A Call To Duty:

Strategies for Recruiting and Hiring Veterans

MiAHCR January 9, 2014Michael A. Poyma, U.S. Dept of Veterans Affairs

Topics

• Military Culture

• Obstacles Veterans Face

• Challenges to Employers

• The Business Case for Hiring Veterans

• Sourcing Veteran Talent

• Veteran-Friendly Practices

• Recommended Reading and Resources

Military Culture

• Joining the military

• From one to team

• Chain of Command

• Deployment

• Combat

• Separating from service

Obstacles Veterans Face

• Transition from military to civilian

• From team to one

• Re-assimilation, self-advocacy, and social / professional norms

• Transferable skills translation

• Lack of work experience prior to military

• Lack of job-seeking experience prior to military

• Pursuit of higher education

• Military and veteran stereotyping

Challenges to Employers

• Transferable skills translation

• Perceptions of acclimation issues

• Stereotypes

• Future Deployments

• Too many (different) resources

The Business Case for Hiring Veterans

• Entrepreneurial

• Assume high levels of trust

• Adept at skills transfer across tasks

• Advanced technical training

• Discontinuous, uncertain environments

• Resiliency

• Team-builders and organizational commitment

• Cross-cultural experience and diverse work settings

The Business Case for Hiring Veterans (continued)

• Succession Planning Advantage

• Education and training savings

• VA Healthcare = lower insurance rates

• Tax credits and other incentives

• Company image and public relations

Sourcing Veteran Talent

• Low / no-cost solutions• State Workforce Agency• VA VR&E• Universities• H2H – MI Talent Connect• Outreach and events targeted to veterans

Veteran-Friendly Practices• Identify veteran employees• Information and training towards creating a

veteran-friendly work environment• Encourage informational interviewing, mentoring,

and internship opportunities• Veterans in human resource positions• Amend position descriptions• Buddy systems help with acclimation process• Affinity programs help retention• ESGR Statement of Support / Freedom Award

Recommended Reading and Resources

• Veterans Hiring Toolkit

• National Resource Directory

• Onetonline.org

• SHRM surveys

• Business Case

• Employing America’s Veterans

• TALENT 2025 Veterans Hiring Guide

Michigan

• Michigan Veterans: A Workforce Study• Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency (MVAA) • West Michigan Veterans Coalition• Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve

(ESGR)• LinkedIn: Michigan Veterans Employment

Solutions• Michigan Veterans Employment Council

Questions?

Michael Poyma

Employment Specialist

Dept. of Veterans Affairs

3001 Coolidge Rd. Suite 401

East Lansing, MI 48823

517-203-0947

Michael.poyma@va.gov