Benefits November 10, 2011

Employers Cite Most Valued Attributes of Veterans

November 10, 2011 (PLANSPONSOR.com) – CareerBuilder’s Veterans Day survey reveals one-in-five employers reported they are actively recruiting U.S. veterans to work for their organizations over the next 12 months; 14% are actively recruiting members of the National Guard.
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Two-in-five employers (41%) said it can be difficult to decipher how military experience fits into civilian positions, and 27% said one of the biggest challenges in recruiting U.S. veterans for open positions is that veterans don’t always market their military experience. Employers suggest veterans include their military experience with a bulleted list of accomplishments that shows how they put their knowledge into action.  

Survey respondents said they consider the following to be among the most important attributes of veteran job candidates: 

  • Disciplined approach to work – 66%, 
  • Ability to work as a team – 65%, 
  • Respect and integrity – 58%, 
  • Leadership skills – 56%, 
  • Problem-solving skills – 54%, 
  • Ability to perform under pressure – 53%, and 
  • Communication skills – 45%. 

Employers indicated they are hiring for positions in: 

  • Information Technology – 36%, 
  • Customer Service – 28%, 
  • Engineering – 25%, and 
  • Sales – 22%. 

The survey was conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of CareerBuilder from August 16 to September 8, 2011, and included more than 2,800 hiring managers in the public and private sectors nationwide.

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