Orion Talent’s Newest Veteran Hiring Survey Reveals Why Businesses Strive to Hire Veterans

Orion Talent is pleased to announce the release of its latest survey, 2018 Veteran Hiring Survey: Exploring the Bottom-line Value of Hiring Veteran Talent. The survey included talent acquisition leaders nationwide and aimed to discover whether they see veterans transitioning from Active Duty as part of the solution to the current labor shortage.

The survey revealed that businesses everywhere hire veterans (99% of survey respondents). And, while they may do it differently -- whether through formal or informal programs -- the majority of survey takers ranked military talent higher in hiring, acceptance and retention performance indicators. One in four businesses have or are in the process of adopting a formal program or strategy to recruit military talent. They find that the most effective recruiting practices are those that allow their businesses to tap into resources with greater military experience, including specialized recruiting firms and cultivating rich referral networks.

An encouraging finding was that businesses are hiring veterans because of what they bring to the table and not because of compliance requirements or because “it’s the right thing to do.” Among survey respondents, 79% pointed to excellent qualifications, composure, productivity, skills and leadership as the reason they hire military veterans.

 

Veterans were also revealed to perform higher on three important KPIs when compared to civilians:

 

Additionally, the report illustrates how versatile veterans are. “What stands out here is how exceptionally versatile military veterans are as they join and engage in the civilian workforce. They don’t fit one mold or set of roles. Military veterans are working at all levels, in various capacities, schedules and environments,” explains Tim Isacco, Chief Operating Officer of Orion Talent.

An alarming finding is that  62% of respondents say they are giving essential recruiting work (creating job descriptions, interview questions and communications) to resources that are not trained in, experienced with or dedicated to veteran recruitment. This creates an obstacle for companies looking to hire veterans and can be overcome by using specialized recruiting firms, strong referral networks, or military job fairs.

The report concludes by laying out three important steps any company can take to make hiring veterans an achievable goal.

1. Embrace the Employability and Versatility of Veterans: In the face of one of the tightest talent markets in U.S. history, today’s military veterans offer employers an impressive talent pool of capable, versatile candidates who are easier to recruit and hire.

2. The Experience Factor:  Tapping into recruiting sources that have both experience and expertise, like specialized firms and strong referral networks, is the most effective way to access and engage this valuable talent pool.

3. More Structure, Better Engagement: Most businesses are informally recruiting veterans, using a general recruiting process for a specialized talent pool, when they should be implementing a strategy or program, designed to bring military candidates with many sought-after skills and attributes to the table. 

The valuable insight offered within this 11-page report provides practical application tips and offers a new look at both the advantages and challenges of hiring veteran talent. Download the full report to gain in-depth insight into why and how business are hiring veterans.