Hiring veteran employees is good business, it’s as simple as that. Veteran workers bring unique skills and perspectives to every workplace. They are goal-oriented, dedicated, and pay considerable attention to detail. Their go-getter and team player attitudes make them ideal workers capable of taking initiative when needed.
This is often why we see military vets in corporate leadership roles. Businesses in the United States value veteran workers and many will make a point to offer appreciation to veteran employees on every Veterans Day. While Veterans Day is a great opportunity to recognize and appreciate the efforts of all US military veterans, it is only a start.
How Businesses Can Extend Veteran Appreciation Beyond Veterans Day
November 11th of each year marks Veterans Day, a national holiday dedicated to the brave men and women who have served their country and their people. Veterans Day typically consists of parades and honoring local heroes who have served in the US military. A vet is a vet, regardless of whether their service was for four years or 40 years. Many businesses that employ veteran workers also show tokens of appreciation and gratitude to the heroes in their workforce. However, this may not be enough on its own.
Businesses need to extend their efforts past the national holiday and engage with veterans all year long in terms of appreciation and recognition. There are several key advantages to doing this. For one, you boost morale and motivation across veteran workers. For another, your appreciation of veteran workers displays that you value them and are willing to engage with them.
Finally, it encourages a sense of accomplishment and patriotism in your veteran employees. In turn, all of your veteran workers are encouraged to work harder and feel like they’re part of the larger workforce.
This is especially important when you have vets still transitioning from the rigors of military life to the corporate boardroom. It is even better for businesses like yours to offer consistent and continuous appreciation, beyond Veterans Day.
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Here are a few ways you may want to try:
Personalized E-Mails on Military Branch Birthdays
It’s too easy to group veterans as a singular body of individuals. However, they often have very different experiences in the military, based on the branch they were a part of. From the US Air Force to the US Navy to the Marine Corps, the United States has one of the most diverse military organizations in the world. Each veteran belongs to a specific branch of the military, and each branch offers these vets a sense of identity and camaraderie.
From a business manager or HR professional’s perspective, it is not that difficult to learn what branch of the military your workers served in. Like most militaries in the world, most US military branches have specific birthdays. Again, it is not that difficult to learn what date a specific branch was created on.
All that remains is to send out personalized emails on these dates to workers who served in those branches. For example, if you employ a significant number of former marines, you may want to send them a personalized appreciation message and engage with them every 10th of November.
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Offer Recognition to Spouses of Military Vets
Military veterans are deserving of our gratitude and thanks. So are military spouses. Any service member with a family can tell you how much they rely on their spouses to manage the homefront. Military spouses offer the emotional support and motivation that service members rely on to complete their tour of duty and return home safely. Even when deployed abroad, most service members will tell you that their spouses are equally deserving of honor and praise.
Remember, when we thank vets for their sacrifices, it doesn’t just mean injuries or even casualties sustained in the course of duty. It also includes the emotional sacrifice of being away from one’s family, very often in hostile and dangerous locales. Without being able to count on their spouse to step up at home, most service members would have to deal with additional stress in addition to the rigors of duty.
It would be fair to say that military spouses sacrifice almost as much as service members do. That is why if you have any military spouses in your workforce, they should be appreciated. Military Spouse Appreciation Day is a great time to send small, personalized notes and gift cards to these workers.
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Track and Appreciate Employees With Deployed Family
Finally, some of your employees may have children or dependents that are currently serving abroad in the military. A son or daughter in the military is often a source of great pride for many parents. However, it can also be stressful, especially if the deployment is in a dangerous combat zone. You may find that workers with children in the military often display symptoms of stress and anxiety. You should identify such employees, and offer them support and appreciation for their children.
At the same time, you could try and assemble periodic care packages for the family members deployed abroad. From snacks and goodies that are hard to find outside the United States, to thank-you notes and other gifts, a care package is one of the best things any person can receive. Outside of the country, serving in hostile territory, it can be an immense source of relief. That said, bear in mind that sending a care package may not always be possible. If it is, though, you should try to offer your support and appreciation.