THE INTERSECTION OF VETERANS, TECHNOLOGY AND VALUED SKILLSETS 1 - - PDF document

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THE INTERSECTION OF VETERANS, TECHNOLOGY AND VALUED SKILLSETS

Wes Wood Director, INVets, Conexus Indiana

• US Army Veteran
• Operation Enduring Freedom
• Battalion Senior Sniper
• MBA, Indiana University

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AGENDA

• Veteran Statistics
• Common Skillsets
• Veteran Training and Skills Development
• How and Why Add Veterans to Your Team

WHO ARE OUR SERVICE MEMBERS?

At 24 years of age, a Soldier ‐ on average ‐ has moved from home, family and friends, and has resided in two other states, has traveled the world, deployed, been promoted four times, bought a car and wrecked it, married and had children, has had relationship and financial problems, seen death, is responsible for dozens of soldiers, maintains millions of dollars of equipment, and gets paid less than $40,000 a year. General Peter Chiarelli Former Vice Chief of Staff of the Army

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VETERAN STATISTICS

• < 1% of the US population currently serve in the military
• 71% of the US population unqualified to serve due to legal, physical, moral or medical issues
• 50% of US Army recruits come from just seven States (CA, GA, FL, OH, NC, NY and TX)
• 79% of US Army recruits have had a relative who served
• By 2030, only 19% of the US population will qualify for military service

Military is harder to join than most assume.

VETERANS IN STEM

• 81% indicated that their military specialty (MOS, AFSC, Rating or Designator) accurately

described the military jobs they performed during their service

• 43% of veterans reported that their military specialty, job, or training, is science, technology, engineering or

mathematics related

• Veterans are 1.47 times more like to work in a STEM job compare to nonveterans
• Female veterans are two times more likely to work in STEM job compared to their counterparts
• Top Two STEM Concentrations For Veterans: Information Technology/Computer Science (43%)

and Engineering (38%)]

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MILITARY SERVICE SKILLS DEVELOPED

87% 86% 82% 81% 78% 20 40 60 80 100 120 WORK ETHIC AND DISCIPLINE TEAMWORK LEADERSHIP MENTAL TOUGHNESS ABILITY TO ADAPT

Graphic & Data Source: C. Zoli, R. Maury, & D. Fay, Missing Perspectives: Servicemembers’ Transition from Service to Civilian Life — Data‐Driven Research to Enact the Promise of the Post‐9/11 GI Bill (Institute for Veterans & Military Families, Syracuse University, November 2015).

WHAT VETERANS BRING TO AN ORGANIZATION

• Top Talent: shows up on time, can lead, follow,

and drug‐free

• World Class Training and Education
• Ability to operate in a complex, ambiguous, arduous

environments

• Highly skilled leaders of character (high moral, mental, physical

and intellectual standards)

• Developed technical (what to do) and tactical (when to do it)

expertise

• Ability to complete a mission with limited resources, poor

guidance, and high expectations

• Ability to make decisions at the lowest level with strategic impact

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VETERAN SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• How many of your entry‐level

employees are trained in these essential task?

• How much would it cost to train these

essential tasks?

Values + Essential Skills = Valuable Human Capital

Comparable Civilian Experience Level Entry Level Mid‐ Level Mid‐ Senior Level Senior Level Military Courses Basic Training Basic Leadership Course Advanced Leadership Course Senior Leadership Course E1‐E4 E4‐E5 E5‐E6 E6‐E7 Handling Work Stress * * * * Being Dependable and Reliable * * * * Attention to Detail * * * * Interpersonal Skills * * * * Teamwork * * * * Leading, motivating and inspiring others * * * Verbal Communication * * * Decision Making * * * Training Others * * * Managing and Supervising others * * * Critical Thinking * * Project Planning * *

CULTURAL DIFFERENCES

CIVILIAN CULTURE

• Emphasis on Individuality
• Individual Achievement
• Personal Freedom
• Fluid Social Relationships

MILITARY CULTURE

• Emphasis on Unit Cohesion
• Emphasis on the Mission
• Devotion to Duty
• Chain of Command

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BENEFITS TO HIRING A VETERAN

65%

Of veterans have some college education, or higher, making veterans more educate than their peers.

57%

Of veterans stay at their jobs longer than the median

• f 2.5 years for subsequent

roles after their first post‐separation job.

68%

Of employers report that veterans perform better than, or much better than their civilian peers.

WHY DO COMPANIES WANT TO HIRE VETERANS?

• Veterans have unique skills, knowledge and

abilities

• Your organization needs are aligned with

veteran skills, knowledge and abilities

• Companies generally gain goodwill from

customers and boost their public image when they commit to hiring military veterans

• Veteran competencies align with your corporate

values

• You want to demonstrate appreciation for their

service

• Companies can earn up to $10,000 in federal

and state tax credits through the Work Opportunity Tax Credit 11 12

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IN‐DEMAND SKILLS COMPARED TO SKILLS ENHANCED BY MILITARY SERVICE

MOST IMPORTANT SKILLS CITED BY EMPLOYERS FOR WORKPLACE SUCCESS

• Professionalism/Work Ethic
• Teamwork/Collaboration
• Communicating Effectively
• Critical Thinking/Problem Solving
• Ethics/Social Responsibility

SKILLS STRENGTHENED OR ENHANCED BY MILITARY SERVICE

• Work Ethic/Discipline
• Teamwork
• Leadership/Management
• Mental Toughness
• Adapting to Difficult Challenges
• Professionalism

WHERE DO VETERANS WITH ESSENTIAL VALUES & SKILLS RESIDE AFTER SERVICE?

60%

RETURN HOME

15%

STAY AT THE TRANSITION POINT (30% FOR RETIREES)

15%

MOVE FOR THE RIGHT JOB 13 14

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IS YOUR ORGANIZATION READY TO BENEFIT FROM VETERAN TALENT?

• 1. Employer Understanding
• Know why you want to hire veterans
• Know why a veteran would want to work for you
• 2. Veteran Onboarding
• Develop relationships with local military installations

and Transitions Assistance Programs

• Develop a Veterans Mentorship Program
• Develop relationships with local Veterans Service

Organizations

• 3. Veteran Talent Acquisition
• Clearly define roles and responsibilities
• Partner with a veteran mentor
• Encourage open dialogue
• 4. Veteran Development
• Provide opportunities for development, training and

certifications

• Provide early, frequent and constructive feedback
• 5. Retention
• Provide opportunities for upward progression in the
• rganization
• Value the veteran’s perspectives and outside

experience

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