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The communications disconnect between recruiters and candidates is one that's often discussed among human resources professionals. But when the candidate is a veteran or a military spouse, the language barrier can be that much more impermeable.
In 2012, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Veterans' Employment and Training Service John K. Moran estimated that in the coming five years, approximately 1.5 million veterans would join the civilian workforce. The unemployment rate among veterans who joined the military after September 11, 2001, however, remains higher than the national rate for civilian workers.
Employer Roadmap wants to help bridge the divide between veterans and hiring managers. Launched today at the Veterans Jobs Summit currently taking place at Fort Bragg, the free online resource is a project of the Hiring Our Heroes (HOH) program and USAA.
The organizations collaborated to develop the site in response to what Eric Eversole, vice president of the US Chamber of Commerce and executive director of HOH said was a consistent demand from employers across the country: Companies want to hire more veterans but aren't sure how to go about it.
"There's really no one-size-fits-all approach to helping companies recruit, hire, and retain veteran talent," said Eversole. "This allows businesses to self-asses, and then we can deliver more customizable solutions."
Employer Roadmap provides a variety of resources for employers of all sizes and levels of experience with hiring veterans, guiding users down pathways for those who feel they need to prepare to hire veterans, those who are ready to begin actively recruiting candidates, and those who want to "empower" other businesses to hire veterans. Articles and case studies are available, as well as action plans--executable check lists on topics including "How To Get To Know Veterans & Spouses" and "How To Train & Educate".
"There's a misunderstanding of what employers can bring to the table for veterans and what veterans can bring to the table for employers," said Geoff Grant, USAA program director and a veteran of the U.S. Army. "We make a lot of accommodations for college grads, this is another talent pool just like that. They have such valuable skills, 'I led 15 troops through combat missions.' How do we accommodate that?"
Grant believes Employer Roadmap will be especially helpful to small and medium sized businesses who may lack the human resources infrastructure to recruit and hire veterans.
"There's always either a lack or an overload of information. Small to medium sized businesses say, 'I don't have this huge HR budget, what do I do to hire one or two vets? Where do I find them?' That's where the best practices tool is really key."
The challenges of reentering civilian life and pursuing a career also affect military spouses, 68% of whom reported that being a military spouse had a negative impact on their career prospects, according to a survey conducted by military families support organization Blue Star Families.
"Military spouses have gaps in their resumes," said Eversole. "Oftentimes they can be big gaps because they moved to a remote location, or they were taking care of their family."
Spouses also tend to underestimate or understate their abilities and leave complex volunteer experience off of resumes. Many employers fear hiring a military spouse could mean losing an employee if their partner is transferred or deployed.
The two-day summit, currently under way, will provide information and resources to both employers looking to hire veterans and servicemen and women and their spouses as they transition into civilian careers, culminating in a hiring fair. Over 1,200 servicemembers are expected to attend.
"Once they receive their discharge from the military, they go back to the civilian sector," said Eversole. "If we can help them get meaningful employment opportunities before they simply go home, that's going to make that transition that much smoother for that servicemember and their family."
