Study: Hiring vets could give businesses an edge
Published: March 7, 2012
WASHINGTON – Researchers at Syracuse University’s Institute for Veterans and Military Families this week unveiled a new case study on hiring employees with a military background, arguing that the skills they develop from active-duty training make them invaluable workers in a civilian business environment.
“Specifically, academic research from the fields of business, psychology, sociology, and decision-making strongly links characteristics that are generally representative of military veterans to enhanced performance and organizational advantage in the context of a competitive and dynamic business environment,” the report reads. “In other words, the academic research supports a robust, specific, and compelling business case for hiring individuals with military background and experience.”
The research points to 10 specific reasons why veterans can outperform workers without any military background, based on skills that businesses should be looking for in any potential employee:
- Veterans are entrepreneurial.
- Veterans assume high levels of trust.
- Veterans are adept at skills transfer across contexts/tasks.
- Veterans have (and leverage) advanced technical training.
- Veterans are comfortable/adept in discontinuous environments.
- Veterans exhibit high levels of resiliency.
- Veterans exhibit advanced team-building skills.
- Veterans exhibit strong organizational commitment.
- Veterans have (and leverage) cross-cultural experiences.
- Veterans have experience/skill in diverse work settings.
Researchers said they hope the new report will better illustrate the value of hiring veterans, beyond generalizations about their leadership and reliability. Their work doesn’t include any calculations of worth “that are externally/market driven, such as enhanced reputational value to the firm.”
You can read the full report at the institute’s web site.
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