Looking to Employ Highly Qualified and Talented People? Hire Veterans!

This article appeared in the Sep/Oct issue of MiMfg Magazine. Read the full issue and find past issues online.

I’ve often heard manufacturers say, “Just give me somebody who can show up to work on time, pass a drug test and is willing to learn and we’ll take it from there.” There’s a lot of truth in that statement but it’s also an indication that many manufacturers have given up on getting more highly qualified applicants to show up on their doorstep. There are many proactive ways for employers to combat this concern but possibly the most low-cost, high-impact option is to develop a strong program for recruitment and hiring of military veterans.

Anyone doing a quick search on the internet will discover hundreds of articles with titles like “Why Veterans Make Great Employees” or “10 Great Reasons to Hire Veterans”. You don’t need to read those articles to know what they say. Veterans have a proven track record of performance under pressure and sometimes in very challenging circumstances. They’ve received world-class technical and “soft skills” training and used that training in real-world situations. Highly valued skills like problem solving, teamwork and communication — along with strong work ethics, attention to detail and adaptability—are par for the course. And finally, multiple studies show that veterans are more productive and stick around longer than fellow civilian employees. If you want to do a deeper dive on all of this, check out The Business Case for Hiring a Veteran: Beyond the Clichés published by Syracuse University’s Institute for Veterans and Military Families.

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syracuse.edu/item/the-business-case-for-hiring-a-veteran-beyond-the-cliches

Given that the data and ROI is so compelling, why doesn’t every employer have a robust strategy and program for actively pursuing the hiring of veterans? I’m certain there are many reasons, but probably one of the biggest is the same reason most small to medium-size employers don’t have such strategies or programs for recruiting any targeted populations: time and personnel resource limits. Thankfully, there are many resources and people available to help and this article will touch on several of them. Starting at the national level, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS) assists both veterans seeking employment and employers who wish to hire them. From the VETS website, they offer a comprehensive Employer Guide to Hiring Veterans, access to the National Labor Exchange where companies can post job openings and more. There are VETS Regional Veterans’ Employment Coordinators across the country who exist to connect local, regional and national employers to federal, state and local resources that facilitate employment and retention of service members, veterans and military spouses. Michigan is covered by the Chicago Region and there’s an office in Lansing.

Get More!

dol.gov/agencies/vets/employers

dol.gov/agencies/vets/about/regionaloffices/chicago#mi

Michigan’s Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) also provides services through the LEO Workforce Development Office of Veterans’ Employment Services (VES), which integrates closely with the regional Michigan Works! agencies and the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency (MVAA). For direct assistance on connecting with veterans seeking employment in your local area, the Business Services team at your local Michigan Works! is often your best first contact. They can also assist your company with a host of recruiting, hiring and funding for training needs.

Get More!

michigan.gov/leo/bureaus-agencies/wd/panel-veterans

michigan.gov/mvaa

michiganworks.org/business-services

Here are a few more resources that focus on the finding and hiring phase:

• Hiring Our Heroes, a national effort spearheaded by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, connects military service members, spouses and veterans with American businesses to create economic opportunity and a strong and diversified workforce.
  Get More!
  hiringourheroes.org
• Hire Heroes USA is a nonprofit that provides employment assistance to thousands of military members and their spouses each year and works with companies interested in hiring and retaining veterans. They bill themselves as “the most effective veteran employment nonprofit in the country” and they have impact numbers to back up that claim.
  Get More!
  hireheroesusa.org
• Founded in 2011, the Veteran Jobs Mission is a coalition of over 300 employers, large and small from virtually every industry. These employers have collectively hired over 900,000 veterans and military spouses during that time. Resources on their website for employers include Veteran Employment Startup Guides — including one tailored to small- to medium-size businesses, an HR Toolkit, info on how to launch a Pathfinder peer-mentoring program for veterans and more.
  Get More!
  veteranjobsmission.com
• Specific to manufacturing, the Manufacturing Readiness Project is a pilot initiative of the National Association of Manufacturers’ Manufacturing Institute that “aims to make military experience comprehensible to civilian employers via a digital credentialing system”. And their Heroes MAKE America program provides transitioning military personnel with manufacturing-related skills and helps connect these veterans to manufacturing employers.
  Get More!
  nam.org/workforce
  
  themanufacturinginstitute.org/heroes-make-america