Diversity Hiring and its Negative Impact on Veterans

I live on a street with two #humanresources leaders. We got into a conversation where we were all trading notes on #diversityandinclusion #hiring bias. They said the secret stuff out loud regarding their organization's hiring biases that I thought would be of interest to share without mentioning names.

This particular organization boldly advertises its success with #diversity recruiting on every social media platform. However, they limit their focus on hiring veterans to their trucking and warehouse jobs for these are hard to fill and they have appreciated how those who have honorably served are good at embracing the suck for a very long duration.

In their conversations, they indicated that their HR peers made little effort to understand military leadership philosophy and the value it can bring an organization higher up the chart. Veterans deal with several challenges re-entering the workforce after serving in the military, so making an effort to employ veterans consciously is a great way to thank them for their service while also benefiting from the knowledge and skills that come with experience in the military.

In addition to the social and business benefits of hiring veterans, there are also government incentives for businesses that hire veterans. Below are many ideas that employers should consider:

Salary subsidies during training

The VA has on-the-job training funds through the Veteran Readiness and Employment program. It subsidizes a veteran’s wages so that you can pay them an entry-level wage during their training, allowing you to get a talented applicant while offsetting onboarding costs. The VA subsidy slowly decreases as the veteran becomes more experienced at your business and completes training.

Salary reimbursement

The Special Employer Incentive (SEI) program is another VA benefit that reimburses employers for hiring veterans who meet specific requirements. This program can reimburse up to half of the employee’s salary for a maximum of six months, plus the cost of instruction, any loss of productivity that your business incurs during training, and any supplies and equipment. The SEI is designed for veterans who struggle to get jobs after serving, and eligibility is determined case-by-case.

Free assistance

Another VA program you can take advantage of is the Non-Paid Work Experience program , which places veterans who want specific career training at registered businesses. Your business saves on labor costs because you do not pay participants directly, providing training and on-the-job work experience. At the same time, the VA gives the veteran a monthly stipend for their participation in the program. This program is usually short-term but can provide free assistance and may connect you with a motivated veteran to hire as a permanent employee after training.

Improved accessibility

You may be eligible for free upgrades to your workplace to make it more accessible to any veterans you hire. The VA can pay for modifications to your workplace that not only make it easier for disabled veterans to complete their work but also make the workplace more accessible for all current and future employees. They can also provide accessible assistive technology and specialized tools, cultivating an equitable environment beyond the initial hire.

Work ethic

Veterans often have an impressive work ethic. Learning to work hard and use determination to accomplish a goal is one of the primary skills everyone learns when they first enter the armed forces. They are highly focused on the tasks they need to accomplish and work well as a team, ensuring that everyone contributes their part to a successful project. Veterans may be used to working in uncomfortable, stressful situations, making them well-prepared for the challenges of a civilian job.

Organization

Because of the regimented military structure, veterans can bring impressive organizational skills to your business. They are used to setting a schedule and maintaining habits in the military, which they can apply to their work schedule. The high-pressure environment of the military means that veterans learn how to keep track of all their priorities so that everything they need to accomplish gets done.

Accountability

Veterans have high personal accountability and can also encourage others on their team to be more efficient and dedicated to their work. Making mistakes can have deadly consequences in the military, so veterans are committed to taking responsibility for their behavior. They take their assignments seriously and strive for excellence, just like they did when working as a precise part of a team.

Leadership

The military's hierarchical structure means that veterans are used to taking on extra responsibility and assuming leadership roles. They observed different leadership styles from their commanding officers and likely had leadership responsibilities themselves throughout their military career. As a result, veteran employees have a high aptitude to grow in their company, mentor others, and make strategic decisions. Leadership experience starts accruing in basic training for many and is not synonymous with rank.

Conclusion

If you’re interested in hiring a veteran for your team, I will serve your organization at no cost for all Executive level roles. Designing more equitable processes requires systems change , which can be achieved through two approaches: weeding out and correcting for bias. Where possible, we can try to reduce bias in organizational procedures, both in how we appeal to applicants and how we evaluate them. And we can implement systems to correct for bias — starting from the assumption that it’s there, and deliberately adjusting for it.