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New Report Offers Strategies to Boost Veteran Employment
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — SHRM and the SHRM Foundation have released a new report titled Completing the Mission: Best Practices for Recruiting and Hiring Veterans, aimed at helping organizations attract, hire, and retain veteran talent effectively. Each year, about 200,000 U.S. service members transition to civilian life, bringing valuable skills that many companies find difficult to translate into civilian roles. Supported by USAA, this report offers HR professionals actionable insights to bridge this gap.
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“Veterans enrich the workforce with resilience, leadership, and a strong sense of service,” said Wendi Safstrom, SHRM Foundation President. “Our research emphasizes the importance of thoughtful hiring strategies that support veterans as they adapt to new environments and careers.”
Key Findings and Recommendations
The SHRM report reveals that veterans excel in areas like teamwork, leadership, and work ethic, with 98% of HR professionals agreeing that veterans thrive in both team-based and independent roles. However, many companies struggle to align military skills with civilian job requirements. Only 2% of HR professionals reported using military skills translation tools, despite their effectiveness.
Best Practices for Recruiting and Hiring Veterans: Formal Hiring Programs Drive Success
According to the report, organizations with formal veteran hiring programs are significantly more effective in recruiting veterans. About 65% of HR professionals from companies with structured programs report success in veteran hiring, compared to only 21% from companies without such initiatives.
“USAA has seen firsthand how veterans bring adaptability and leadership to the workforce,” said Corie Pauling, Executive Director of Talent Diversity at USAA. “We hope this research will inspire businesses to not only consider hiring from the military community but also to develop dedicated veteran hiring programs.”
Business Value and Practical Tips
The report underscores that veterans possess highly valued skills applicable to various industries, making them valuable assets in the workforce. The SHRM Foundation recommends HR professionals use military skills translation tools, develop formal recruiting programs, and establish supportive hiring practices to ease veterans’ transitions to civilian roles.
A Call to Action for HR and Business Leaders On Best Practices for Recruiting and Hiring Veterans
The SHRM Foundation encourages business leaders, HR professionals, and hiring managers to apply these strategies to better understand and tap into the veteran talent pool. Doing so will help organizations benefit from a high-performing, resilient workforce while fostering greater veteran inclusion.
