Hiring the right people regardless of company size or veteran status has the potential to be a time consuming process. For a small business owner, finding the right person as quickly as possible is even more critical given the demands of day-to-day operations. One goal of the CVOB is to consolidate and share the most relevant and helpful information for veteran and military spouse owned businesses. The following is a compilation of resources related to veteran hiring that might be useful as decisions to hire are made.
The Business Case for Hiring a Veteran
Periodically, it is good to be reminded about the valued skills and attributes veterans possess as a result of their training and experience. Veterans are:
- Entrepreneurial
- Trustworthy
- Adaptable
- Trained in advanced technologies
- Comfortable in a high pace environment
- Highly resilient
- Team oriented
- Organizationally committed
- Loyal
- Experienced in diverse work-settings
Targeting your search
Employers often state that one of the most challenging aspects of trying to hire veterans is where to find them. If you are interested in trying to hire a veteran, in addition to leveraging your own personal and business networks, the following are some resources to help in your search for the right hire:
Local Resources
- Local Military Installations Transition Assistance Programs – Work with transition programs at military installations in your region to connect with active duty service members that will soon be returning to the civilian sector.
- Local Chamber of Commerce – Networking events supported by a local chamber are a vehicle to find veterans for hire.
- Local VA Vet Center – Vet Center employment counselors offer referrals to businesses seeking veterans for employment. Find Your Local Center
- Hiring Our Heroes (US Chamber of Commerce) – Hiring Our Heroes is a nationwide initiative to help veterans, transitioning service members, and military spouses find meaningful employment opportunities. Look for an event in your area.
- Check local Veteran Service Organizations – Members of the veteran community can help businesses find prospective veteran employees. Check your local organizations:
- Career Fairs – Check your local area for careers fairs, particularly those that are specifically for veterans.
- Disabled Veterans’ Outreach Program (DVOP) – Officials with this program, which is operated by the Department of Labor’s Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS), work with employers, veterans’ organizations, the Department of Veterans Affairs and community-based organizations to connect veterans—especially those who have disabilities related to their service—with jobs and training opportunities. Learn more
- American Job Centers (AJC) – Nearly 2,500 AJCs nationwide help people search for jobs, find training, and answer other employment related questions. Find American Job Centers
Online Resources
- LinkedIn – Recently launched LinkedIn for Veterans helps connect businesses to prospective veteran employees. Take me to LinkedIn
- Rallypoint – Similar to LinkedIn, Rallypoint has been built especially for service members and spouses and the businesses that want to hire them. Learn more about RallyPoint
- CareerOneStop’s Veteran ReEmployment – A repository list, segmented into familiar categories that will help users find the right talent, with the right fit, at the right time. Learn more about CareerOneStop
- Post Jobs Online – Here’s a short list of popular online boards that attract the military audience:
- Advertise Jobs on Facebook – Use Facebook demographics to target and find veteran job seekers or encourage current employees to spread the message on their account.
- Department of Labor’s Veterans.gov – Register and post your jobs with your State Job Bank. Your jobs will be automatically posted with veterans.gov through the US.jobs National Labor Exchange. DoL Veterans Website
