How AI is Transforming Veteran Hiring

Why Hiring Veterans Is Good for Business

Employers in today’s job market are constantly seeking new ways to find highly skilled, adaptable talent, efficiently and effectively. Veterans represent one of the most reliable, proven pipelines, but their skills often don’t translate neatly into civilian job descriptions. 

Tim Best, CEO of RecruitMilitary, put it simply during his interview on HR.com’s Totally Talent podcast:

“At RecruitMilitary, we’re a connector. Our mission is connecting employers with the military community, through career fairs, placement services, recruitment marketing, and our job board. But this new partnership with Findem is the largest innovation I’ve seen in my time in this space.”
— Tim Best, RecruitMilitary

The Challenge: Translating Military Skills Into Civilian Roles 

Veterans frequently struggle to explain their military backgrounds in civilian terms. A resume that says “helicopter pilot” leaves out the leadership, safety, decision-making, and problem-solving skills that role requires. 

Best recalled his own transition after nine years in the Army:

“In 1999, it was a challenge to even understand what was next for me. I kind of knew what I was good at, but I had no idea how that translated into all the jobs out there. And even if I thought I knew, I didn’t know how to get others to understand it.”

That challenge doesn’t just affect veterans – it also affects recruiters. Traditional Boolean keyword searches often miss qualified candidates, leaving employers without access to some of the best talent. 

Hari Kolam, CEO of Findem, explained:

“The problem amplifies significantly when you’re discovering military veterans. That’s why this partnership is so special – it solves the issue at the core by looking at people through the attributes they bring to the table, not just the words on a resume.”

The Solution: Veteran Talent Source 

RecruitMilitary and Findem partnered to create RecruitMilitary Veteran Talent Source, powered by Findem Copilot, an AI-powered tool that brings together RecruitMilitary’s three decades of veteran hiring experience with Findem’s 3D data technology. 

Kolam described the innovation this way:

“We coined the term ‘3D data’ to talk about digitizing a career. It’s not just about the person, but also the company they worked for and the time they were there. That’s how you capture someone’s career in a way you can apply automation and discover their true competencies.”

This allows recruiters to see beyond job titles and keyword matches, surfacing veterans whose leadership, adaptability, and skills are highly transferable but often overlooked. 

Why This Matters for Employers 

Employers benefit from Veteran Talent Source in several key ways: 

• More accurate searches: Recruiters no longer need to guess at military jargon or keywords. 
• Better candidate visibility: Veterans appear in searches based on their real skills and attributes. 
• Improved candidate confidence: Veterans know they’re being represented as “whole people,” not just a job title. 

As Best explained:

“What we’re doing is creating a pull system. Veterans won’t have to keep applying and never hearing back. Instead, recruiters are going to see them for what they really are and reach out saying, ‘I recognize you. I’ve got something for you.’ That’s a complete paradigm shift.”
— Tim Best, RecruitMilitary

Beyond Recruiting: Building Veteran Confidence 

The technology also addresses one of the biggest barriers veterans face during transition: a lack of confidence. 

“One of the things that undermines confidence when you’re transitioning is not knowing how your background translates,” Best said. “This platform conveys veterans as three-dimensional human beings with all of their attributes, not just the thing they did in the military.” 

That means employers not only gain access to overlooked talent, but they also help veterans feel valued and understood. 

The Future of Veteran Hiring 

Kolam emphasized that this goes beyond translation: 

“It’s not just about matching keywords. It’s about digitizing expertise, taking what RecruitMilitary knows about hiring veterans and turning it into a system that recruiters everywhere can use.” 

For employers, that means building stronger pipelines of veteran talent and hiring with more confidence. For veterans, it means a fairer chance to showcase the full scope of their skills. 

As Best summed it up:

“After almost 30 years in this space, this is the biggest innovation I’ve seen. It’s a win for employers, and it’s a win for veterans.” 

Ready to discover how Veteran Talent Source can connect your organization with skilled, adaptable veterans?

Start Here at RecruitMilitary.com

Listen to more of this conversation on hr.com’s Totally Talent podcast.