Moving from military duty to the civilian workforce is a significant life change. Veterans come from diverse backgrounds, experiences, and roles during their service, which sometimes can be difficult to translate in a 9-to-5 world.
However, several initiatives and programs help veterans transition to the civilian workforce while benefiting their employers and society. These initiatives typically include resources for veterans, military spouses, and families, and employment prospects.
Below are some resources and organizations your company can partner with to support veterans in your business.
Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve
Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) is a U.S. Department of Defense program that supports veterans transitioning to civilian employment by promoting a positive relationship between military reservists and potential employers. Nationally, thousands of ESGR volunteers work hard to:
Promote employer support and education by teaching companies about their employees’ military rights and duties and promoting a supportive work environment for vets.
Provide information and resources such as tools, policies, and laws related to military service and civilian employment.
Mediate if employment issues arise by finding resolutions, ensuring that the vets’ legal rights are protected and reducing employment-related challenges.
Companies can leverage ESGR by:
Tapping into its network to help connect businesses with veterans.
Using training and development programs to bridge the gap between military and civilian employment. For example, this can be done by providing workshops and education to veterans on resume writing, interview skills, and similar.
Implementing supportive HR policies that accommodate vets’ unique needs. In addition, consider leveraging employee resource groups for veterans to provide support, foster a sense of belonging, and provide valuable resources for veterans joining the civilian workforce.
Hiring Our Heroes
Hiring Our Heroes (HOH) is an initiative to connect veterans, service members, and military spouses with U.S. companies to create meaningful employment opportunities.
HOH offers various services, events, and resources to support the military community transitioning to the civilian workforce. Your company can tap into their services through:
Military fellowship programs: Your company can collaborate with HOH to offer fellowship programs that help veterans transition to civilian labor by providing training, counseling, and hands-on work experience.
Hiring events: Consider participating in HOH job fairs and similar hiring events regularly held nationwide, which connect employers to military members actively seeking employment. Additionally, HOH provides programs and resources to military spouses to assist them in maintaining their careers despite the unique military lifestyle and frequent relocation.
Coaching and education: Companies can work with HOH to organize workshops and education on resume writing or offer veterans access to interview preparation and career counseling.
Online resources: HOH offers virtual job fairs and workshops, to effectively connect with a broader audience within the military community seeking employment opportunities.
Additional Resources and Support
Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve and Hiring Our Heroes are just two organizations your company can partner with to support veterans and other military community members looking for civilian employment.
Another possibility is to reach out to your local Veteran Services Organization and inquire about their level of support or to contact the State Workforce Development Department and get in touch with their section dedicated to recruiting and retaining veterans.
Companies may also want to consider exploring resources and employment programs provided by Disabled American Veterans or Recruit Military.
Veterans’ trustworthiness, resilience, adaptability to change, and problem-solving and teamwork skills can be valuable assets to any company.
HR.Coach helps businesses that support veterans who transition to the civilian workforce
Veterans leaving military duty and entering the civilian workforce have unique needs and backgrounds that can sometimes be challenging to translate to a 9-to-5 environment. Training and coaching or internal programs can help your organization tap into their talents. HR.Coach can help; to learn more, simply contact us.
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