HR's Mission Next: Building a veteran-informed culture to recruit and retain top talent

By Kimberlie England and John Wojcik

Organizations all over the country recognize the leadership capabilities and attributes that veterans can bring to their workforce: strong work ethic, mission oriented, being calm under pressure, strategic thinking, dedication, and a sense of urgency. Yet, 65% of veterans leave their civilian organizations within the first 24 months. Surveys say that pay and benefits are the problem, but the research by the consultants at Mission Next revealed a more complicated problem. Veterans leave because they struggle to integrate into cultures that don't understand and recognize their military experiences. What can HR leaders do to attract highly-qualified veterans to their organizations, and how can they build a culture where veterans want to stay and perform?

Our first book, Mission Next, was based on two years of research about why veterans leave their first jobs. It was written to help transitioning veterans by providing a toolkit for each phase of the transition. The research also revealed some insights into what civilian organizations can do to recruit, onboard, and retain veterans. The solution can be found in creating a veteran-informed culture that allows top talent in the organization to thrive.

HR's Mission Next was written to help HR leaders in civilian organizations attract and retain veterans. This book helps HR leaders understand why some former service members won't identify as a veteran, why they are such valuable hires, and the challenges they face in transitioning to the civilian workforce. It provides practical advice on writing job descriptions and announcements that are veteran-friendly, unlocking hidden skills from a veteran's resume, and maximizing interviews with former service members to truly understand the talents they could bring to your organization. If you want to create an organization where veterans want to come—and stay—welcome to HR's Mission Next.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Jun 13, 2023
• ISBN: 9781667892177

Book preview

PROlogue

Each year, approximately 200,000 U.S. veterans leave their active-duty military careers and transition into the civilian workforce (Government Accountability Office, 2019). They leave behind a familiar, regimented way-of-life that had well-established and transparent mechanisms for recruitment, retention, and advancement, in exchange for employment in civilian companies that are not as transparent or regimented. Unfortunately, many veterans struggle with that transition as they try to navigate unfamiliar systems and integrate into civilian life. Companies actively seek veterans in recognition of their leadership skills, flexibility, adaptability, loyalty, and for their ability to handle stress and changing situations (Hall et al., 2014). While it is no surprise that companies dedicate significant resources to find and recruit veterans, it is surprising that almost 65 percent of those veterans will leave those companies within their first 24 months of employment (Maury et al., 2014). When compared to annual civilian turnover rates of just 19 percent, it is apparent that veterans are having difficulty making the transition (SHRM, 2016).

Why Human Resources (HR) Professionals

Should Read This Book

The authors spent two years intensely researching why veterans leave their first civilian jobs. We read the books, articles, and research, so you don’t have to. We even did a formal research study to gather first-hand accounts about why veterans leave. That research resulted in a doctoral dissertation that was the culmination of almost six years of doctoral studies, document reviews, research, and formally presenting and defending the work. This led to our desire to publish our first book—Mission Next—that was written to help transitioning veterans by providing a toolkit that can be referenced during each phase of the transition.

The dissertation work also revealed insights into what civilian organizations can do to recruit and retain veterans. For example, civilian organizations need to develop a veteran-informed culture that allows top talent in the organization to thrive.

The veterans who participated in the study saw themselves as a group of hard-working, dedicated leaders and the HR leaders who were interviewed mirrored this view. Almost all the HR leader participants said that military officers work hard and have leadership capabilities that exceed most of their civilian hires. The HR leaders and veterans held common beliefs regarding the attributes of service members as being calm under pressure, assertive, strategic thinkers, dedicated, goal-oriented, and direct. One Chief HR Officer in health care listed specific qualities that she saw in her employees who were former members of the military: High work ethic. Mission oriented. Great sense of urgency. Committed to the cause. Another HR representative in the manufacturing field commented that his organization views people coming out of the military positively. They are conscientious and procedure driven. That’s what every company wants to be.

However, the research showed a disconnect between HR leaders saying their businesses wanted veterans, and what their organizations did in practice to recruit them. Only one HR leader in the study stated that their business had detailed recruiting plans that specifically targeted veterans. This leader stood out because he was able to articulate the different leadership capabilities, education, and training of military officers versus enlisted personnel, which demonstrates his understanding of military structure and the different skills that come from each level. Some HR participants were honest about the organization’s lack of understanding: I can’t say that we even see any differentiation between enlisted versus officers here. The dissertation work mirrored other studies which found that only 50 percent of HR leaders could demonstrate a clear understanding of the nuances of life as a military officer as opposed to life as an enlisted service member—and that still might be high compared to the general population within the civilian sector. For example, one HR leader made a point to mention that they don’t have any former military officers at his location because the majority of the positions that we typically recruit here are professional level positions. We don’t do any manufacturing here … [so] the majority of the employees are going to be professional and managerial. These types of organizations will not be able to harness the full potential of a veteran’s leadership training and capabilities. The solution for this issue is building a veteran-informed culture to ensure you are maximizing the talent in your organization. Recent research conducted by Penn State University found that 61 percent of veterans reported being underemployed within their first three years of leaving active duty—meaning that veterans are working in positions that undervalue their skills, training, and leadership experience.

HR’s Mission Next was written to help HR leaders in civilian organizations attract and retain veterans. The book will help HR leaders understand the definition of a veteran (and why some former service members won’t identify as one), why they are such valuable hires, and the challenges they face in transitioning to the civilian workforce. It provides practical advice on reviewing a veteran’s resume and how to interview a former service member to truly understand the talents they could bring to your organization. If you want to create an organization where veterans want to come—and stay—welcome to HR’s Mission Next.

1

Military 101

College courses typically start with easier basic-level courses and get more advanced as students progress. The 100-level classes from freshman year inform the 400-level classes taken during senior year. HR leaders say their organizations are veteran-friendly—that they want to hire veterans and recognize the skills that veterans can bring to their workforce. While that’s encouraging to hear, our consultants dug deeper and discovered a gap in understanding what military service is really all about.

What Is a Veteran?

While it seems like a simple question, HR leaders had a variety of answers. They defined veterans as:

U.S. service members who served in combat

U.S. service members who served on active duty

for more than 180 days

Anyone who has worn a military uniform

This confusion isn’t surprising. There are conflicting answers if you speak to people who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces themselves. This happens because throughout their career, they have been confronted with conflicting definitions of what is a veteran, and this confusion continues after they’ve left service and apply for different types of benefits. The same confusion continues for service members who have served in the Reserves and in the National Guard. Some National Guard service members who have served for over 20 years don’t identify as a veteran because they never served on active duty, never served overseas, or never served in combat.

One federal statute defines a veteran as a person who served on full-time active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces, other than active duty for training, and was discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable.

Furthermore, federal statutes, state laws, and federal regulations all have different definitions of what it means to be a veteran. Federal statutes define what benefits U.S. service members can receive for their service. For example, to receive a reduced-fee mortgage through the Veterans Administration (VA) as part of their VA Home Loan program, a service member must have served for over 180 days on active duty under a particular federal statute (Title 10 of the United States Code) to qualify as a veteran. Other federal statutes define a veteran as a person who served on full-time active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces, other than active duty for training, and was discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable. Service in the National Guard or Reserves doesn’t qualify as the right kind of service to be identified as a veteran for a VA home loan. Similarly, one type of GI Bill is only available to service members who have served on active duty for a particular length of time, while another version of the GI Bill allows National Guard and Reserve service to count as qualifying service. To clarify how confusing the term veteran can be, the VA published a ten-page article to explain all the different types of veterans and which veterans may qualify for a particular benefit. It seems that all veterans are not the same when it comes to the VA.

Each state has their own definition of what it is to be a veteran. State laws can allow service members who have qualifying military service to receive many benefits like property tax abatements, free job training, conversion of their military skills for state-issued certifications (like certified truck drivers and plumbers), and free or reduced college tuition.

The differing interpretations of who qualifies as a veteran compounds the problem when a civilian organization is trying to hire veterans and become a veteran-friendly organization. How does a civilian organization define the term veteran when veterans themselves aren’t clear on the criteria?

For the purpose of this book, we define a veteran as any person who has ever served in the U.S. Armed Forces. To determine veteran status, organizations should ask applicants if they ever served in the U.S. Armed Forces. Using this broad question will reduce the confusion about which definition for veteran should be used—and will likely expand the population of veterans at your organization.

The varying definition of veteran is a reflection of the fact that U.S. military service is an enigma for most of the U.S. population. While many civilians know someone who has served in the U.S. Armed Forces, most of us don’t fully appreciate what that service really means. The rest of this chapter will demystify the different branches of the military and will highlight some of the different skills and attributes service members might develop throughout their careers.

Demystifying the U.S. Military Structure

Most Americans would list the different branches of the U.S. military as the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force—and that’s pretty close. Actually, there are three military departments (Army, Navy, and Air Force) and six branches of service. The Marine Corps falls under the Department of the Navy and the recently-created Space Force falls under the U.S. Air Force. The U.S. Coast Guard is under the governance of the Department of Homeland Security, but it is still considered a branch of the armed forces. Add all these up and you get six branches of service.

Active Duty

When HR leaders want to recruit veterans, they often look for individuals who recently left active duty and are looking for a civilian job. Just as there are different definitions for veteran, there are several different types of active duty. HR leaders need to help veterans when the conflicting concepts and definitions are working against them. Remember, people who have served in the U.S. military won’t always self-identify as a veteran. When most people picture active-duty service members, they are thinking of service members who are owned by the federal government 24 hours a day and 365 days per year. Active-duty service members wear a uniform to work every day and live on or near an active-duty post. They work at places like Fort Liberty in North Carolina or Miramar Naval Air Station near San Diego.

As of 2020, there were just over 1.3 million service members serving on federal active duty (also known as Title 10 active duty). This represents less than half of 1 percent of the U.S. population. Federal active-duty service members report through their chain of command—and ultimately to the President of the United States, who is the Commander in Chief. They receive federal pay and benefits and have the potential to receive a pension after 20 years of service (in addition to receiving federal contributions to a defined contribution plan). Active-duty service members can be punished under the military criminal court system which operates semi-autonomously, outside the purview of state and federal criminal courts. Surprisingly, military judges are not the final arbiter of criminal prosecutions in the military. Rather, military judges report their findings as recommendations to a military commander. The commander can accept or reject the findings of guilt or innocence and may also adjust the recommended punishment.

Why is this knowledge important to an HR leader? Understanding the responsibilities of military leaders will help civilian organizations find the right place for a veteran. For example, commanders at a certain level (often called a pay grade) are in charge of their own personnel and their unit’s mission. Additionally, they’re in charge of an entire system of criminal justice (lawyers, judges, and investigators), all of whom report to them. The skills and experiences