Savvy Corporate Recruiters Tap the Military for Top Talent

A labor pool with some of the best trained and most experienced candidates is often overlooked by corporate recruiters - the United States military.

But those recruiters who do mine the ranks of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard for talent are earning salutes from their managers, as they're discovering that many of America's best and brightest are able to make quick and successful transitions to the civilian workforce.

Each year, more than 200,000 men and women leave the military and return to civilian life. These individuals have typically been trained in and have mastered numerous basic and technical skills, and often possess management and leadership experience. Couple this skill set with the discipline and strong work ethic that is imbued in military life, and the result is a pool of excellent candidates for a wide range of civilian jobs.

Consider this success story - a rapidly expanding national retailer hired, in just one year, more than 20,000 men and women who had retired or been honorably discharged from the military. Doing so made sound business sense, as the military-trained individuals had solid leadership and management skills, were well-disciplined, committed to hard work and focused on results.

Whether your hiring needs are small or battalion-sized, tapping the military for talent brings other tangible benefits. Companies hiring veterans are often eligible for federal and state tax credits, with some states offering additional credits for hiring veterans with disabilities.

In addition to the training and experience earned through military service, veterans making the transition to civilian life receive additional job preparation and guidance through a variety of federal programs. Many of these were created or expanded thanks to the Jobs for Veterans Act, signed into law by President Bush in 2002 to revise and improve employment, training and placement services furnished to veterans.

One of the resources established by the act was the creation of HireVetsFirst, a Web site (www.hirevetsfirst.gov) to provide veterans and transitioning service members with the resources and services to succeed in the 21st century workforce by maximizing their employment opportunities. It's a great place to start for employers interested in hiring veterans to fill a current workplace need.

But savvy hiring managers should establish a long-term strategy to ensure that the military is an ongoing source for talent. Hiring veterans is smart business - and it's also a responsible way of thanking the highly-skilled men and women who so proudly served our country.

HRworks' dedicated recruiters have proven expertise and extensive experience in sourcing the military for talent on behalf of our clients. We can develop specific initiatives around military recruitment tailored to company need or conduct an individual executive search. HRworks would like to share our award-winning military recruitment success stories with your company, and work with you to demonstrate how veterans can be a valuable addition to your team. To learn more, visit www.HRworks.com.