Each Nov. 11, Americans recognize Veterans Day by honoring and thanking the veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces. We at DPI Staffing would like to sincerely thank the men and women who have served, and encourage employers to focus on increasing recruitment and hiring veterans throughout the year.
Today, veterans who have served since 2001 face unemployment rates higher than the national average for all Americans. Part of the reason for this heightened unemployment may be that employers have misconceptions about physical or hidden disabilities that some veterans face. In addition, they may not understand how skills gained in the military translate to civilian job descriptions.
As Courtney Billington, a veteran of the U.S. Army and Vice President at Johnson & Johnson, writes in a recent Forbes article, “If I could do one thing this Veterans Day, it is this: help businesses see how veterans can help them.” Billington cites the experience gained in the military that make veterans outstanding employees, including the ability to adapt quickly, handle competing priorities and manage diverse teams.
And employers of all types, from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies, have experienced the positive business impacts of employing veterans. The 100,000 Jobs Mission, for instance, was founded by a dozen large employers in 2010. It set out to hire 100,000 veterans by 2020, but has already exceeded this goal. The initiative’s 175 employers are now on track to have hired 200,000 veterans by the end of 2014.
What We’re Doing
DPI’s VETS FIRST initiative launched in summer 2012 to help employers connect with veterans. At the time, our Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, Travis Pearson, a veteran of both the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Coast Guard, said, “Veterans are rife with transferable job skills and a great work ethic, and we’re going to continue to invest in them as quality employees.” And we have. In our Maryland office, for instance, an incredible 87% of employees currently on staffing assignments are veterans (26 out of 30 employees).
So today, as you take time to reflect on the sacrifices of those who have served, make a commitment to recruiting and hiring veterans.
