3 Reasons to Hire Veterans and 2 Tips to Recruit One

Recently, ACI’s own Megan Hawker was interviewed for an Employee Benefit News article, which was originally featured on ebn.benefitnews.com as part of an interactive slideshow here. Below is an excerpt:

Veterans make the ultimate employees, says Megan Hawker, clinical manager with ACI Specialty Benefits. A veteran herself, Hawker shares three reasons to consider hiring a veteran and two tips for recruiting one.

Transferable skills

“Even though veterans might not have specific skills related to a particular job, they bring other skills that are transferrable across whatever specialty it is,” says Hawker. “Things like managing resources, managing equipment, managing people, leadership, working independently. Those are all skills the veteran can bring to the party.”

Values and loyalty

Each branch of the military has its own set of core values, says Hawker. “With the army, it’s leadership, duty, respect, selfless service,” she explains. “Those are instilled through military training and life and those are things that are not easily lost. A lot of employers will find that veterans are very loyal, self-sufficient, they work independently and they finish tasks to completion – they do the task until the task is done.”

Range of experience

Veterans are trained in various skills. “If you’re a mechanic or a medic, you learn how to do that but you also have common soldiering skills as well,” says Hawker. “You’re not one-dimensional. Most service members are trained in a variety of things and that can be really helpful for employers because they can see this is someone who can learn new things and be adaptable and hold many roles and responsibilities.”

Job descriptions

Hawker advises employers to write job descriptions that are clear and concise. “Military people tend to be very direct and to the point,” she explains. “Being really clear about what it is you’re looking for is going to be helpful for both the employer and the candidate in that they’re going to get an honest representation of what they’re looking for.”

Connect with transition assistance programs

Hiring departments sometimes complain that military language veterans might use on their resumes doesn’t necessarily translate well to civilian life. Hawker recommends employers connect with various transition assistance programs run by the Department of Defense, Department of Labor and Veterans Affairs. Each branch of the military service also has its own program. “Employers can get linked up with veterans who are already going through the transition process of acquiring new skills,” she says.

Image and excerpt from http://ebn.benefitnews.com/gallery/ebn/3-reasons-to-consider-hiring-veterans-2741711-1.html by Andrea Davis.