How Your Company Can Better Retain Employees Who Are Veterans

Up to 360,000 men and women leave the military each year and most are looking for work. despite this unprecedented commitment to hiring veterans, nearly half of all veterans leave their first post-military position within a year, and between 60% and 80% of veterans leave their first civilian jobs before their second work anniversary. Companies looking to hire and retain veterans need to proactively address communication and language gaps between military and corporate America. They should educate managers, recruiters, and leaders about military culture and language; design a specific onboarding and integration program for that addresses language differences; help veterans establish and sustain connections within the organization through employee resources groups and mentoring; and because mission and meaning are so important in the military, find ways to connect everyday responsibilities to overall organizational purpose.