Recruitment & Selection

Recruitment and selection are an important part of business because they are essential to attract and maintain one of the most significant assets: people. We often thing of recruitment in terms of internal and external hiring; however, there are many people who get overlooked in recruitment, for example, veterans with disabilities. According to a poll conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and ILR – Employment and Disability Institute at Cornell University, almost three-quarters of organizations agreed that veterans with disabilities perform on the job as well as any other employee. These results validate the high potential of the veteran pool of candidates. Findings also showed that more than 60% of organizations reported that they were unaware of the Tip of the Arrow Foundation, the VetSuccess Program and the Wounded Warrior Program, which are resources available to employers to find qualified applicants who are veterans with disabilities. In terms of companies actually hiring veterans, 68% of organizations polled reported that they hired a veteran in the past 12 months and 67% of those companies reported that their organizations included veterans in their diversity plans and policies. Finally, the poll found that only 38% of HR professionals reported that their companies had EAP’s with expertise in veterans’ issues, which would be helpful for veterans adjusting to work life after serving in the military.

There are several policies that assist veterans in finding work. The Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974 (VEVRRA) and amendment, Jobs for Veterans Act (JVA), which encourage and in some cases force employers to take affirmative action to employ and promote qualified covered veterans, including those disabled. The results from the poll show that most employers are satisfied with these individuals as employees, and are encouraged to continue to promote giving opportunities for our veterans.

 Recruiting Veterans with Disabilities: Perceptions in the Workplace, SHRM Poll 1/12/11