Most businesses value veterans within their workforce. In fact, veteran inclusivity is a powerful part of any employer brand. On the other hand, many companies struggle to attract, onboard, and retain veteran workers over the long term. A primary reason for this is that job descriptions for civilian roles contain language intended to attract civilian candidates. And as a result, the job description ends up excluding veteran candidates altogether, even among employers open to hiring veterans. Job descriptions that contain veteran-inclusive verbiage substantially increase the chances of attracting veteran talent. Here are three key ways to do this that businesses should consider exploring:
Job Descriptions must Include Military Occupational Codes
Military roles are defined by a standardized occupational coding system. These help employers and veteran candidates to better understand what skills are necessary for the role in question. There are numerous sources businesses might utilize to obtain these codes, including the U.S. Department of Labor. Each code corresponds to a specific position in the military, which can then be mapped against the position being offered by a civilian employer. Using these codes, businesses can match the necessary skills against a military position, while veteran candidates can quickly assess whether or not they possess the skills needed for a role for which they are applying. The use of occupational codes radically streamlines to sourcing and hiring process and reduces the need for extensive screening of veteran candidates.
The Language in Job Descriptions Must be Relatable to Vets
Another further aspect of the job description to which employers must pay attention to is the verbiage itself. Simply put, the language used in a job description needs to be as relatable as possible to veteran candidates. This necessarily requires elimination of the conventional corporate jargon, niche-specific acronyms, and other information that may appear unfamiliar to a candidate transitioning out of the military. The resulting job description must be clear, list all the necessary requirements and responsibilities, and describe the day-to-day work expectations in such a way that a veteran or military spouse can align it to his or her current competencies. Similarly, the job description should be clear on how job performance is evaluated and what processes and policies are in place to ensure such efficiencies.
Job Postings must Reach Veterans Through the Right Channels
Businesses must ensure their veteran-inclusive job postings are properly visible to the veterans they seek to recruit. Civilian job boards can and do fall short of gaining traction with veterans. Instead, businesses should reach out through veteran-specific programs like the local VA center, local Veteran Employment Representatives, and Disabled Veterans Outreach programs. These organizations, by virtue of having stronger connections within the veteran community, are far more likely to render access to veteran talent pools.
Work with Specialized Veteran Recruiters
The most efficient way for businesses to hire veterans is for them to work with specialized staffing services. To be more specific, businesses should explore partnering with agencies specializing in veteran recruitment. These staffing firms boast recruiters with a comprehensive understanding of veteran candidates and veteran recruiting. Leveraging their knowledge, experience, and expertise, veteran recruiters are able to fill open roles, locate specialized veteran talent, and help translate civilian business needs to veteran candidates. Over the long term, such staffing partners can reduce both the costs and the timelines associated with veteran hiring.
Conclusion
For businesses to boost veteran inclusivity within their workforces, they may need to revamp the ways they reach out to and attract veteran candidates. This might necessarily include a complete overhaul of job descriptions, and a deeper understanding of how the military structures and identifies specific roles, in addition to greater focus on channels of communication built specifically for the veteran community. Partnership with veteran-centric recruitment agencies can further increase hiring efficiency while reducing costs over time. These items are not an exhaustive list of measures that businesses can take to become more veteran-inclusive, but they do offer some meaningful course of action with that goal in mind.