Internships
Training, Apprenticeships, and Internships

Although the military talent pool brings at-the-ready skills, training and experience from serving the country, you still have to teach them about your workforce culture and business objectives and possibly help them address any learning curve gaps to ensure their success and prevent high turnover. If you have the resources, putting an existing veteran or spouse in a training position can be a great way to create a bridge between the training your company already provides and training that veterans and spouses will respond well to.

Transitioning

How can we help our transitioning veteran employees thrive? Read the blogs below to find out what best practices you might be missing or those you should continue to focus on as you help transitioning service members start their new careers.

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Recognize Veterans' Service and Good Work
Recognize Veterans' Service and Good Work

Awards are a big deal in the military. Giving them out is one of the most common ways of acknowledging positive behavior. Your business can capitalize on this by adopting the habit. Major accomplishments should always be celebrated, of course, but you can also reinforce good work by praising smaller achievements

Create a Peer Support Network
Create a Peer Support Network

When your new employee was in the military, they were consistently and publicly rewarded for meeting objectives and going above the call of duty. Veterans are also accustomed to clear direction so that they can advance in their careers and increase their pay. They need a high-touch approach as they transition to your workplace, and this blog contains a few steps to take to ensure you are providing a peer network that will give that same direction to increase retention rates at your company.

Ease the Transition Into Civilian Life
Ease the Transition Into Civilian Life

Common sense and thoughtfulness are really all you need to welcome a veteran as a new employee and to create a climate where they can easily ramp up into a productive mindset as soon as possible. Many of these ideas are probably in place at your business. Keep in mind that veterans are transitioning from environments dictated by discipline, clear direction and daily structure and that they are accustomed to strong connections with family, community and employer/supervisor.

Wounded Veterans

What can we do to accommodate the needs of wounded veterans? Read the blogs below to find out what more employers can do to employ wounded warriors while benefiting the overall company.

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Information, Resources, and Support Groups
Information, Resources, and Support Groups

You’re not alone. There are dozens of resources and groups, both government and civilian, that can guide you on hiring veterans and spouses. From learning military basics to understanding legal requirements to locating potential applicants, help is out there with every step of the process.

Government Tools that Help You Find Talent
Government Tools that Help You Find Talent

State funding. Department of Veterans Affairs eBenefits Employment Center. This joint venture of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Defense, Department of Labor, Office of Personnel Management and Small Business Administration provides veterans with a career/occupation assessment tool, military skill translator and resume builder. Employers can set up an account at the eBenefits site. The website provides a virtual transition and employment resource center that can connect registered users directly to registered employers. Registered users also can browse job listings, create and post resumes, and apply for jobs directly on the site. Registered employers have the ability to post jobs, accept applications, search a database of almost 40,000 posted resumes and connect with career seekers at no cost.

Accommodating Veterans with Disabilities
Accommodating Veterans with Disabilities

Some of your veterans may have injuries or an illness, resulting in a disability because of their service. If an employee reveals to an employer that they have a disability, the employer must accommodate that employee, whether the disability is physical or a mental health issue, so that the worker can perform the essential functions of the job. Be sure to check with disabled employees on any accommodations they may need. A common perception of a “wounded warrior” is a veteran who has lost an arm or a leg, or someone who uses a wheelchair. Keep in mind that hearing loss, vision impairment or having limited mobility of an arm is also considered to be a disability. Veterans do not have to disclose a disability, and employers are not allowed to ask questions about any disability in a job interview, though an employer can ask a candidate whether they can perform the functions of the job.

Business Value

What is the business value of recruiting veteran workers? Read the blogs below to learn how your company can benefit from attracting and employing this highly skilled and sought-after population.

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Tax Benefits of Hiring Veterans
Tax Benefits of Hiring Veterans

State benefits. Some of the most tangible benefits to hiring veteran workers are tax credits, offered by many states to encourage businesses to hire veterans. To find out if your state offers financial incentives for hiring veterans, speak with your tax advisor or contact your state’s department of revenue. State hiring incentives can save you thousands of dollars in taxes. Typical state tax credit programs will give you a credit equal to a certain percentage of your employee’s total wages paid, up to a maximum of $5,000 to $10,000.

12 Ways Veterans Excel on the Job
12 Ways Veterans Excel on the Job

The case for why hiring veterans and their spouses makes financial sense for your company:

Veterans have skills that lead to greater accomplishment. A comprehensive report by the Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) at Syracuse University said research has shown that high-performing companies understand the value of training and education in their workforce, and that common traits of these companies include individuals with problem-solving, collaborative and entrepreneurial skills—traits that veterans are trained to possess.