Vetonomics – A Monthly Series on Diversity and Veteran Hiring
**Some of the strongest assets attributed to veterans include:**
- Operating safely and within regulations
- Strong leadership in uncertain times
- Working under pressure
- The ability to build culture
**Is your company ready to integrate this impactful group into your workforce?**
Justin Henderson, U.S. Marine Corps veteran and SVP of sales at RecruitMilitary, is here to help. Henderson holds a B.A. in Economics from University of Pittsburgh and has been working in the veteran hiring space since 2006.
[**Join Henderson on LinkedIn on the first Friday of each month**](https://www.linkedin.com/company/recruitmilitary/), when he hosts a live series on the economics behind veteran hiring – or “Vetonomics.”
In Episode 1, Henderson digs into how to best attract veterans and the specialized skillset they possess. He also discusses the different types of job seekers that can be found in the RecruitMilitary database.
###Topics from Episode 1
**Attracting Veteran Job Seekers**
Knowing how to attract strong veteran and military spouse candidates means understanding the challenges to the military-to-civilian transition from the job seeker’s perspective. Veterans and military spouses want to work for employers that value their skills.
However, many hiring managers still don’t understand how to leverage that experience to maximize the valuable intangible skills, or “human skills” as Henderson likes to call them.
The military community is rich with values like selfless service, integrity, teamwork, and dedication. Years of adjusting to new working and living conditions means these individuals are flexible and accustomed to change. For the savvy employer, this means finding workers who train easily and take responsibility for themselves.
By hiring for “human skills” companies can [strengthen retention and culture](https://recruitmilitary.com/employers/resource/1039-how-skills-based-hiring-results-in-workplace-diversity). How? Through bringing in the people that create a workplace where people want to stay.
On the other hand, organizations that do not continually put effort towards improving or maintaining a healthy company culture will struggle to bring in new people, let alone keep the ones they have. In this [current labor market](https://recruitmilitary.com/employers/resource/957-four-workplace-trends-were-watching-this-year), where quit rates are hitting record highs but so are the number of open jobs, employers must be creative and intentional about their hiring and retention practices.
**RecruitMilitary Candidate Profiles**
Ready to hire from the military community but unsure where to start? RecruitMilitary’s network of job seekers come from all kinds of military backgrounds, including:
- Veterans (those who have retired or separated from the military)
- Service members currently transitioning out of the military
- Military spouses and military family members
- Members of the Reserve and National Guard
- Active-duty service members
**The Military Spouse Job Seeker**
**Military spouses** are sometimes overlooked in the hiring space due to a misunderstanding of the attributes they bring to their job.
These flexible, high-performing individuals have often placed their spouse’s career at the forefront, potentially sacrificing their own endeavors. And since the military reassigns duty stations every three to six years (or more), a military spouse’s resume may have gaps or look like they job hop.
This candidate group often thrives with remote work, which allows them to maintain their career no matter where the military moves their family.
**Understanding Military Rank**
What level of experience are you looking to target for your military hires? Effective outreach into the military community requires an [understanding of the rank structure](https://recruitmilitary.com/employers/resource/390-understanding-military-skillsets-part-iii).
While every branch uses different names for the particular ranks, the overall structure looks like this:
**Enlisted** personnel range from E1 through E9 and enter as individual contributors who gain more responsibility with time.
- E1 to E3: “entry-level” in the military and promotions are automatic.
- E4: carry strong technical skills.
- E5 to E9: “non-commissioned officers” are often responsible for operations, resources, and troops. The higher ranks (E7, E8, and E9) are the supervisors, managers, and directors.
**Officer** ranks range from O2 through O9. Military officers have completed a four-year degree and are on an executive leadership track.
- O2 and O3: “junior military officers” run day-to-day operations and are the front-line leaders.
- O4 to O6: “senior officers” provide organizational and strategic leadership.
- O7 to O9: generals and admirals bring executive leadership.
**Skills that Transfer from the Military to the Workplace**
Several major jobs skills are transferable from the military to the civilian life. Depending on their military occupational specialty (MOS), military veterans might be skilled in logistics, engineering, IT, and so much more.
With current labor force deficits in areas like supply chain or IT/cyber fields, corporate America could leverage the training and knowledge of military veterans to great benefit.
[See how veterans make an impact on the modern workforce.](https://magazine.recruitmilitary.com/display_article.php?id=4144214&view=726214)
Sometimes, to fully understand the experience the military veteran or spouse offers, you simply need to have a conversation. Often, you will find they offer skills like:
- Calm under pressure
- Dependability
- Dedication
- Flexibility
- Integrity
- Leadership
- Problem-solving
- Teamwork
- Work ethic
Last but not least, when it comes to translating military skillset or experience, let the experts help. The RecruitMilitary team is comprised of veterans and military family members as well as industry-experienced civilians, allowing us to serve as subject matter experts for both sides of the military hiring equation, as we have been doing for decades.
**[Learn more about how we can help introduce you to the candidates that will bring your company to the next level.](https://recruitmilitary.com/employers)**
************************************************************************
[Justin Henderson](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jhendersonusmc/) is a Marine veteran and nationally-recognized business development consultant. He directly helps hundreds of organizations hire thousands of military veterans and his services have indirectly assisted tens of thousands more, during their transition.
Henderson works with companies ranging in size from privately-owned small businesses to members of the Global Fortune 100.
He is available to discuss the value of military-experienced talent and may be reached at [jhenderson@recruitmilitary.com](jhenderson@recruitmilitary.com).
**************************************************************
[See more tips and strategies on hiring veterans here.](https://recruitmilitary.com/employers/resource/1042-best-way-to-hire-veterans)