兰德-Veteran-Employment_-Lessons-from-the-100,000-Jobs-Mission_54页_1mb

Summary of "Veteran Employment: Lessons from the 100,000 Jobs Mission"

Core Content

The 100,000 Jobs Mission was a coalition initiated in March 2011 by 11 founding companies, with the goal of hiring 100,000 veterans by 2020. As of September 2014, the coalition had already surpassed this goal, hiring over 190,000 veterans, and was on track to reach 200,000 by the end of 2014. The mission has grown significantly, with over 175 participating companies, and has become a prominent initiative in promoting veteran employment across the U.S.

The coalition includes companies from a wide range of industries, such as finance, healthcare, technology, and retail, and varies in size, from small businesses to large corporations. The mission has been supported by the federal government, including the President and cabinet secretaries, who emphasized the importance of veteran employment and launched initiatives like the Joining Forces program and the Veterans Opportunity to Work to Hire Heroes Act of 2011, which provides tax credits to help veterans find work.

Main Views and Key Information

Value of Veteran Employees

• Leadership skills and teamwork are most frequently cited as valuable qualities that veterans bring to the workplace.
• Veterans are recognized for their flexibility, dependability, integrity, and loyalty.
• They are also seen as having experience in culturally diverse or global environments, which is beneficial for many civilian roles.
• Companies generally respect veterans as equal to nonveteran employees in terms of treatment and expectations.

Challenges in Veteran Employment

• A major challenge is matching military skills to civilian job requirements.
• Some companies face mismatched education and experience expectations with veteran applicants.
• Visibility of companies to veteran job seekers is a concern.
• Veterans often lack understanding of the civilian job market and may not know which positions they are qualified for.
• There is a lack of performance and retention tracking for veteran employees, despite the recognition of their value.

Recruitment Strategies

• Companies use a variety of veteran-specific recruitment methods, including:
  • Veteran-specific job fairs
  • On-base recruiting
  • Veteran-specific employment websites
  • Veteran-specific pages on company websites
  • Specially trained recruiters
  • Employee referrals
  • General outreach to the veteran community
• Emerging federal resources such as the Veterans Employment Center (VEC) and SkillBridge are helping to bridge the gap between veterans and employers.

Company Recommendations

• Educate managers on the value of veteran employees.
• Allocate recruitment resources strategically, focusing on activities with measurable results.
• Participate in federal programs like VEC and SkillBridge to increase visibility and access to resources.
• Expand efforts beyond recruitment to include onboarding, career development, and retention.
• Establish and track metrics for veteran recruitment, performance, and retention to better understand the return on investment.

Recommendations for Federal Agencies

• The Department of Defense (DoD) should continue facilitating on-base recruiting events and encourage early registration in the Veterans Employment Center.
• Expand training and internship programs, such as SkillBridge, to better prepare transitioning service members for civilian roles.
• Improve and evaluate the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) by involving private-sector organizations in TAP sessions to provide guidance and support.

Recommendations for the 100,000 Jobs Mission

• Institute an advisory board to guide the coalition's future goals and direction.
• Form industry-based subgroups to foster more collaborative and targeted interactions.
• Provide formal orientation for new members to ensure they understand the mission and its objectives.
• Share veteran employment information and resources with nonmember companies to broaden the coalition's impact.

Conclusion

The 100,000 Jobs Mission has demonstrated the potential for private-sector collaboration in promoting veteran employment. While the coalition has made significant strides in recruitment, there is a clear need for more focus on managing and retaining veteran employees. The coalition's experiences and challenges provide valuable insights for other organizations, government agencies, and policymakers aiming to improve veteran employment outcomes. Continued investment in education, training, and support systems for both veterans and employers is essential for long-term success.