Why BSCs Should Consider Hiring Veterans
In the next few years, more than 1 million well-trained military members will be leaving the service and looking to join the workforce. Eight-one percent of organizations don't have a clear understanding of why these veterans would be an asset. Do you?
As BSCs search for prospective employees, they look for people who are open to learning new things and work well under pressure. They also want people who enjoy being part of a team, can manage their time well, and understand how important the small details can be. One group of people who embody all those traits are veterans.
Additionally, veterans are very capable of adapting to change. Although contract cleaning is typically routine, myriad issues can arise unexpectedly. What's more, these problems can have potentially dangerous risks. When this happens, you need employees who've been trained to handle any situation calmly and rationally. This level of preparedness is emphasized from the start of all military training, as is being safety conscious.
Likewise, communication is key in any business. Poor communication can cost you time and money. To keep your business growing, you need a team that knows how to keep the lines of communication clear and open.
The military requires its ranks to clearly communicate with each other, their leadership, and the people they encounter during missions. This skill translates well to a BSC, where employees are working directly with other team members and clients.
What's more, contract cleaning allows employees to clearly see when their job is complete. This appeals to veterans since military work is also very results-driven. Veterans struggling to make the transition to civilian life can really benefit from positions where the goals are easily measured and success is well-defined.
Additional Benefits of Hiring Veterans
Hiring veterans is a smart decision, and not only because of their skill sets. The Work Opportunity Tax Credit is a federal program that reduces a company's tax liability when it hires unemployed veterans and other individuals who struggle with finding work.
BSCs can also benefit from the Transitional Work (TW) component of the VA's Compensated Work Therapy model. Participating employers bring on participants for a limited-time basis. Although TW participants are expected to meet the same requirements as full-time employees, the VA funds all their employee benefits. Your obligation is to pay their salary or hourly wage. This savings in insurance and other perks can help you lower your expenses, hire more staff, and keep your business growing.
A member of The Janitorial Store recently shared her experience creating a plan to hire more veterans in our online community. After meeting with the local VA leadership to understand the programs available to businesses looking to hire more vets, her cleaning company has had a major increase in applications from former military professionals. In fact, the company has had to adjust its schedule to keep up with the growing number of interviews.
In addition to having a growing list of professional applicants excited to join its team, the company has benefitted from participating in government programs that cover the cost of healthcare, workers compensation insurance, and other perks. These programs enable the company to provide more jobs while keeping costs down. Now, 80% of its staff consists of veterans.
Common Misconceptions of Hiring Veterans
Given all the potential benefits of hiring veterans, why do so many people struggle to find jobs when they leave the military?
One common problem is the misperception that most veterans have mental illness. Forty percent of the public believe that half of post-Sept. 11 veterans have mental health issues, according to a survey from the George W. Bush Institute's Military Service Initiative. In fact, only 10 to 20 percent of those deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan experience post-traumatic stress disorder.
Another issue is that some employers simply don't understand the skills veterans develop during their service. They don't know or believe that military training can translate to civilian work.
Finally, veterans themselves often struggle with the interviewing process. They aren't accustomed to singing their own praises, and tend to shine the spotlight on their team rather than themselves. This can give the impression that they lack initiative or skills, when in reality they are simply used to being strong team players.
Next Steps
Ready to bring more veterans into your organization? Developing a plan can be a daunting task. Fortunately, there are resources to make it easier.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation's Hiring Our Heroes is a nationwide program that helps veterans and military spouses find meaningful employment opportunities. Through job fairs, free online tools, and partnering with the business community, they've helped employers fill more than a half-million job openings.
In addition to hosting in-person job fairs, Hiring our Heroes hosts an online job board, resume search portal, and virtual job summits that participating employers can use to find new team members. Their Employer Road Map provides all the tools and resources you need to hire more former service members and military spouses.
Additionally, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs offers a ton of useful online resources for hiring managers in its Veterans Employer Toolkit. These recruiting tools and outreach advice guide you through some of the common issues that hiring managers encounter during the interview and onboarding stages.
The Toolkit provides information on tricky subjects like hiring members of the reserves who may still have periodic obligations with the military, as well as issues that can arise when hiring employees with disabilities. It also includes links to online job portals where employers can connect directly with veterans on the job hunt.
Every cleaning company can benefit from hiring military veterans. Their training and past experiences have given them strong communication and leadership skills. Their attention to detail and time management skills translate well to a position with a BSC. They work well on a team and can adapt well when things don't go according to plan.
In addition to the skills that veterans bring to the workplace, your business can benefit from several different programs. The federal government provides tax breaks for hiring unemployed or disabled veterans. You may be eligible to hire temporary workers through an occupational therapy program that covers many of the expenses of hiring a new employee.
There are some amazing resources available for BSCs who commit to hiring veterans. You don't have to navigate everything alone. Check out the various job portals and online trainings available to you and your leadership team that will allow you to grow your business while employing some of the most well-trained staff you can find.
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It is time to fine-tune your hiring process? Your hiring process includes getting the "Legal Stuff" set up correctly, writing job descriptions, setting up your pay scale, writing your ads, recruiting candidates, interviewing and asking the right questions, onboarding and training
Make it easy on yourself and use the roadmap to plan you hiring process today!
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