Because I have a long history recruiting veterans, I’m often asked, “What’s the value in hiring veterans?” I’m asked that so much, I figured I’d write this post.
First off, all the US military branches stress certain Core Values and hold their service members accountable to them. Consequently, military
members work in an environment where traits like Honor, Integrity, and Commitment mean something. These traits are the cornerstones of military culture. Corporations benefit because hiring veterans is like “planting seedlings” in the workforce. Those seedlings will grow and influence the company’s culture in a positive way .
Veterans Take the Initiative. All organizations know the importance of having employees who don’t need to be told what to do. “Taking the Initiative” is stressed at all levels from the moment service members enter the US military. Corporations love hiring veterans because of this trait.
Veterans are Well-Trained Leaders – Leadership Development in the military is something that starts early in a service members career. In fact, our CEO was 19 years old when he attended his first military education class. Leadership Development in the military isn’t a class or seminar type of approach. It’s an established career development pathway that includes entry-level training, career level schooling, intermediate level education and finally top-level school instruction for senior officers. Training and development in the military
Veterans are Committed Team Players. It’s been said the difference between success and failure is a great team. That philosophy is something that’s a core element in US military history. As Andrew Carnegie once said – “Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results. If that was true for Andrew Carnegie, don’t you think it’s still true today for your organization?
Veterans Take Responsibility and Pride in their Dependability. Epictetus is credited as saying, “It’s so simple really: If you say you’re going to do something, do it. If you start something, finish it.”
Dependability is nothing new as it was clearly very important 2000 years ago during Epictetus’ time. Dependability is another one of those key traits found in military veterans. It is also a major reason why veterans are so depended upon in the corporate world.
Veterans are “Trained to Overcome Extreme Situations” – Service members professional development isn’t geared towards an office environment. It’s all part of the preparation process for that time when they may be put in a life and death situation. There is no way of bluffing your way out of such situations. The only way out is to be proficient in your field and to help your team. Veterans know the importance of asking for help from a team member if they don’t know what to do. Their focus is on collaboration as a means to help the team advance.
Veterans will “Increase Your Team’s Morale and ROI” – Having veteran teammates helps employees feel more secure in their own position. They don’t have to look over their shoulder because they know their back is covered by a solid teammate. A happy employee is a productive employee. Anne Mulcahy the former Chairwoman and CEO of Xerox Corporation, once said. “Employees who believe that management is concerned about them as a whole person – not just an employee – are more productive, more satisfied, more fulfilled. Satisfied employees mean satisfied customers, which leads to profitability.”
Below are some well-known veterans who’ve done pretty wel in business
Fred Smith – founder, chairman, and CEO of FedEx – Marine Corps
Sam Walton – co-founder WalMart – US Army
Bob Parsons – founder of GoDaddy – Marine Corps
Richard Kinder – co-founder Kinder Morgan – US Army
Paul A. Sperry – founder of Sperry Shoes – US Navy
Dave Liniger – founder of ReMax – US Air Force
USAA, founded by a group of 25 Army officers
Here at Ridgeback, we Recruit Veterans with many skill sets.
Project Managers, Engineers, IT, Consultants, Manufacturing,
Leadership Development Candidates, …..
Our clients identify the requirement and we go out and find the best.
Ridgeback Business Solutions helps organizations do things they cannot normally do in the fields of finding great talent, project management, focused marketing, and consulting business leaders on how to improve the efficiency and profitability of their business.
To learn more about how Ridgeback can help you, Please contact us at:
Phone: (646) 883-2927
Email: [email protected]