Five Tips For Recruiting Military Veterans
Like many industries, the metals sector is struggling to find qualified, engaged workers to fill open jobs. There are many ways your company can connect with the military and veteran communities to find people who would be a good fit with your company.
One way to start is to support an organization like Workshops for Warriors (WFW), a veteran- owned and operated nonprofit school that trains and certifies veterans and transitioning service members in CNC machining or welding and places them into manufacturing careers after earning credentials. There are multiple ways to support and connect with potential hires through WFW. Employers can attend WFW’s employer career fairs hosted three times per year and conduct one-on-one interviews with alumni and soon-to-be graduates. Employers can also provide scholarships for veterans to attend WFW, sponsor a WFW event, or volunteer to be a mentor.
Click here to learn more about Workshops for Warriors.
There also are organizations like CareerOneStop, which has a veteran and military transition center sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor that helps employers and veterans connect with one another. CareerOneStop’s website allows your HR department to easily add job postings to your state’s job bank and connect with a veterans employment representative at an American Job Center. When you contact a Veterans employment representative and let them know you are looking to hire a veteran, they will be able to help you identify qualified veterans for the position.
Click here to learn more about CareerOneStop.
Disabled American Veterans (DAV) is a trusted organization that connects employers with veterans. DAV sponsors many in-person and virtual job fairs nationwide every year. On their website, you can find local and virtual events for your company to attend. You can also register as an employer contact to access DAV’s large databases of military veterans and spouses. Another way to stand out when recruiting veterans is by being recognized through DAV’s Patriot Employer Program, which provides a digital badge for employers who meet certain criteria relating to recruiting/hiring efforts, career-building efforts, and company policies for veterans.
Click here to learn more about Disabled American Veterans.
Companies also can turn to American Corporate Partners (ACP), a nationwide nonprofit organization that helps connect veterans and active-duty spouses with meaningful jobs through one-on-one mentoring and networking with professionals from some of America’s top corporations. Mentors dedicate one hour per month to connect with their protégé on resume building, networking, leadership, and more. You can apply to become a mentor or your company can become a corporate partner. As a corporate partner, your company can share job postings directly with ACP.
Click here for more information about American Corporate Partners.
Companies also should think about recruiting from within — or at least asking your experts where to start! Get together all your former military employees for a brainstorming session to get their feedback on recruiting more veterans. They might have friends and family members who are veterans. If qualified, those connections could become potential candidates for open positions. Your employees may also be a part of veteran-related organizations or groups with potential job candidates. Through these internal connections you can find qualified candidates or even sponsor an event for a local organization your employee is connected to.
And, of course, don’t forget to ask your military heroes if THEY are interested in the positions and how you can prepare them for their next step within your company.