What’s holding veterans back in the job market?

Countries around the world set aside time each year to honor their military veterans. The United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and many others do this on Nov. 11 in the form of Veterans Day or Armistice Day. These days also provide us with an opportunity to shine a light on the areas where veterans face challenges after their service — including the job market.

One major stumbling block is that the skills veterans gained during their service are often discounted by employers, George Anders, my colleague, wrote last week. As a result, companies miss out on the benefits of hiring or fully utilizing veteran employees.

Compared to their colleagues without military backgrounds, new LinkedIn research found that veterans stay at jobs longer, are promoted earlier, are better educated and have more work experience.

Implicit bias

Unconscious biases appear to play a role in keeping veterans unemployed or underemployed, which is when a person can’t find enough paid work or work that matches their skills. A recent study found that people involved in hiring decisions often treat veterans differently than other applicants, for example.

A team of researchers from three different universities conducted a series of surveys to see how people, including those who make hiring decisions, viewed veterans.

Participants were presented with resumes that were similar — except for one resume listing military service. When asked to match candidates to positions, participants consistently matched military veterans with jobs that didn’t require interacting with people or understanding emotions.

“Across different studies we found that people thought veterans were better suited for jobs that are procedural or just doing stuff,” said Steven Shepherd, one of the study’s authors and an assistant professor at the Spears School of Business at Oklahoma State University.

Shepherd told me that the study does not say veterans have less emotional or social skills, but it’s important to understand how people view others with military backgrounds. “To combat stereotypes, they need to be understood and confronted.”

Overcoming bias

In addition to hiring managers identifying and keeping their biases in check, Shepherd and his fellow researchers were able to identify one method veterans can use to possibly guard against those preconceived beliefs. 

When the researchers showed participants a veteran’s resume that highlighted an experience that required social and emotional skills, they were no longer subjected to the bias. For example, the resume highlighted that the veteran had volunteered at a shelter working with, understanding and caring for animals.

“Just including that seemed to basically eliminate the bias,” said Shepherd.

He said the burden shouldn’t fall on veterans to correct people’s biases but said highlighting social and emotional skills couldn’t hurt. “It just seemed that it eliminated the bias.”

Are you a military veteran who has struggled to find work — or the right work? Join the conversation.

? The follow-up:

Job seekers send a lot of their information each day to companies around the globe. What happens to the data after a person is no longer being considered for a job? In the last edition of #GetHired, we heard from two experts who told us how their companies handle job seekers’ data. Overall, the handling of the data depends on where the company is located and its own internal practices. Many recruiters may have their own processes. Here’s what people are saying about data privacy and security.

? #GetHired LIVE:

Speaking of veterans, we’re launching #GetHired Live on Tuesday, Nov. 12 at 1 p.m. ET with a conversation about veterans in the workforce. I’ll be chatting with Michael Quinn, who will stick around and answer your job search questions with Lisa Orbe-Austin, PhD, at the end of the show. Follow the LinkedIn Editors’ page to get notified when we go live and submit your questions in the comments below or email them to GetHired[at]LinkedIn.com.

? Other news to help you #GetHired:

Europe can’t find workers. While companies have openings for software engineers and other skilled workers, job training hasn’t kept up with demand. The vocational schools that produced those workers were hobbled by the last economic downturn and still lack funding and support. Studies also suggest prospective students want to avoid jobs tied to manufacturing, which they think is “doomed,” reports The Wall Street Journal. EU data show production at 17% of industrial companies is held back by a lack of labor. Here’s what people are saying about the labor shortage.

Canada just reported a loss of 1,800 jobs. The most-recent data from Statistics Canada shows the country’s unemployment rate remained at 5.5%, but the country saw job losses due to layoffs in construction and manufacturing. The recent General Motors strike also added to the loss. Despite the disappearing jobs, the government agency said employment was still up 2.4% year-over-year. Here’s what people are saying about the latest numbers.

Do you know the nuance of networking? Networking may come naturally to some people, but others may need to practice how to work a room. After all, interactions at business networking events — especially those involving senior leaders — need to be handled with care, reports Fast Company. Some actions to avoid:

• Don’t do casual introductions
• Don’t be self-centered
• Don’t forget to follow-up

Here’s what people are saying about the advice.

? Up next:

We’re approaching a busy holiday season, when hiring managers and recruiters will sporadically be out of the office. What’s the best way to job hunt during the holidays? We’ll look at a few tactics to help you navigate the season in the next edition of #GetHired. Let me know in the comments below if you plan to change your job search methods during the holidays.

Thanks for reading! Feel free to reach out to me if you have ideas on topics or questions I should address in future editions of #GetHired. You can also email me at GetHired[at]LinkedIn.com.