Hiring Veterans - a civilian perspective

I asked Grok, the nightmarishly-named AI tool on X, to create images of British veterans.  

 

Here's what it made on its first try -  

 

 

 

 

This is the image many people have when they hear veteran - an older male in uniform.  

 

Civilian organisations often want to proactively hire veterans, with good reason. They will be surprised when they turn up for interviews and don't all look like the above photo though. 

 

I've worked at BFBS for twelve years and have hired many veterans as a result. I've had to learn lots of lessons about managing them along the way. And I've still got plenty more to learn! In fact, we are building an internal course to make joining the organisation as smooth as possible for veterans. 

 

*Helen is our most recent veteran hire!

Here is my advice I give civilians hiring or managing veterans for the first time.  

 

Clarity is Crucial  

 

Not wanting to micromanage is a natural feeling for managers. This is especially true when you hire a veteran. They may have had incredible experiences that make your career of Teams calls and actionable insights feel a bit underwhelming.  

 

You must avoid ambiguity wherever possible. During their service they will be told what to wear, when to wake up, when to eat, how to stand, when to sit (I don't recommend trying to do this). But if you have a veteran joining your organisation have you told them when to turn up? What the dress code is? Exactly what is expected of them? 

 

One huge strength I've seen in veterans is their ability to take feedback well. Give clear, candid instructions and let them crack on with what they need to achieve. You'll be rewarded with high quality work delivered by a driven member of staff.  

 

Explain why your work would suit them 

 

It must be difficult leaving the armed forces and figuring out where you 'fit' into the civilian world. There are organisations who are good at explaining this to veterans - Amazon, Barclays, PA Consulting.  

 

Proactively explain why your industry or organisation would suit them; we have to work hard to highlight what an opportunity the creative industries are for example. It clicks once we explain how organising a military exercise is much the same as organising video production. 

 

Respect how much their identity means  

 

When you serve you literally wear your identity on your sleeve.  

 

People can instantly identify what rank you are, what service you are a part of, what trade / regiment you are in, and what country you are from just by the symbols on your clothing. Those serving then usually reheat the standard issue jokes about the (lack of) qualities in their respective trades. 

 

Feeling like they have lost this identity can be difficult for them when they join the civilian world. For many there is an enormous amount of pride in their service. They may have joined the same regiment their family have served in for years. They may have fallen in love with the idea of being in the Royal Navy since they were little. They may have worked hard to learn a deeply technical trade.  

 

They may also struggle with their time in the armed forces. A sizable percentage of people who leave simply didn't enjoy the experience or suffered as a result. The veteran identity may well be something they find difficult to come to terms with. 

 

Either way it is important to recognise that the specific identity they have from the armed forces, and how they feel about it, is worth learning more about. 

 

You can be part of gently supporting them in shaping the next step of their identity.  

Challenge your assumptions – and your ED&I policy 

 

I have heard from some organisations who are afraid of hiring veterans. They assume they will be hyper-aggressive, perpetually shouting and not suited to civilian work at all. 

 

All I can say is - you should try meeting some of them and see how long this misguided view lasts!  

 

 

Hiring ex-serving personnel often falls through the cracks of organisation's diversity and inclusion planning. Are you making specific efforts to try and hire veterans? They bring fresh perspective, experiences, and value to their work.  

 

 

Finally, I've never met a veteran who likes the word veteran.  

 

Try not to make them feel like an alien species when you do hire them.  

 

There are many qualities veterans can bring to your team. I believe those at the forefront are -  

 

1. They are calm under pressure 

 

2. Up for the challenge - give them big challenges to solve and they will relish the opportunity 

 

3. They are dedicated 

 

4. Their perspective on life, work, and people enriches any discussion.