Major Corporations Pool Efforts To Hire Returning US Military Veterans

By Malik Singleton | March 15 2013 4:00 PM

A number of U.S. companies are working to hire more military veterans, some working independently and others forming coalitions to help job seekers. Further, analysts are identifying common obstacles to veterans getting hired.

Reuters

Loreen Orage of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs directs applicants at a job fair for veterans and their spouses held by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Reuters

Jobseekers attend a "Hiring our Heroes" job fair aimed at out-of-work military veterans in Ashburn, Va.

Among companies that are working independently to help returning veterans is Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE:WMT), which promised in January to hire 100,000 veterans.

Other companies are working together to boost veteran hiring. One such group is the 100,000 Jobs Mission initiative, which JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) began with just 11 companies in 2011 and which has now grown to 99 companies. The coalition aims to combat challenges that veterans face when trying to reenter the civilian workforce.

Similar efforts include the Obama administration's Veterans Opportunity to Work Act and Michelle Obama and Jill Biden's Joining Forces initiative.

CareerBuilder's survey found that veterans don't always identify their veteran status on their resumes even though potential employers would look favorably at such a status. The survey also found that veterans tend to describe their skills using military jargon that doesn't always make sense to civilian hiring managers. Some employers report concerns about the after-effects of combat stress, according to results from the Center for a New American Security.

Besides these initiatives and surveys that seek to identify obstacles to hiring veterans, hiring conferences geared to former military personnel are also emerging as key resources. The Lucas Group lists dozens of ongoing hiring conferences on its site.

"There are many employers who are putting a lot of energy and resources into recruiting military job seekers," Bill Scott of Bradley-Morris, Inc., the largest military-focused recruiting firm in the U.S., said. "A veteran's skill set, dedication and team-oriented nature make hiring military-experienced talent a great business strategy."

Bradley-Morris, Inc., the parent company of CivilianJobs.com and HireMilitary.com, has its own recruitment events scheduled for March 25 in Las Vegas, Nev., and in Norfolk, Va. and others throughout the year. Its annual Most Valuable Employers list promotes companies that hire the most veterans, and it just announced finalists for the 2013 honors, many of whom will be present at the 100,000 Jobs Mission coalition's major job fair on April 11 at the Dallas Convention Center.

Here is military recruitment information for 10 of the major companies that will be actively recruiting at the Dallas hiring event:

Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN)

AT&T (NYSE: T)

Bell Helicopter (NYSE: TXT)

Brink's Incorporated (NYSE: BCO)

Eaton Corporation (NYSE: ETN)

General Motors (NYSE: GM)

Intel (NASDAQ: INTC)

Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE: LMT)

Shell Oil Company

Textron Marine & Land Systems (NYSE: TXT)