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5 Smart Reasons Why Small Businesses Should Hire Veterans

Hiring and retaining great employees is not easy. Hiring veterans has many benefits – here's a look at 5 tangible reasons why you should.

Benjamin Dorsinvil, Founder and CEO of Golden Freight Brokers | Source: Courtesy Photo
Benjamin Dorsinvil, Founder and CEO of Golden Freight Brokers | Source: Courtesy Photo

In today’s economy, it is never easy to find and retain hard-working, motivated, and ethical employees. According to a research report by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), over 68 percent of HR professionals have reported having difficulty filling positions in their current market.

For small business owners, great employees are the lifeblood of business, which is why it is important to hire and retain employees that will make an active contribution to your growing business. Candidates who will work as a team, lead by example, have integrity, and are able to perform well under pressure are critical to achieving your entrepreneurial dream.

This is why hiring a veteran is a logical step to grow a strong team. Here are 5 great reasons why you should hire a veteran.

 

1. Leadership

Veterans are placed in leadership roles at early stages in their military career. They understand the different dynamics of leadership both in its structure and hierarchy. In the US Army, within the first two months of starting bootcamp, soldiers are placed into positions where they are in charge of their section and report to their drill Sergeant. These opportunities help develop strong leadership skills early on and throughout their career.

During their military career, they are given many positions where they lead, motivate, and manage a team. Veterans understand the many ways to manage behaviors to help reach the organization’s goals even in the most challenging circumstances.

Navy Seals Leif Babin and Jocko Willink describe what it takes to be a good leader and how veterans use their military skills in the workforce in the following video.
 

 

2. Teamwork

In today’s economy, most jobs involve interacting with someone in the organization that might not be in the same physical location. Remote working is on the rise. The need for effective teamwork and communication is critical in these situations.

Employees who can perform well both as individuals and with other employees in various environments are vital to continued growth and success. In the military, everyone learns the importance of working as a team from day one. Military members understand how their individual efforts contribute to the overall organization’s objectives.

 

3. Performance under pressure

Military members are placed under tremendous amount of stress every day. They are expected to efficiently perform and accomplish their mission because their lives and those around them depend on it.

 

Photo: Neil Thomas, Unsplash
Photo: Neil Thomas, YFS Magazine

Veterans understand how to work with limited resources in tight schedules. In their career, they are faced with many occasions where they have to prioritize their time to focus on the most essential task in order to reach their goals. Most importantly, military veterans know the importance of staying with a task until it is done right.

As a business owner, you need people on your team who will not only go above and beyond for the company, but are also consistently reaching the goals of the organization no matter what obstacles present themselves.

 

4. Integrity

Integrity is perhaps one of the most important qualities of a leader. One of the first things my drill Sergeant told me when I went to basic training is that a leader is someone who does the right thing even when no one is looking.

Veterans know and are repeatedly reminded of the importance of doing the right thing both on and off duty. This quality translates into sincerity and trustworthiness in their work environment. Veterans will tell you the truth even if the truth is ugly. As a business owner, you need honest feedback from your team in order to grow your business and improve your processes.

 

5. Diversity and inclusion

In the military, you work with individuals from different race, gender, geographical origin, economic and religious backgrounds. According to the Department of Defense, racial and ethnic minorities made up 40% of active-duty military.

Military veterans can cooperate with many different types of individuals. They bring a greater diversity of both experience and perspective to an organization. The kind of diversity that veterans bring to an organization transcends standard measures. They have seen combat, interacted with foreign populations, and developed leadership skills. This level of maturity result in veterans becoming valuable contributors to an organization from day one.

 

Bonus – Tax credits

One thing that most small businesses are not aware of is the tax credits available to employers that hire military veterans. They can take advantage of the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC). This tax credits may run from $1,500 to as much as $6,000 per hire and are one for one-dollar credit against the employer’s income taxes payable.

 

Hiring veterans is a no-brainer for small businesses

Hiring and retaining great employees are not an easy task. Bringing a veteran onboard has many benefits from helping you reach goals to motivating and leading your team. These important skills will grow your business and help you stay ahead of the competition.

Whether or not you are a veteran, please share this article with your friends on social media so we can spread the word as to why founders and small business owners should hire more veterans. Thank you to all of you who have and are currently serving this great nation!

 

Benjamin Dorsinvil is the Founder and CEO of Golden Freight Brokers. Benjamin is an Operation Enduring Freedom US Army veteran with over 10 years of transportation experience in the Military. He is a University of Florida graduate with a Master’s Degree in Finance. Ben was recently listed in 30 under 30 most prominent leaders in South Florida. He is also an avid runner who loves to travel and explore the world.

 

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