How Military Veterans Can Fix Your Hiring and Retention Woes

If you’re like most HR professionals, you have hiring and retention woes. The good news: Military veterans may be the cure.

As our nation celebrates Veterans’ Day, you might want to consider increasing your efforts to find, recruit and retain veterans to your organization. Try it now as a catalyst to hire and retain more veterans for years to come.

The voluntary quit rate is about 2%, according to data from the Labor Department. But if companies continue to hire the same way they always have, they likely can keep pace with the churn in today’s workforce.

Military Veterans Are Good Hires

“Hiring military veterans is important because they bring a wealth of experience, discipline, and a strong work ethic to the workplace. Veterans have proven leadership skills, adaptability, and a commitment to teamwork,” says Jerome Soltani, Senior VP US Services at Schneider Electric. “By putting veterans at the heart of your hiring strategy, you are building a resilient team ready to meet evolving demands with a mission-focused mindset.”

But they aren’t just good hires.

“Military veterans offer unique strengths, such as resilience under pressure, strategic problem-solving, and the ability to thrive in fast-paced, dynamic environments,” says Soltani. “Their training fosters accountability, attention to detail and a mission-focused mindset. Veterans are adept at working in diverse teams and managing complex projects, making them valuable assets in any workforce.”

Military Veteran Hiring Resources

Veterans who are transitioning into civilian life and careers have diverse skills and insight for the workforce.

Veterans bring “impressive amounts of advanced training in their area of focus,” says Sarah Peiker, former CEO of Orion Talent. “They’re quick learners and disciplined, dedicated team players.”

Who wouldn’t want more job candidates with those kinds of skills?

Find and Recruit

The key is knowing where to find them – because they might not know how to find you. Peiker says HR pros can find and recruit military veterans through:

• Student Veterans of America. Some colleges have chapters you can work with in your recent graduate hiring programs.
• Military Transition Centers. You can connect with prospective hires still on active duty today through this organization.
• Diversity in Action and US Veterans Magazine offer veteran profiles and the types of roles they can fill.

Partner and Leverage

“To attract and retain veteran talent, focus on developing targeted outreach initiatives, offering mentorship programs, and providing tailored onboarding support,” suggests Soltani. “By fostering an inclusive culture that recognizes and values military experience, more veterans will be encouraged to join and grow within the organization.”

At Schneider, they:

• Partner with the military transition program, SkillBridge, and
• Leverage the veteran recruitment platform Hiring Our Heroes.

Find Your Networks

According to James Boscia, National Director of Military Affairs at Power Home Remodeling, “Simply put, hiring veterans isn’t charity or good PR. It’s good for business.”

That’s why Boscia, an Air Force veteran, partners with these organizations to :

• Chamber of Commerce Hiring Our Heroes Events. They’re dedicated to partnering with industries to boost military veteran hiring.
• Internal Networks. It’s called the Power Veterans Initiative (PVI). Boscia explains: “We lean on our current veterans to share their unique perspective on LinkedIn or other social channels as a means to infiltrate their networks, and consider initiatives like an employee referral program to aid with those efforts.”

Retain Military Veterans

Once you’ve overcome hiring woes by bringing more vets into your organization, you’ll want to retain them.

How’s that?

Train and Mentor

Soltani, the SVP at Schneider Electric, which has earned repeated national recognition as a Gold Military Friendly^® Employer, suggests several solutions: “Provide hands-on training and mentorship. Veterans moving into civilian careers need dedicated support in order to ensure a successful transition and thrive in their new roles. Our participation in the SkillBridge program enables us to equip veterans with the skills and certifications needed to excel while offering clear pathways to grow within the organization.

“Veterans also benefit from relations with others in the company who served in the military. We have developed an employee resource network (ERN) program for veterans within Schneider Electric for this purpose.”

A Culture Fit

Meanwhile, at Power Home Remodeling, Boscia says,  “The focus needs to remain on retention. If incoming veteran talent doesn’t feel supported, heard, and valued — why should they stay?”

Their PVI program offers these retention incentives to veterans or veteran spouses who are hired:

• A sign-on bonus
• A fellow veteran mentor, and
• Additional Paid Time Off (PTO) – beyond normal PTO – to use for VA appointments, help adjust to their new role and ease the transition back into civilian life.

Does it work? “We’ve seen our veteran community evolve our culture and camaraderie across the business. They’re the ones coming in early to cook breakfast for their office. The ones who organize hikes with their co-workers to foster those deeper connections. The ones who’ve inspired civilians within our company to lean into that culture more.”

Hiring and retaining veterans can build a better company-wide culture.