Hire a Veteran!

On this Veteran’s Day, and as a veteran myself, I wanted to take the time to encourage companies to incorporate more veterans into their workforce.  Many companies have already started an initiative to bring these incredibly talented and dedicated individuals into their organizations, including General Electric (GE), Amazon, Google, Paychex, FedEx, Canon, Cintas, BNSF Railway, Dollar General, Northrup Grumman, Sears/Kmart, Waste Management, Inc., Barnes & Noble, Bayer, Bank of America, Humana, Sodexo, Burns & McDonnell, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Teva Pharmaceuticals, Comcast, United Health Group, and Zurich.  

Let go of the thought that veterans might be too regimented or not fit into your organization due to their time in the military world – these are old, outmoded myths.  Also, learn about veterans with PTSD or injuries and what they can also bring to your team so as not to shy away from hiring them.  With a veteran or guardsman you get an employee that is highly trained, disciplined (they will show up early and leave late), a leader, tenacious, flexible and adaptable, teamwork oriented, and technologically savvy. 

Acquire a few skills yourself in translating military jargon, there are many tools available on the Internet to help, and find the veterans that are the right fit for your company. If you truly want to thank a veteran who has given so much for our freedom – give them a job!

Top 35 Veteran Employers: http://www.military.com/veteran-jobs/career-advice/job-hunting/top-35-veteran-employers.html

Companies that actively hire veterans:  http://vetcentral.us.jobs/veteransmembers.asp

Skills Veterans Bring to the Workforce: http://www.siop.org/Media/News/veterans.aspx