With tens of thousands of military veterans expected to return home from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan during the next two years, the recruitment and retention of veterans for private-sector jobs is a growing concern. These men and women will return seeking work in urban, suburban and rural areas, and recruiters and hiring managers across the U.S. will review their applications.
According to two surveys released by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) during the past 12 months, many human resource professionals and military veterans actually will not cross paths, and if they do, they likely will communicate in ways the other party has trouble understanding.
SHRM’s recent poll, “Recruiting Veterans with Disabilities — Perceptions in the Workplace,” was done in conjunction with the ILR Employment and Disability Institute at Cornell University and released in January. The poll highlighted responses from 1,083 human resource professionals, who are overwhelmingly unaware of key resources available to help employers recruit and hire disabled veterans.
For instance, many were unaware of prominent organizations geared to help veterans transition into the workforce. Some 87 percent were unaware of the Tip of the Arrow Foundation; 73 percent were unaware of the VetSuccess program of the Department of Veterans Affairs; 61 percent were unaware of the Wounded Warrior Program; 60 percent were unaware of Job Opportunities for Disabled American Veterans; and 59 percent were unaware of veterans’ service organizations such as the Paralyzed Veterans of America.
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