1. The Veteran Hiring Opportunity:
Getting Beyond the Hype and Realizing the Potential
Texas Municipal Human Resources Association
Peter A. Gudmundsson
CEO, RecruitMilitary LLC
May 4, 2017
Peter A. Gudmundsson
CEO, RecruitMilitary LLC

2. Peter Gudmundsson, RM CEO

3. Agenda
Dispelling the hype regarding veteran hiring
The potential upside of veteran hiring
Getting started
Avoiding the pitfalls
Q&A

4. The Veteran Hiring Hype
Veterans are a victim group that require special consideration
Veteran unemployment realities
PTS/TBI
Skills translation is an insurmountable challenge
Bias is real – and goes both ways
Check your bias
Culture fit fear
Entitlement
Veterans can solve all your talent needs
“Dependable, cheap and desperate”

5. Veteran vs. National Unemployment
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, March 2017

6. Check Your Bias and Knowledge
PTS / TBI
Culture Fit Fear
Entitlement
Not “cheap and desperate”

7. The Upside of Veteran Hiring
Diversity “One Stop Shopping”
Reflective of America (although only 16% female)
Better educated
Disabilities (18%)
Screening and training
Intangible and intangible skills
Attributes
Benefits to your brand
Compliance

8. Selection and Screening
They volunteered, qualified and passed

9. Directly and indirectly applicable
Skills
Directly and indirectly applicable

10. Attributes
Character, Discipline, Resiliency, Teamwork

11. Brand Benefits
Your products and services
Employment brand
Community standing – association with a trusted institution

12. Getting Started With Veteran Hiring
Goal Setting and Corporate Support
Employer Branding / Offer
Sourcing / Engagement
Measurement
Retention

13. Building Corporate Support: Motivation, Celebration and Measurement
Understand and articulate goals of program
What does success look like?
What is the motivation?
Quality talent, compliance, service
Harness the support of veterans on staff
Highlight their successes
Set up employee resource group
Use them to “translate” and interpret military resumes
Identify, agree upon and publish metrics
Cost per quality hire
Educate executive and hiring managers
Address bias and prejudice directly

14. Why Should Veterans Work for You?
Mission
Money
Mentorship
Momentum
Are you really an attractive place to work?

15. Engagement and Sourcing Veterans
Live events (Career Fairs)
All producers are not the same
Free vs. paid
Insist on historical data
Base vs. destination cities
Judged by the company you keep
Digital solutions
Dedicated veteran job boards
Targeted campaigns
Enewsletters
Media brand building
Print and electronic

16. Failing to address biases directly
Avoiding the Pitfalls
Under-resourcing
Thinking it should be free
Ignoring retention
Failing to address biases directly
Lack of C-Suite support (beyond lip service)
Unrealistic expectations
Not measuring

17. Summary Act – attack! Educate Engage & Source Retain Know facts
Leverage insiders
Address bias directly
Clear goals
Engage & Source
Invest
Seek to understand
Retain
Veterans are first and foremost like anyone else (only better!)

18. Questions? Peter A. Gudmundsson CEO/President