Crafting Career Opportunities for Veterans in the Service Industry

Hiring military veterans is just good for business. In 2023, military veterans represented about 7 percent of the US population, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, and many of those veterans have found their homes in hospitality. 

Here’s an inside look at the many benefits of hiring veterans.

The Challenges of Transitioning From Service to Civilian Employment

Take a moment to view the world from the eyes of a military veteran. You’ve gone through basic training, possibly spent time in dangerous situations, and honed your interpersonal skills along the way. You probably thrive under pressure as a crisis manager, embracing the opportunity to lead others. The skills gained throughout your time in service can be used very effectively in many civilian work environments, but the hospitality sector can particularly benefit from such skills. 

Most restaurants and hotels find veterans can easily transition from a life of service to the hospitality world where they have to think on their feet, work with a team, and have a high degree of attention to detail. 

Walking away from a highly structured military life to that of a civilian employee in the service sector requires significant adjustment, and keeping this in mind when taking on new employees is important to ensure long-term success. 

Recruiting Veterans for Hospitality Sector Employment

You can gain a meaningful competitive advantage when recruiting new hires by tailoring your job postings to those who’ve served in the military. Add specific keywords and key phrases to your job postings to make them easier for veterans to find.

The most effective job ads geared toward military veterans include keywords and key phrases such as:

  •         Veteran
  •         Hiring veterans
  •         Service
  •         Military
  •         Team
  •         Discipline

Use the job ad to explicitly state your that organization is open to hiring military veterans including those who have combat experience. 

Hiring veterans is that much easier with the use of the right technology. Harri’s mobile platform connects businesses like yours with veterans ready and willing to work. The Harri platform empowers you to quickly source, coordinate interviews and hire veterans. 

Harri streamlines recruiting through efficient applicant tracking, providing mobile video interviews, SMS communications, labor law compliance, and plenty more. 

Empower Veterans Through Training and Support

As noted above, veterans may favor structured work environments characterized by teamwork and camaraderie. Welcome veterans to your team with open arms, immediately introduce them to your fellow contributors, and you’ll find they integrate with ease.

It is a mistake to let veterans “find their own way” through self-navigation of their role and workplace relationships. Veterans are accustomed to in-depth training so prepare ahead of time. Define the scope of the new hire’s role, provide them with an employee handbook at the outset of employment, and invest time in training. If you can, provide your newly hired veterans with mentors for individualized training to give them the best start to the role possible. 

Leverage Veterans’ Skills in Hospitality Settings

Veterans are more likely to be skilled communicators with a penchant for leadership. Moreover, these superstars have top-notch organizational skills that maximize efficiency and overarching operations at restaurants, hotels and other hospitality businesses.  Veterans honed these skills while work in pressure-packed, fast-paced environments.

Seize the opportunity to add a veteran to your team and you’ll quickly find this individual is a self-starter with enough flexibility to contribute in a team-oriented environment.  As detailed in this Syracuse University brief titled Institute For Veterans and Military Families, veterans tend to be trustworthy, entrepreneurial, adaptive and highly flexible.

Moreover, veterans thrive in demanding work environments such as those in the hospitality sector that often have highly diverse personnel with a wide range of personalities.  The icing on the cake is veterans’ organizational commitment.  Hire a veteran and this hard worker will likely reciprocate the favor in the form of loyal service that spans a year, several years or possibly even a decade.

Choose a veteran for your open role and you’ll find they thrive in discontinuous environments including hospitality industry roles characterized by high turnover and demanding customers.

Hospitality Hiring Trends 2023

Programs for Hiring Veterans

The best way to find “rainmaker” veteran hires is through veteran employees already onboard. If you do not currently employ a veteran, jump at the opportunity to do so. Veterans often have vast networks consisting of other hardworking service members who’ve served the nation in diverse roles.  There is also the option of connecting with organizations that bridge the gap between hospitality industry employers and veterans for mutual benefit.

Veteran hiring resources tend to be categorized as either federally funded or non-federally affiliated. As an example, American Job Centers (AJC) has a helpful Veteran and Military Transition Center where veterans can find employment and training opportunities specifically geared toward those who’ve served in the military. The site also has a Hire a Vet page for employees to connect with veterans. 

AJC’s Hire a Vet system starts with a posting of the employment opportunity on a state job bank. An AJC Veterans Employment Representative then guides you through the veteran hiring process.

Additional examples of employment programs for hiring veterans include:

  •         The Office of Veterans Business Development
  •         Marine for Life Network
  •         Soldier for Life
  •         The SBA’s Office of Veterans Business Development
  •         Disabled American Veterans
  •         The American Legion
  •         Hiring Our Heroes

When in doubt, surf the web for job boards specific to military veterans. Military-friendly employment boards on the internet pair hospitality industry businesses with hardworking veterans with diverse skill sets.

In the UK, there are plenty of charities and organisations that work to get ex-servicemen into civilian roles. 

One of Harri’s charity partners Only a Pavement Away provides veterans with life stability through employment. The charity provides vets with the opportunity to develop new skills while matching them with hospitality businesses that often are in need of willing workers who possess the skills many veterans have. 

Harri’s Can Help Businesses Hire Veterans

Harri makes it easy for businesses like yours to add, train and manage hardworking veterans. Our technology future-proofs hotels, restaurants and other businesses, providing a convenient all-in-one workforce management system. 

Request a demo today to find out how Harri’s mobile technology improves your bottom line.

 

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