Small businesses have always been a critical part of the American economy. They are one of the largest sectors offering employment to the domestic workforce. In fact, according to a report by the Small Business Administration in 2021, 32 million small businesses employ nearly 46% of the total American workforce.
While this highlights the importance of small businesses as an effective employment sector, the number of veterans working for these businesses is disproportionately lower, especially when compared to other worker demographics. This blog explores some options for small businesses to boost success when they hire veterans. Read on to discover more.
Hire Locally Available Talent
Small businesses often operate locally, drawing on regional talent pools. There is nothing wrong with this approach. Depending on the business location, this might also lend itself to hiring more military vets and military spouses. It could prove helpful for small businesses to engage with local veteran communities, seeking to hire talent from among local talent pools. After active service, most vets prefer to settle in their hometowns or lay down permanent roots in a new location. In either case, the chances of turnover due to relocation are usually far lower than among other demographics.
Get Help from Transition Programs
Small businesses operating near military bases can also leverage their proximity to that talent pool to boost veteran recruitment. Most military bases in the United States, regardless of the branch of service, usually have a Transition Assistance Program on-site. These programs are typically aimed at helping outgoing service members to transition into new, meaningful roles. Reaching out to these offices can help small businesses gain access to veteran talent faster and with a greater chance of locating a quality hire.
Create Veteran-Friendly “Military Door”
A “military door” is a term used among veterans to describe an employer that is perceived to have veteran-friendly hiring practices. Typically, these employers have engaged veteran employees in the past. A military door can be as simple as a separate career page for veteran candidates or a statement on a business website that highlights veteran-friendly hiring. This can prove very effective at attracting talent with military experience.
Supplement Salary with Better Benefits
With changing employment trends and employee behaviors, offering a salary-only compensation plan is often no longer a sufficient incentive. Instead, small businesses may find more success in attracting vets with more meaningful benefits and compensation packages. Of course, small firms are more limited than larger businesses when it comes to perks and benefits, but they can still effectively promote their meaningful benefits and work options. Like all credible talent, when veterans are encouraged by holistic employment opportunities, businesses usually see an uptick in their recruitment and retention.
Move Past Age Bias
Age bias can impair a small business’s ability to source and onboard military veterans above 60 years of age. This may not seem like much, but that’s usually because most employers undervalue soft skills in veteran candidates. Older veterans may not always be suited to working on construction crews or operating heavy machinery, but that does not reduce their ability to learn, pay attention to detail, and add value to their role. Veterans already face a lot of unconscious bias from recruiters, and age bias further accentuates this problem. Looking beyond the bias may help firms hire the extremely valuable talent they would otherwise have overlooked.
Explore Remote Hiring Options
Remote work mechanisms are not new, but in the past two years, they have gained more popularity across employers and workforces. Hiring for remote roles allows small businesses to draw on a broader talent pool than can be found locally. In addition, with the employment landscape in continuous flux, remote working flexibility can attract veteran candidates as a standalone benefit.
Address Conscious or Unconscious Hiring Bias
Hiring bias, whether conscious or unconscious, can impact hiring mechanisms as well as workforce composition. Eliminating hiring bias should always be a top priority for employers; this is especially true for the hiring of veterans, who already have to fight an uphill battle to gain the same consideration as a civilian candidate.
Leverage Existing Veteran Employees as Advocates
Small businesses with workforces comprised of veterans have a distinct advantage over more homogenous organizations. Most veteran candidates will usually feel more comfortable with employers that already have veterans working for them. These existing employees can become valuable candidates, assisting the business in recruitment specific to veteran candidates, especially in hiring, onboarding, and integration within the workforce.
Work with Specialized Recruiters
Specialized veteran recruiters deliver more value than civilian recruiters with candidates who have served in the military. CGT Vets and similar recruiters have a great deal of experience dealing with veteran talent. They tend to be more empathic to such candidates and can address their concerns more effectively. Most importantly, veteran recruiters can help candidates translate their valuable military experience into civilian employment.