03-04-2025
Recruiting Veterans Can Help Organizations Address Workforce Gaps
Adam Wray is the founder and CEO of AstrumU, a data science startup that translates educational experiences into economic opportunity.
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Approximately 200,000 military service members transition to civilian life annually, and a major part of this change is entering the workforce. These citizens often possess key skills that make them well suited for industries like healthcare, education and technology, such as problem solving, adaptability, discipline and the ability to work with others. However, this talent pool is incredibly underutilized, even as businesses find themselves desperate for skilled, reliable employees in an ever-evolving marketplace.
It can be challenging for recruiting teams to fully grasp how military experiences can transfer to a particular role. Consequently, veterans often struggle to find meaningful employment. Between feeling overqualified or unsatisfied, many end up leaving their first post-military job within a year. Some statistics find that as many as 80% leave within two years.
This is not a sustainable path. We must do better to match the right career opportunity with the impressive skills each veteran possesses.
Fortunately, there are many steps employers can take to ensure they're not dismissing qualified candidates just because they don't understand how military experience can benefit their workforce. Below are some ways to achieve this.
There are programs that partner with companies to help veterans find meaningful employment. The DOD SkillBridge Program enables service members to gain civilian work experience through specific training, apprenticeships and internships during their last 180 days of service. Onward Ops—which recently partnered with my organization, AstrumU, to automate its job-matching platform—works to connect transitioning service members with quality employment up to a year before they transition.
Actively cultivating strategic partnerships with veteran-focused organizations goes a long way toward supporting a seamless transition into civilian life. Organizations can also attract veterans by reaching out to military bases, participating in veteran job fairs and sharing the posting to veteran-specific job boards.
According to Korn Ferry, "nearly 70% of professionals surveyed said their own organizations don't train hiring managers on veteran-specific hiring practices" to ensure they're knowledgeable about the skills and experience veterans offer. Internal training can cover the different branches of military, occupations within the military, honors, awards and terminology. For organizations that already employ veterans, involving them in the training process can also be effective.
Ensure hiring teams gain access to key service documents, such as veterans' Joint Services Transcript (JST). Provided by the Department of Defense (DOD), this document translates military schooling and work history into civilian language and provides recommendations based on college credits/certifications earned and skills obtained. There are also records that summarize veterans' military experience, including deployments, assignments and dates of service.
One avenue to explore is implementing certain AI-powered technology that helps translate a veteran's military experience into civilian-sector skills. I work in this space, so I've seen how AI tools offer a more reliable, bias-free view of candidates' capabilities. Leveraging advanced algorithms allows hiring teams to better identify veteran candidates' fit for their workplace. Generated profiles outline each individual's professional abilities, skills learned from military service and other work experience, and completed education, including trainings and certifications. Hard and soft skills are synthesized so recruiting teams can better interpret experience in things like operations, adaptability, management, risk development and even preventative medicine.
Once you're ready to actively recruit veterans, update job descriptions so the language is more likely to attract these candidates. For example, highlight your company values and attributes the ideal hire should possess, like leadership, loyalty, technical skills, written or verbal communication skills and problem-solving skills. During the interview process, ask open-ended questions that enable a deeper understanding of a veteran's skills and experience. Feel free to ask about military terminology or a candidate's position within the military, and be transparent about the job expectations and responsibilities.
Proper onboarding ensures all new hires, including veterans, are job-ready and capable of becoming long-term contributors. The process should be thorough—providing an overview of company plans and goals, discussing the job role and expectations and introducing new employees to other team members. Connecting individuals with a mentor to ease the transition into a new career, offering a flexible work environment to those who still have ongoing service requirements and having role-support resources available can also help ensure veterans thrive.
Clear career pathways and ongoing upskilling opportunities are key. AI-powered and other data-driven technologies empower HR leaders to see what skills and future roles best align with veteran employees. These tools can identify what training or education might be needed to sustain long-term growth within the organization.
Companies and HR leaders can do more to alleviate the workforce shortages affecting many industries today. By creating more opportunities for veterans, employers will realize these individuals possess highly valuable skills—even when they're not as apparent on paper. Hiring veterans can strengthen the internal workforce, promote inclusive growth and ensure these heroes are given every opportunity to excel when they return to civilian life. So it's time that HR leaders fully engage with this skilled talent pool, close the employment gap and turn workforce shortages into opportunities for growth.
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