Modern Military Recruitment Ideas for 2019 and Beyond

In the area of military recruitment, there's a huge disconnect. Many businesses would happily hire veterans or military personnel who are transitioning to civilian life, but those same candidates have trouble finding work at the level they are qualified for.

Here are some numbers to back up that claim. According to a Google article, “1 in 3 veterans—of the roughly 250,000 service members who transition out of the military each year—end up taking jobs well below their skill level.” That is completely unacceptable! But…what should employers do about it?

Here are some ideas that employers who want to recruit military professionals can employ this year.

Strategize.

Most military members are great strategists. Take a note from their book and plan your military recruitment out in advance. Don’t make military hiring an afterthought. Instead, build it into your ongoing strategy.

We recommend including job board postings on sites like RecruitMilitary, Indeed (they have an excellent mobile interface for all types of job seekers), USAJOBS, VetJobs, Military, but we also think that you should consider military-specific hiring events, social media promotion and that you set aside time to do a deep dive into what roles would best align with skills that military personnel could assist you with.

Look into New Options.

Google drops new products and features regularly. Back in August 2018 they introduced job-matching technology that pairs skills with job codes used by the military to provide candidates with viable, applicable career choices.

According to Workable if you want your job (military or otherwise) to pop up on Google for Jobs, make sure post your job on any of the following sites:

Or, you can accomplish this by adding the open roles to a job board, which is integrated with the Google job search engine.

Finally, you can get your jobs on Google for Jobs if you integrate your jobs with them directly. We recommend that you check out the Workable tutorial we are referencing that outlines it in detail if you are interested!

A Strong Base.

Much like how recruitment at the college level can be effective for seniors transitioning into their first jobs, reaching out to military professionals during transition periods is an excellent way to fill your pipeline with talented veterans!

Make time to contact Base Transition Assistance Programs. They have events, training and they post jobs! This program, “was established to meet the needs of separating service members during their period of transition into civilian life by offering job-search assistance and related services.” It is a perfect way for you to lay the groundwork for the next stage in a military professional’s life!

It Comes Down to Education. On Both Sides.

Half the problem with military recruitment is confusion on the behalf of the hiring managers. They simply don’t know what to look for or what to ask! There are two important points that should be considered as part of the education process…

1. A Good Match – Did you know that according to the Veteran Hiring Survey: Exploring the Bottom-line Value of Hiring Veteran Talent, “While 99% of businesses report they are recruiting military veterans, 62% are giving essential recruiting work to resources who are not trained or experienced in veteran recruitment” ? That is a whole lot of people shooting in the dark!

Companies need to consider which roles would align best with which types of military recruits. Talk to leadership to see what they are look for and then talk to someone in the military field to educate yourself on what military personnel can offer in those roles. Only then can you can form educated interview questions and offer the military candidates roles that are professionally stimulating and challenging. Remember – military members are used to being given missions…some will not be interested in a role that feels stunted, hinders their learning or lacks in advancement options.

2. Put it Out There – Adding a section to your recruitment website that states clearly that you are seeking military candidates is an excellent way to inform your audience and solidify what you are looking for. A major part of the battle for military candidates is finding employers that are actively seeking and appreciate their skills. Make it easy for your recruitment team and the candidates to understand the goals you have set for military recruitment.

Military personnel make reliable, hard-working, dedicated team members. Do the work and recruit them right!