23, Does it make business sense to hire veterans from Armed forces in a private organization
The newsletter on Human Resource expert opinion, for the Indian context
Like most countries, India too has a lot of shortage of talent, what we call, a lot of shortage of trained talent.
And like most of the countries globally, India too is putting in a lot of effort to see how people from the armed forces can be assimilated into the corporate life.
So, today we are going to spend a little time trying to understand, do people from the armed forces really add value to the corporate entities, specifically because the goals that the corporate entities are trying to achieve and what the armed forces are trying to achieve are not in similar lines.
What we want you to do today, as we discuss about this topic, is not talk or not think that at the reason for hiring from armed forces has got to do anything from patriotism, not to focus on jobs which are related to administration, and not to focus on jobs which are purely linked to security.
Unlike a lot of our Western countries, India doesn't have mercenary armies and those kind of roles. So, we won't be discussing those kind of roles where the job that a person in armed forces performs is almost copy pasted into the corporate entity.
Those kind of roles are very few in India. At the base, let us start from the singular concept, and that concept is, "for any individual to be seen as a successful person or a person who's contributing to the organization growth, you would normally look at two aspects that the person should be demonstrating.
Broadly speaking, we club all of these aspects into another area called as the behavioral or the soft skills or whatever names we give. So primarily we bracketed into two groups, the skill and the implementing ability or the discipline to implement.
Now, Armed Forces has a lot of skills that they train their employees on. I mean, that's the right word to use. They are members or they are employees of an organisation. Though the organisation's objective is Armed Forces of a Nation, but they are an organisation, and they perform very specific roles, which may not really be useful, if I were to use the word, in the corporate life.
But, there are some which can be adapted and they can be put into the corporate life. We have pilots, the role they perform, little bit of adaptation and they can get into the corporate life. Navy pilots, Navy sailors, the various people who are performing roles on the ship. Then you have mechanical, electrical, and telecommunication engineers, some kind of adaptation and they can be fitted in.
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But what about the majority of the rest of the armed forces?
We are of the opinion, and we believe like most of the people who have analysed armed forces professionals trying to get into the corporate life, that the fundamental behaviors that are necessary for a person to be successful in an organisation are ingrained in an armed forces professional.
The discipline to implement is ingrained, or almost if I have to use the word, a guaranteed behavior that any person coming out of an armed forces profession will bring.
For example, when you go to hire a technical engineer from a very renowned technical college in India, you are sort of taking a guarantee that the skill of a particular technical engineering topic, let's say electrical engineering, if I were to hire from this college, I'm going to get a guaranteed skill which is going to be world-class from the person I'm hiring.
Similarly, we are of the opinion, and we believe that if you were to hire a person from the armed forces, who are veterans or who are leaving armed forces, the behavioural skills which we have classified as to the "discipline to implement" would be sort of guaranteed to be ingrained in these individuals.
So, as long as the people are willing to learn from scratch, as long as they are willing to start new careers right from the bottom, and as an organisation, most importantly, as long as you have strong training programs, we believe that it will be a great way to hire talent, having at least one aspect which they are strong at.
If your training programs are strong, you can build people who can ensure that they can deliver to your organization's expectations, they can deliver to the objectives of the organization, and most importantly, they can add value to the progress of the organization.
India HR Guide is aimed at discussing and shedding light on aspects in a crisp manner that organisations in India follow in the area of Human Resources. It is aimed at CEO's, MD's and line managers to understand how various aspects of Human Resources can help shape their organisations journey in India. Our industry leading expert, Mandeep Singh, offers years of accumulated knowledge from having advised clients across sectors, and spread across the remotest corner of the country. Let's make the workplace, a better place.
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Security Consultant
1 个月Thanks & Apprecite your efforts Mandeep Singh in providing the information on the capabilities & expertise for hiring of veterans from Defence Forces. Some of points are given below with my 20 years of experience & exposure in MNCs & Corporate - The veterans from the Defence Forces are well versed with man management (managing team in corporate jargon) which is the core element to achieve success in any business. Veterans have expertise in all the business portfolios- Operations, Finance, HR, Business Development, HR, Administration, Facility Management, Security, Business Continuity, Disaster Managment, Logistics, Supply Chain etc. They carry very high calbire, expertise & skills required for most of the corporate / Industry- Aeronautics, IT, Communications, Electronics, Electrical, Mechanical & Civil Engineering, Logistics, They adapt themselves very fast according to the requirements of their role & responsibilities. Hope the corporate houses & senior business leaders will give them opportunities to settle down after retirement as they retire very young after serving the Nation.
CEO & CHRO | Transformational HR, Skill Development, Mentoring, Coaching, & Employee Engagement.
1 个月Mandeep, thank you for addressing such an important topic ... it may be the 23rd in your series but it occupies a Top/high priority item in any organization's hiring needs. As a veteran and someone who has spent over 30 years in HR and corporate leadership, I deeply connect with the discussion about the value veterans can bring to the corporate world. The skills and traits we develop in the armed forces—discipline, leadership, and problem-solving—aren’t just military assets; they’re incredibly valuable in any organizational setting. Hiring veterans also aligns perfectly with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Our diverse backgrounds and experiences add richness to the corporate culture and encourage innovative thinking. By bringing veterans into the fold, companies not only enhance their workforce diversity but also foster a culture that embraces varied perspectives. In fact, I want veteran hiring parameters to be there in every organization’s hiring plans, including all online platforms, just like in the USA, etc. Thank you, HRHelpdesk and India HR Guide once again.
Domain Consultant | Sys-Ops Technical Writer | Infosys
1 个月I believe that hiring army veterans in private organizations is highly valuable, as they bring leadership, discipline, and a strong work ethic to the table. This is something I have observed firsthand since childhood. Having done most of my schooling at Birla institutions, I saw how Birla Education Trust has consistently hired veterans to fill key roles and they contributed to creating a structured, disciplined environment that benefited both students and staff.
Air Veteran, Flight Operations, Human Resources, Supply Chain, Business Transformation Leader, Lean Tools Consultant, Catalyst, Drone enthusiast and Passionate Trekker.
1 个月Happy to find a discussion happening on the topic. I am a living example of what Armed Forces Veteran can deliver. After serving in the Armed Forces for close to 20 years, I was a ready fit in the Corporate world. All I need to do was to adapt to the role specific learning. All my fellow veteran also got placed in many different Industries without any fuss. Why the Military veterans are best fit in corporate are they come out with Adaptability, Leadership, conflict management skils, calm n composed approach to any situation, because we are conditioned that way. I vouch that Military veterans stand above par as most profiles which demand Managerial skills which we already possess. Yes. We might lack some Technical skills like software coding etc., but that's of a generation linked knowledge n skill, that will obviously be there at any point of time. Whatever said and done, Military veterans stand out to be a ready fit anywhere!
Head of the Department and Deputy Director- Corporate Resource Center at Amity University Gurugram
1 个月Hi Mandy, That is spot on. At Amity, we also have many armed forces professionals in the system. Their discipline, dedication, and decision to implement things to benefit the overall organisational objective are impeccable. Of course, with value, a value-oriented training program to create a balance between the work culture and emotions of such personalities will be a great combination to have in any working system in the private sector.