Tim Best
CEO, Bradley-Morris, Inc. and Recruit Military
A military background fosters the kind of leadership skills workplaces need, and employers should take note.
The military teaches you how to work as a team, remain dedicated to the mission and provide optimal support for co-workers. So it should come as no surprise veteran employees often elevate the performance of those around them and foster a more productive workforce.
A goals-oriented approach
A good unit in the military will focus on mission accomplishment. They have the mentality of getting the job done right the first time, no matter what. This mindset is a core value of all military branches.
That attitude can be infectious.
One company, for example, hired a technician supervisor through RecruitMilitary to manage a team of junior technicians. Some days were easier, and the team could leave early, but some days were non-stop until the job was complete. Under the military veteran’s leadership, the team moved away from, “Well, it’s about being here from 8-to-5,” to saying, “No, it’s about getting that piece of equipment fixed.” Mission accomplished.
Inspiring through team spirit
In the military, you’re taught that your team is the most important team on the planet. There is a friendly, but competitive spirit. It’s about winning with your team.
In another example, a junior military officer stepped into a team leader role at a manufacturing company, where several different teams rotated through shifts. Six months after the veteran was placed, the teams had created competitions around all the productivity areas that were tracked. It was the veteran’s idea, and the plant manager said it was the best impact on production he’d ever seen.
Veteran employees are in high demand
Veterans have been found to perform at a level that is an average of 4 percent higher than non-veteran employees in a Corporate Executive Board study.
Because of the practical, real-world experience in self-discipline, leadership, problem-solving, and critical thinking that veterans bring to a workforce, they are in high demand. Sixty-eight percent of employers report that veterans perform “better than” or “much better than” their civilian peers, according to the Center for a New American Security.
Every veteran, member of the National Guard, Reservists, and military spouses should be professionally curious and explore professional opportunities on a regular basis because each of them possesses highly sought-after skills learned during dedicated years of service.
As today’s labor trends indicate, employers and employees alike benefit greatly from the passion and commitment that military-trained talent bring to the workplace. That’s why thousands of companies seek our expertise in connecting veterans and military spouses to civilian employment resources and opportunities to further stabilize the growth of the economy.
