Veterans make many sacrifices, yet they often find it challenging to get work upon their return. Luckily, companies are beginning to realize the benefits of hiring veterans. For one, you can receive tax credits for hiring veterans—and you’ll be hiring a terrific and highly qualified worker.
When considering how to hire veterans, you must create a job description that includes veteran-specific language and post it to veteran-targeted job boards like Hire Heroes USA. You’ll then review and interview your candidates (noting that gaps in employment or frequent moves are likely related to their military service) and ultimately make a great hire.
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Step 1: Write the Job Description & Determine Salary
Your job description is crucial, as it lays the foundation for the position. It should include as much detail as possible about the work you need done, as well as the key skills that a qualified worker should have. Also, include information about military roles that are similar to the role you’re hiring for and include language veterans might be familiar with to describe responsibilities, tasks, etc. Read our guide to writing a job description to learn more about how to approach this part of the process.
At this stage, you also need to figure out the salary for this role. You may not be able to provide exactly the same salary and benefits as the military, so you need to take this into account, especially when discussing salary with candidates.
Make sure you know similar military positions and check those salary levels, along with salary levels for similar non-military roles. If you use benchmarking software or if you already have other people in similar positions, it may be easy to create your salary range. If not, set aside time to do market research and make sure you’re offering a competitive wage. Otherwise, you can check our recommendations for the best salary comparison tools to have an easier time with this.
Step 2: Post Job Ad
When you’re targeting veteran workers, you need to adjust what you include in your job advertisement. This is especially important if your job is one that someone with a military background could excel in. Learn more about how to approach this step in our guide to writing an effective job ad.
Familiarize yourself with the Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) codes used in the different branches of service, as each branch uses different codes to describe certain job qualifications. For example, Army MOS code 36A refers to financial management—if you’re hiring an accountant or even a payroll specialist, this may be a good code to include in your veteran job ad. Using these codes in your job ad could garner increased search results, and it speaks the language of the veteran, making them feel welcomed.
There are many general job boards where you can post your job, some for free. CareerOneStop is run by the US Department of Labor—and, while it doesn’t specifically target vets, it’s a great place to post your job for additional exposure. You should also consider some job board options specifically targeting veterans:
You can check our list of recommended job boards—we even note some dedicated specifically for veterans. Besides posting your job online, you can also connect with local veterans’ organizations. Ask if they will share your job opening with their membership.
Step 3: Review Applicants
After getting a batch of candidates, you need to screen your applicants. Make sure you keep in mind that you’re looking at people with military backgrounds, so there may be gaps in employment or frequent job title and location moves—these aren’t negatives but instead just the military way. Keep an eye out for transferable skills and experiences that align with your job requirements.
It’s a good idea to have a list of must-haves to compare to each resume. Make sure you know what a comparable military position would be so you can check for similar attributes. Don’t expect everything—no one will match up perfectly. But if you have a list of a dozen or so key skills necessary to do the job, you can quickly sort through the resumes.
Look at each resume for how it matches up to your must-haves list. The more matches you get, the better. Check our guide for an effective resume screening process to streamline your effort.
Step 4: Interview Candidates
After screening, you will need to schedule interviews with the most qualified candidates. Keep this list to about 10 or fewer. You don’t want to overwhelm yourself with the time required to conduct all the interviews.
Although an email will typically do, we recommend calling them to notify them of their interview schedule—this also allows you to ask some quick phone interview questions to screen applicants some more. With this, you can gauge their interest level and even ask them a few quick questions to further understand their qualifications.
When you sit down with candidates, we recommend you follow a structured interview process where you ask each candidate the same questions. Not only does this help avoid discrimination, it lets you evaluate each candidate based on their answers to the same questions.
With military candidates, you should also dive into their military training and experience. Don’t ask about their discharge or where they served. Instead, ask about how their military service has prepared them to work for your company.
Step 5: Call References & Run a Background Check
Once you’ve interviewed the most qualified candidates, you’ll hopefully have one shine as the person you want to hire. Even if you narrow it down to two or three, that’s a good step.
Veterans often have gaps in their employment history, especially those who served for a long time or stayed in the reserves. As such, getting references can sometimes be challenging. However, you should still ask for three supervisory references so you can get a better idea of what it’s like to manage the veteran.
You’ll have limited time with the reference, so make sure you ask direct questions. Avoid asking any questions about the veteran’s military service and if that impacted their ability to do the job. Some of the information may be classified, so it’s best to focus your questions on gathering insights about the veteran’s work ethic, character, and abilities. For more detailed information, check our guide on how to conduct an employment reference check.
You may also want to run a background check. Not every position requires one, but if the job will include confidential work or financial information, you should consider running one. Make sure you get the veteran’s signature first before you run a background check.
Step 6: Make a Job Offer
When you’ve gone through all the above steps, you’ll have a veteran you want to hire. Call them to give them the good news so you can gauge their excitement level and discuss any final details, like salary and start date.
Once you and the candidate have agreed to all the terms, write a formal offer letter. Make sure the letter includes:
- Job title
- Salary and pay frequency
- Employee classification
- Start date
- Reporting structure
Include the full job description with the offer letter. Having the candidate sign off on their ability to handle the duties of the job lets you more easily hold them accountable if they fail to meet your expectations. Send the offer letter to the candidate and give them several days to review, sign, and send it back. Once you’ve received the signed offer letter back, it’s time to begin the onboarding process.
How Hiring Veterans Differs From Hiring Civilians
Hiring veterans is relatively similar to hiring civilian employees. However, there are a few key differences:
- The military has its own culture and language, which may not translate directly for a “regular” workforce. Understanding their jargon and mindset will help you better identify a veteran’s skills and experiences.
- Veterans may have difficulty translating their military skills into civilian terms, so you need to be proactive in recognizing and helping them articulate their skills during the hiring process.
- Veterans often face unique challenges when transitioning from military to civilian life, so offering them support through mentorship, career resources, and skills development can help create a more inclusive and welcoming work environment
Benefits of Hiring Veterans
Highly Qualified & Skilled Employees
There are many reasons to hire veterans. Many vets are extremely well trained, and that translates into hard workers who can add extreme value to your organization.
Veterans receive extensive training in various fields, ranging from logistics and engineering to healthcare and IT. This specialized training often equates to a higher level of expertise than their civilian counterparts, allowing small businesses to benefit from their advanced skills and knowledge. Small businesses can save on training costs and time, as veterans are likely to hit the ground running and require less initial training.
The military instills a strong work ethic and discipline in its service members. Veterans are accustomed to working in high-pressure environments and are highly adaptable, enabling them to quickly adjust to new situations and overcome challenges.
Their dedication to completing tasks efficiently and effectively makes them excellent employees who contribute to a more productive and goal-oriented work environment. For small businesses with limited resources, having employees with a strong work ethic is invaluable.
Many veterans have experience leading teams, making difficult decisions, and taking responsibility for their actions. These leadership skills are transferable to the civilian workforce and can be particularly useful for small businesses that need employees capable of managing projects and teams. By hiring veterans with leadership skills, small businesses can cultivate a team of dedicated and responsible individuals who contribute to a positive work environment.
Veterans are trained to think critically and solve complex problems under pressure. They are often skilled at identifying potential issues before they become significant problems and developing creative solutions to address them. This ability to think strategically and make informed decisions can be an asset to any organization.
Military service emphasizes the importance of teamwork and collaboration to achieve common goals. Veterans are skilled at working in diverse teams, understanding different perspectives, and building consensus. By hiring veterans, small businesses can foster a collaborative work environment where employees effectively communicate, support each other, and work together to achieve business goals.
Government Incentives
Beyond getting highly skilled individuals working for you, there are also incentives offered to employers that hire veterans.
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) offers a Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) to employers that hire certain groups of people, including veterans. The WOTC seeks to encourage hiring workers who come from groups that typically find it hard to get work. Originally set to expire in 2019, the WOTC has been extended until at least Dec. 31, 2025.
The US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) runs a Veteran Readiness and Employment program. This program subsidizes wages for veteran employees during their training period. As a business owner, you can pay veteran employees at least an entry-level wage while you train them on the specific work you need done.
Beyond training salary, the VA also offers a Special Employer Incentive program. This program reimburses your business for up to half the employee’s salary. You’ll only get up to six months of eligibility and you’ll need to apply for the reimbursement. To apply, locate your nearest VA. You’ll need to go in person or call and speak with a representative to apply for this program.
The VA offers a free program called the Non-Paid Work Experience. To apply, locate your nearest VA and call to sign up. You’ll need to provide the VA with some details about your company, including a training outline to help the veteran gain work experience. This program places veteran workers with a business that specializes in the field the veteran wants to learn more about. Your business saves on labor costs because the veteran worker is paid by the VA, while you provide training and experience to the worker on a short-term basis.
Bottom Line
Hiring veterans requires small businesses to adapt their hiring approach and recognize the distinct skills, experiences, and challenges veterans bring to the workforce. By understanding these differences and realizing the financial benefits to their company, small businesses can successfully recruit and retain veteran employees who contribute significantly to the company’s success.
