Field Tested
Recruiting, Managing, and Retaining Veterans
By: Emily King
Published; November 10, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 187 pages
ISBN-10: 0814417795
ISBN-13: 978-0814417799
Publisher: AMACOM
"Let's start with a very basic question: Why hire a veteran? Because it's good business", writes nationally recognized expert on the transition from military service to civilian employment, and founder of Military Transitions™, Emily King in her groundbreaking and very practical book Field Tested: Recruiting, Managing, and Retaining Veterans. The author describes hiring former military personnel as going far beyond altruism or patriotism, as veterans are tremendous employees who bring valuable characteristics and experience to the workplace. The author shares insights to recruiting, hiring, and retaining veterans in organizations, and for optimizing their value to the company.
Emily King recognizes the important attributes that veterans bring to the workplace. Their notable traits include talent, a focus on achieving goals and results, dedication, and loyalty. The author points out that these characteristics are those sought in all employees, and that former service personnel bring them in abundance. Despite the obvious benefits of recruiting and hiring veterans, many companies lack the understanding of ex-service men and woman, and fail to add their talents and skills to the organization. At the same time, the former service men and women are not always aware of the real value and unique skill sets that they bring to the organization. Emily King provides a guide to bridging this gap, benefiting both the veterans and the companies who hire them.
Emily King (photo left) understands the unique strengths that former service personnel bring to the workplace. The author also understands that there are crucial cultural differences between the military and civilian workplaces. Veterans need assistance in making a successful transition to civilian employment, and employers must realize that hiring ex-service men and woman also adds diversity and a sense of inclusion to the organization.
To aid in the successful transition, Emily King shares her Military Transitions Framework™ as a guide and practical tool for facilitating a smooth transfer of skills from the service to civilian employment. The author also shares the Veteran Retention Lifecycle™ as a structure retaining veterans within an organization and assisting in their successful career development. The author also provides a self assessment kit for employers to ensure that their company and its culture are ready to add veterans to their workforce.
For me, the power of the book is how Emily King combines a strong case for hiring former service men and women, with a practical framework and strategy for the successful transition of veterans into the organization. The author asks and answers two important questions in the book. The first question is what traits, skills and knowledge that veterans must bring to the workplace to achieve success in a civilian career. The second question is how can employers better recruit, hire, and retain former service people in their organization, while developing the individual's career path. Both of these questions are answered very well and in depth in the book.
Emily King underlines the tremendous value that veterans bring to the workplace and that hiring former military men and women are a valuable and profitable addition to the company. This book provides a powerful and results oriented base, for both job seeking veterans and employers, to ease and enhance the transition for individuals from military life to civilian careers. Emily King also points out the additional diversity of ideas, background, and experience that veterans bring to any organization. The author also shares real world examples of successful transitions to illustrate her concepts at work with veterans in actual work environments.
I highly recommend the very insightful and essential book Field Tested: Recruiting, Managing, and Retaining Veterans by Emily King, to any former military service personnel seeking to make a successful transition to civilian life; and to any employers, business owners, and hiring managers seeking highly skilled, motivated, and loyal employees. This book will encourage your company to look very seriously at hiring veterans into your organization for the crucial traits and skills they bring to the workplace. Hiring veterans is good business for everyone.
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