“Veteran Ready” means a company can successfully attract, hire, onboard, and retain a veteran.
A few years ago, I created a business plan to help companies become “Veteran Ready.” Veteran ready means a company can successfully attract, hire, onboard, and retain a veteran, today. We used readiness in the military to mean just that; ready to fight tonight, anywhere in the world.
68% of veterans will leave their first job within two years following transition (study by Syracuse University’s Institute for Veterans and Military Families). I planned to help companies reverse that, and that is still my goal today. During my research for this business plan, however, I discovered something crucial: Everyone wants what a veteran wants in an organization. I now call the concept “People Ready.”
I served in 21 different organizations in my 27-year military career and though each of them was different, I could bank on a few things that veterans like myself and non-veterans look for in a company:
- Leaders who knew how to lead. Sure, there were some bad ones but mostly good, seasoned leaders took me under their wings.
- A cause, a mission, vision, and values known by and espoused by all.
- A culture of belonging and inclusion.
- Diversity…
