Look at Everything You Gain by Hiring Veterans

July 25 is recognized as National Hire a Veteran Day, but it’s always the right time to add motivated, trained, and experienced veterans to your organization. 

Our organization and all of our providers embrace the legacy of service from veterans and welcomes exceptional candidates. We encourage employers to consider former service members and their invaluable contributions. 

Why Veterans Make Outstanding Employees

Few civilians appreciate the rigorous training and performance standards that an active-duty soldier, sailor, airman, or Marine must undergo. When their tour of duty is completed, their experience, leadership, and critical thinking skills make them valuable assets in today’s global workforce.

Veterans have cross-functional skills that come from real-world situations, whether they were in combat or not. Their laser-like focus on the mission at hand and unique understanding of teamwork can dramatically benefit your company. 

Six Powerful Reasons to Hire a Veteran

Proven Leadership 

Veterans have the attributes that are essential to effective leadership. They can see the big picture but know that the smallest detail can ultimately make or break a mission or goal. They typically have experience overseeing and directing others. Veterans realize that a strong chain is only as reliable as its weakest link. 

Immediate Contributors

Veterans can immediately contribute to your organization because of their training and invaluable experience. They are motivated self-starters who often require less supervision, allowing you to allocate management elsewhere. 

Calm Under Pressure

Intensive training gives veterans the ability to handle stressful situations without losing perspective. They remain calm under pressure and during a crisis. Veterans are more likely to bring cohesiveness and control, and can defuse a tense situation. 

Mission-Driven

Veterans are accustomed to working across many disciplines and involving diverse people. They think, act, and lead intending to improve the entire organization. Their ambitions tend to be focused on improving the organization instead of only themselves.

Open to Constructive Criticism

Most veterans are used to debriefing after a mission to assess its effectiveness and identify areas for improvement. Because veterans are team-oriented, they’re more open to constructive criticism. 

Maturity and Restraint

Veterans tend to be more mature than civilian counterparts because their actions and decisions may affect many others – in some cases, on a life-or-death basis. They learn to act, not react, which provides a more thoughtful response. 

Additional Incentives to Hire Veterans: Reduce Tax Load

Hiring veterans brings many kinds of rewards to your business. You can also reduce your tax load and add revenue to your bottom line for new and existing veteran hires. Organizations and firms with a high-level commitment to hiring and retaining veterans may receive the HIRE Vets Medallion Award, the only federal-level veterans’ employment award.

How Hiring a Veteran Tax Credits Work

The U.S. Department of Labor (DoL) offers incentive programs from $1,200 to $9,600 for businesses that hire qualified military veterans. 

Tax credits for hiring veterans apply directly to the bottom line. They are applied dollar-for-dollar against federal taxes and carried forward for up to 20 years. 

Resources for Employers 

Below is a list of resources to make recruiting, training, and retaining veterans easier for companies both large and small. 

  • Connect with veterans near you using the Regional Veterans’ Employment Coordinators (RVEC) program. The RVEC assists local, regional, and national companies in their search for qualified veterans to employ. 
  • Get the facts about hiring veterans. The Department of Labor’s Employer Guide to Hiring Veterans shares federal, state and other resources for employers to facilitate veteran employment.
  • Hire or rehire a veteran with a service-connected disability. The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) makes it easier with their vocational rehab and employment programs
  • CareerOneStop is a complete resource for employers and job-seekers, including career exploration, training, and current job listings. This free source is sponsored by the Department of Labor. 

Everyday Can Be Hire a Veteran Day!

American businesses are experiencing a historic labor shortage. According to CNN, the nation had 11.5 million available jobs in March – and not enough workers to fill them. 

Many successful businesses seek veterans for their valuable skills.