by guest contributor: Lucy Reed, founder of GigMine

The tech industry is experiencing a severe IT skills shortage, reports Information Week, with no end in sight. The lack of talent is concerning, to put it mildly – it’s a struggle to prop-up existing tech processes, let alone implement new ones. With circumstances being what they are, IT managers have to think outside the box, and often go above and beyond, to locate and pick up quality talent.

Here’s a solution you may not have thought of: taking on military veterans. Not only do veterans make for skilled IT workers, but they’re also easy to find and hire. Below, we cover everything important about recruiting military veterans for IT roles:        

Military vets are well-matched to IT 

Veterans are well-suited to IT roles. You can slot them into most processes with some training, from customer care to cybersecurity. To further sweeten the deal, the government sometimes offers tax breaks and even money for expenses related to the training and onboarding of veterans.

Here are some other reasons to hire veterans:

• Transferable skills: Veterans have both soft and hard skills – such as communication, organization, and planning. These skills transfer over to IT, which revolves around problem-solving, well.
• Trainability: Veterans have to be adaptable to thrive and survive. They aren’t afraid of new information and are more than capable of learning new tricks.   
• Responsibility: Military service, with lives on the line, tends to beat out rashness and carelessness. You can expect veterans to be dependable workers.
• Respect for authority: They are respectful of authority and trained to follow orders (unless it’s unconscionable, of course).
• Leadership and teamwork: Veterans make for great team leaders, not to mention they understand the value of teamwork. They can become core members of your organization in no time.  
• Loyalty: Provided you treat them well, there are no workers more loyal than veterans.
• Work ethic and self-discipline: Last, but not least, veterans aren’t afraid of putting their nose to the grindstone. They have self-discipline in spades.

How to find and hire veterans

Finding veterans is easy enough thanks to the internet and the presence of several veteran-focused organizations and government initiatives. Here are some suggestions:

• Advertise your open position: Advertising locally (papers, magazines, flyers, etc.) and online always works. It’s important to make your advertisements credible, accurate, and descriptive.  
• Use the U.S. Department of Labor: The Veterans’ Employment and Training Service offers a collection of employer tools, resources, and programs.   
• Marketplaces: There are some exclusive marketplaces (aka job boards) for ex-members of the military.
• Check veteran organizations: A local veteran organization is likely to be able to put you in touch with a vet who needs a job.   

Supporting and retaining veteran workers

Veterans have a high turnover rate, says Korn Ferry – 43 percent of veterans leave their job within a year, and 80 percent before the end of their second. The primary reason for this trend is a lack of personal development and career growth. To prevent this from happening to your veteran workers, here’s what you can do:

• Consider an onboarding program: Veteran-specific onboarding programs can ease them into their new position, providing much-needed structure, support, and guidance initially.
• Consider their needs: Veterans require autonomy and growth – make sure their tasks provide this. Education programs, training, socialization, and progression opportunities can fulfill their expectations of personal development.
• Lead (by example): Veterans will stick around and respect people who have qualities they admire – integrity, honesty, and dependability. Being a good leader and manager – someone who leads from the front – is a great way to win them over. 

Hiring a veteran can do wonders for your business. Not only can they reliably fill in technical roles, but they also benefit the company culture by adding integrity, discipline, and pride. As long as you keep their needs in mind, the ROI for hiring veterans will work in your favor.