How veterans can help employers design better workplaces

November marks the month when Americans express gratitude to veterans for their bravery and service. However, it should also be a time for employers to critically analyze their workforce systems to recruit, hire, and retain veterans effectively. While it is evident that veterans have relatively low unemployment rates, the challenges they face in transitioning from military to civilian life are still significant.

Employers need to recognize and utilize the skills of veterans to help them secure quality jobs and better care for themselves and their families. Translating military experience into terms that hiring managers and AI screening tools understand is a major hurdle for veterans. This task usually falls on the veterans themselves, who must explain how their military service can add value to an employer.

Veterans possess many competencies that businesses increasingly value, such as leadership, decision-making, communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and the ability to perform under pressure while adapting to change. However, without prioritizing highly transferable skills, companies miss out on leveraging veterans' unique assets.

Recruitment is just one aspect of supporting veterans' transitions from military to civilian employment. Employers should focus on designing, testing, and scaling strategies that recognize and develop veterans' talents throughout their careers. This involves providing effective onboarding, talent development, and continuous learning opportunities to ensure veterans' career success.

For veterans with disabilities, who make up around 34% of U.S. veterans, designing workforce systems that cater to their needs is crucial. Employers should identify and remove barriers that hinder the hiring and career development of disabled veterans. By creating people-centered processes and tailored career development initiatives, employers can facilitate employees' access to resources that help them achieve workplace success.

As the military-to-civilian workforce transition continues, employers should rethink how they welcome and support veterans. This involves understanding the diverse ways in which experience, skills, and capabilities manifest. National Veterans and Military Families Month provides an opportunity for the country to do more than just thank veterans for their service.

It is also a chance to honor their service by implementing tangible opportunities for them to achieve economic mobility.