Hire Our Heroes Brochure - Iowa Department of Veterans Affairs

4/5 HIRE OUR HEROES
“
The skills employers find most valuable are exactly what
military men and women bring to the table – leadership,
Name:
Dick Rue
Years served:
2 years active duty;
4 years inactive
ready reserve
Enlisted position:
Sergeant,
U.S. Marines
Current Occupation:
Senior Vice President
& CFO –
ITA Group, Inc.
discipline, team focus, self-motivation.”
Dick rue
Other Barriers Veterans Face
The communication barrier isn’t the only thing preventing
veterans from finding jobs. Veterans are also often
overlooked due to employers’:
n Concerns with periods of unemployment. Most hiring
managers become concerned when they see more than
a three-month gap in work history. However, it’s not
unusual - and even healthy - for military members to
take additional time after a deployment to transition
back to civilian life.
n Fear of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and
Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI). The percentage of
service men and women who develop PTSD is only
slightly higher than that of the average civilian
population. (Learn more about PTSD on page 8.)
n Ignorance of the law. The Uniformed Services
Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA)
and the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) both provide
clear direction for employers. These laws are designed to
protect both the employer and the employee.
n Fear of additional benefit costs. Employing service men
and women can be less costly than employing civilians.
Qualifying service-related health problems are normally
covered by the government. To help employers manage
returnee transition to the workplace, the government
established several tax credit opportunities.
n Fear of calls to active service. While there is certainly
the possibility for deployment, most Guard and Reserve
members report an average of 1.6 deployments since
2001. In the event deployment is needed, the military
makes it a priority to give as much advance notice to
both employer and employee as possible to allow
for planning.
Veterans Make Great Employees
Hiring veterans isn’t just the right thing to do. It’s also a
smart business move. Veterans bring an impressive array of
skills, knowledge and values to the table.
Consider how these characteristics—which are shared by
many veterans—could help your business.
n Leadership skills
n Integrity
n Timeliness
n Can-do attitude
n Discipline
n Strong work ethic
n Loyalty
n Physical fitness
n Team skills
Veterans also have a wide range of technical, specialized
and professional capabilities. For instance, they can be
outstanding fits for positions in:
n Supply chain management
n Law enforcement, public safety, security
n Transportation
n Logistics
n Finance
n Legal
n Health care
n Human resources
Trained to learn
Members of the military are fast learners. In fact, the
military trains them to learn.
Serving in the military means adapting quickly to new
equipment, new situations and new plans. That’s why
the military focuses on helping soldiers become adept at
learning. And that’s why employees who’ve served in the
military are readily trainable.