Tried & True, Veterans Get the Job Done

476273001Veteran hiring is a hot topic among business leaders today. Ultimately, the decision to hire a military veteran for a project or a job needs to make smart business sense. The concept of “helping veterans” by providing them with jobs isn’t tangible enough in today’s business world. To top it off, the charitable concept is downright insulting to veterans. As a veteran myself, I can confidently say we do not want — nor are we comfortable with — taking a handout. Instead, veterans want to be evaluated and valued based on their finely tuned skills, sense of character and the competitive advantage they offer.

PREMIUM CONTENT: Diversity Staffing Firms

Military veterans offer a number of competitive business advantages, including:

  • They show up. Let’s face it, there’s a reason people say “showing up is half-the battle.” After proudly and voluntarily serving their nation, military veterans have demonstrated they are dependable and can be trusted to show up and be present.
  • Trainable. Training, ramp-up time and information retention represent a huge cost for most businesses. Without question, veterans are highly trainable, not likely to quit, and are unequivocally committed to success.
  • Disciplined. Businesses need staff to be disciplined and stay focused on the task or objective at hand. Veterans have learned to achieve a high degree of discipline, resulting in increased self-control, character and efficiency.
  • Team players. Especially when it comes to solving complex or multi-tiered problems, a team approach offers a variety of perspectives and expertise beneficial for identifying and delivering a workable solution.  Military veterans are very accustomed to working together as a cohesive unit in order to accomplish objectives.
  • Committed. High turnover can be very costly to a business and can be multiplied given the expense involved to get new staff up-to-speed. An honorable discharge in the military is similar to a four-year degree and demonstrates the ability to stay true and accomplish a long-term goal.

Businesses should look at any veteran hiring program as a strategic advantage. By their very nature, military veterans have demonstrated they can strengthen a business culture, add value to existing team members, boost teamwork and positively impact the bottom line.

 

MORE: Why veterans are model employees

Darren Hicks

Darren Hicks
Darren Hicks is president of Hicks Professional Group. He is also a veteran who served honorably for nine years as a Combat Decorated Navy SEAL before being injured on deployment in the Middle East and receiving disabled veteran status from the VA.

Darren Hicks

Share This Post

Tweet

Related Articles

2 Responses to “Tried & True, Veterans Get the Job Done”

  1. Anonymous says:

    […] Hicks, a writer at the Staffing Stream, wrote a recent article about how hiring veterans are a hot topic. Of course, the person being […]

Powered by staffingindustry.com ·