Focus on Manatee: Hire a veteran. It’s a decision you won’t regret
With Monday being the observation of Veterans Day, I want to say thank you to all of our local veterans for your service.
We have many employers, employees, career seekers, family, friends and loved ones here in our backyard who have made huge sacrifices to ensure our freedom. Your impact on our lives is not overlooked.
In addition, the value veterans bring to the businesses in our community is worth noting. Ideally, every employer in our area would actively recruit veterans and build upon the skills gained through service.
If your business does not currently proactively seek out veterans, then I encourage you to start now. It takes very little effort yet enhances lives, your business and our community as a whole.
Begin with creating a culture within your organization that supports veterans. Does your health care plan include coverage for professionals who treat PTSD? Do you have training programs that assist with transferring the skills they learned in duty to the skills needed in your organization?
Get out in the community. Build credibility by attending events at veteran-focused organizations. Stop by for no reason. Hold a hiring event specifically for veterans and their families (here’s a chance to plug Paychecks for Patriots on Wednesday, a statewide job fair for veterans).
In the past five years, more than 2,100 veterans and military family members who attended this event gained employment as a direct result.
The depth of talent a veteran can bring to your organization is immeasurable and you are missing out on dependable and productive team members if you don’t seek them out.
I’ve spoken with several employers over the years, and some have brought up concerns about hiring veterans. Can they really transfer their military skills to civilian skills? Yes they can, and I’ll tell you how.
Teamwork and independence. In the military, teamwork is an essential feature of doing one’s job. Veterans have a unique ability to seamlessly switch back and forth from working in a team to working individually on certain projects. Higher productivity is a natural result.
Veterans can quickly adapt to change and work in high-pressure situations. Some have experienced terrifying high-pressure events that no civilian can imagine what it feels like. So when you have a deadline for a report or need to close on those last big sales, then guess what, that could be easy for someone who has been in the military.
Accountability is a huge component of military life. They can problem-solve, are quick to learn new skills and have sensitivity to other cultures, race and genders as a result of International experience.
More than 220,000 service members complete their service obligations or retire each year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Most will enter the civilian job market for a new career.
Besides gaining talented new team members, there’s also the added value of tax incentives and funding from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) subsidize salaries while a veteran completes on-the-job training.
It can also provide specialized tools and workplace modifications at no cost to the employer. Through a special incentive program, employers may receive an incentive to hire Veterans facing extraordinary obstacles to employment, which may include up to 50 percent reimbursement of the veteran’s salary for six months, according to the Veterans Benefits Administration.
If you hire an unemployed veteran, you may also be able to take advantage of the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC.) The Returning Heroes Tax Credit provides up to $5,600 for hiring unemployed veterans, and the Wounded Warriors Tax Credit can be as high as $9,600.
Regardless of the tax credits, choose to honor veterans not just on Veterans Day but every day.
Give them a chance. It will be worth it.
Ted Ehrlichman, president and CEO of CareerSource Suncoast, writes about workforce issues across the region.