Veterans are disciplined, dedicated, loyal, are fast learners, have integrity and a strong work ethic. So you would think employers would be tripping over themselves to hire them. But often they have difficulty adapting to the differences between corporate and military life. According to Spencer Milo, a former sergeant in the US Army, “If you hire someone from the military, you are never going to be concerned if they are going to show up on time… they are going to give you everything that they’ve got.” But the transition can be difficult as veterans of our Armed Forces adapt to civilian life.
Educate Your Management to Educate Others
But adaptation is not a one-way street. Incoming veterans are absolutely not the only ones who should be prepared to adjust to a new cultural influence. Managers and corporate leaders who are comfortably versed in the military’s uniquely disciplined structure can actively see communication and language gaps ahead and navigate them creatively in search of more comfortable common ground. If your organization is already home to experienced veterans, those members of your workplace family may be the ones best equipped to recognize the ingrained strengths and expertise that will provide the greatest value in your environment. Military experience cultivates significant competencies and skills corporate life simply doesn’t develop as effectively. The right veteran could become some of the most agile decision-makers and collaborators to a company prepared to recognize and talk about how cultural differences can actually strengthen a team’s knowledge, world view and capacity for cooperation.
Help Veterans Find Opportunities
Veterans leave the military accustomed to any everyday responsibility connecting directly with an overarching organizational purpose. Assigning meaning to every action is as ingrained as breathing, so any veteran employee that can better understand how their actions affect customers, coworkers, management and others creates the security and comfort of an understood organizational mission and set of values. Helping veterans establish and then sustain corresponding meaningful connections within the organization will forge a familiar structure of teamwork centered on a common purpose by igniting conversations, promoting learning between private and military sectors and smoothing the ongoing transition into corporate roles. The key is to frame transition as a progression from one united front rooted in a single defined purpose to another.
Layout a Defined Path
Ambiguity is virtually nonexistent amidst military life. Corporate entities rarely mirror the precision and certainty of military rank and file, but defining an identifiable path forward toward an explicit goal could make the difference between a veteran who doesn’t last a year in a new position and one who sees how universally formidable skills can and will translate into private-sector success upon grasping a set reporting chain of command. That very structure can also shed light on where and when they can potentially advance and seize opportunities for promotion. Promotions may not be guaranteed in the Armed Forces or private sector, but you can at least demonstrate realistic possibilities from any role in your company. Remember, the backbone of military life is a sense of someplace to be and something to do that propels themselves and their comrades toward a greater purpose.
Remind Them of Educational Opportunities
Generations ago, veterans often left the military with limited employable skills or safety nets for integration into civilian life provided by the culture of the Armed Forced. Fortunately, our country has come a long way toward caring for the men and women tasked with safeguarding its citizens’ freedoms. Study and understand the post-service educational benefits available to all military personnel. Pass that valuable information along to every veteran looking to join your company who may not be aware of financial aid, online colleges for military personnel and other career-training resources at their fingertips. When you encourage veterans to deepen their skillsets through continuing education and demonstrate readiness and willingness to facilitate their ambitions, you display a commitment to a win-win scenario in which they grow personally and you benefit from an employee exceptionally prepared to lead any team at a high level.
America has come far in looking after our own soldiers after their military service ends. However, there is plenty that corporate America could still do even better. Better relations between veterans and private-sector employers begin with open, honest conversations about the key divides where civilian and military cultures differ. Transitioning veterans should never feel as though speaking up about the challenges of their entry to corporate culture will come across as burdensome to those around them. With candor, respect, and openness, our veterans have the leadership, discipline, and commitment to goal-oriented action that transforms organizations for the better and sets them apart from their competitors.
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