Effective strategies for hiring military Veterans to improve organizations’ performance
Abstract: Some hiring managers in Texas lack effective strategies to recruit military veterans, resulting in missed opportunities to enhance organizational performance and, in some cases, the hiring of less-qualified workers. Business leaders and hiring managers care about solving this problem because accessing the highly skilled veteran workforce can improve productivity, reduce training costs, and strengthen overall organizational outcomes. Built upon the theoretical foundation of person-organization fit theory, this qualitative multiple case study was conducted to identify and explore effective strategies hiring managers of medium-sized Texas organizations use to hire military veterans to improve organizational performance. The participants were seven hiring managers from a range of industries, including education, manufacturing, information technology, data consulting, and utilities in East Texas. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and a review of secondary data. Through thematic analysis, three themes were identified: (a) strategies used to recruit and hire veterans, (b) the importance of organizational culture, and (c) the value of transferable skill sets. Key recommendations include identifying state and federal incentives for hiring veterans, understanding military occupational specialties to match civilian roles, and leveraging existing veteran employees for referrals. The implications for positive social change include the potential for hiring managers across various organization sizes to increase veteran employment, thereby reducing veteran unemployment and improving workplace inclusivity.