Managing Diversity: Hiring U.S. Military Veterans Effectively

Introduction

As Hazle, Wilcox, and Hassan (2012) point out, U.S. military veterans re-entering civilian life often face numerous challenges that can be difficult to overcome. In many cases, a total mental and social adjustment is required, a support system is needed, and guidance or direction must be provided to help prepare veterans for life outside the military. The order and functioning system they are accustomed to in the military is not present in civilian life, and the hierarchical chain of command in which they have worked is typically not enforced with such rigor in whatever workplace they end up joining in civilian life.

U.S. companies also face the challenge of addressing the needs of this population. It is a significantly large talent pool with valuable skills and knowledge — but tapping into that pool can be difficult for businesses as well, because of the readjustment process that veterans must go through, which can often be discouraging and upsetting for all stakeholders. Wenger and Snyder (2000) have argued that bringing veterans back into the fold of civilian life, including helping them obtain work, is a community challenge that requires assistance from everyone regardless of their position in life. U.S. companies, however, can play a particularly strong role in helping veterans develop their skills so that they are better oriented toward civilian-style work and achieve meaningful employment.

U.S. Military Veterans vs. Non-Veterans: Comparing Skill Sets

This paper discusses precisely what companies can do to help veterans develop their skills and become employed. First, it compares the typical skill sets of veterans and non-veterans to show how they differ. Second, it examines the strategic management process and the challenges that employers face with respect to a veteran workforce. It then assesses the competitive advantage that businesses can gain by working with veterans, describes best practices, provides a brief case analysis, and finally offers recommendations that U.S. companies can use to address this issue.

Many U.S. veterans entered military service directly out of high school. They never held a job in civilian life and never acquired the skills needed to look for work, interview, or build a resume. The work-related skills they acquire in the military may be narrowly defined by the occupation they hold while in service — for instance, working on military helicopters, serving a general, or passing orders down the chain of command. Non-veterans, on the other hand, typically attend college after high school and obtain training and education in the area they wish to pursue in the civilian workforce. They can train to become engineers, teachers, business managers, doctors, nurses, and much more.

While veterans are defending the country, non-veterans are spending those same years learning the skills needed to obtain a job in the field of their choosing. U.S. military veterans returning home and re-entering civilian life are at a significant disadvantage because they have not always had the opportunity to complete their education; they may not have acquired the college-level business skills and knowledge needed to serve as an effective civilian manager. They may have managed groups and departments in the military, but military experience differs from civilian workplace experience in fundamental ways. For instance, in the military, if an employee fails to perform his or her duty, they can very likely face serious disciplinary consequences, including confinement. That is a powerful incentive to keep workers in line. In civilian life, such consequences simply do not apply — which means managers and leaders must be more creative in how they incentivize and motivate their employees (Gerhart & Fang, 2015).

Strategic Management and the Challenges of a Veteran Workforce

The strategic management process involves defining goals, identifying areas for growth as well as problem areas that need to be addressed, formulating strategies for achieving those goals, growing the company in as many beneficial ways as possible, developing and implementing a strategy, and evaluating and controlling outcomes (Daspit, Chrisman, Sharma, Pearson, & Long, 2017). Successful U.S. companies employ the strategic management process year-round, constantly assessing where they are, where they want to be, and how they can get there. When it comes to employing the veteran workforce, there are a few challenges that businesses must address in order to successfully implement their strategic management process.

The biggest challenge is simply helping the veteran adapt to the civilian world of business. This includes assisting the veteran with social and professional acclimation. One way businesses can facilitate this transition is to engage in an extended onboarding process with veterans. Onboarding is a strategic tool that businesses can use when training new hires. Typically, a new hire will be brought into a company, given a few days or weeks of training, and then left to perform their job independently. The onboarding process is more extensive: it provides the new hire with a mentor who can offer support at any time, answer questions, serve as a guide, and help the new hire feel more comfortable in the workplace (Hamburg & Harris-Thompson, 2017).