Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

MilitaryLatest NewsRecruitment & retentionProductivity

Businesses missing out on potential of ex-military personnel

by Ashleigh Webber 19 Jul 2018
by Ashleigh Webber 19 Jul 2018

Employers are missing out on talented and highly-qualified staff due to a lack of understanding of how the skills of ex-military personnel can be transferred.

Service leavers often feel disadvantaged when they enter the workplace and are sometimes recruited into roles that do not match their skill sets, according to a report from the Institute of Leadership & Management.

Based on findings from a series of focus groups, the Tales of Transition report said businesses often had biased views about service leavers being “damaged” or autocratic.

Eighty-six per cent of those surveyed said many employers did not understand how military experience could be transferred into other sectors, while 69% believed organisations were unaware of service leavers’ skill sets, which meant they missed out on the full benefits of employing them.

Many military personnel have received extensive training and are often qualified tradespeople or professionals such as medics, barristers or pilots.

Despite ex-military personnel having transferable skills including leadership, problem solving, coaching and strategy, they said they lacked confidence in their ability to sell themselves – especially coming from a more teamwork-driven environment.

The report also claimed there was a strong contrast between the language and behaviour used by veterans and civilians, and many service leavers failed to access support services when needed as they were unsure which options best suited them.

The report recommended that:

  • charities, organisations and contractors interact to deliver support and “hiring pipelines” for ex-military personnel;
  • transition organisations engage with employers to clear up misconceptions they hold about veterans and promote their skills;
  • employers offer service leavers work placements and shadowing opportunities;
  • organisations set up mentoring networks from the community of veterans that have successfully transitioned into business;
  • employers increase support for younger veterans and those who were in lower ranks to promote literacy and numeracy; and,
  • businesses curate support material from different organisations to help veterans and provide a glossary of ‘military language’ and ‘business language’.

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Kate Cooper, head of research, policy and standards at the Institute of Leadership & Management, said: “Members of the armed forces acquire many new skills and capabilities during their service, the skills and capabilities that modern organisations need now.

“Our research encourages employers and veterans to think again about how truly transferable these skills and capabilities really are.”

Ashleigh Webber

Ashleigh is a former editor of OHW+ and former HR and wellbeing editor at Personnel Today. Ashleigh's areas of interest include employee health and wellbeing, equality and inclusion and skills development. She has hosted many webinars for Personnel Today, on topics including employee retention, financial wellbeing and menopause support.

previous post
Military in Scotland to receive back pay following tax hike
next post
Former Mulberry employee loses belief discrimination case

1 comment

Matthew Keeffe 2 Aug 2018 - 6:02 pm

Being an ex-serviceman myself, the main issue is that skills acquired in the Armed Forces often do not translate into everyday jobs. I think more should be done to match the civilian skills required with the courses undertaken whilst men and women are serving soldiers.

Also, I note that the more professional qualifications required soldiers to do either external exams or further courses to gain the adequate qualification to be considered a viable candidate in civilian life.

If the courses are geared to ex servicemen embarking on a further career and more is done to advertise this with civilian firms, then the reticence to employ ex servicemen will dissipate.

Comments are closed.

You may also like

How neuroscience can unlock employee recognition

22 May 2025

Workers ‘wait and see’ as companies struggle to...

16 May 2025

So what does the election of a new...

9 May 2025

Rumours during recruitment: how should HR respond?

9 May 2025

Teacher apprenticeship route to be tied to school...

9 May 2025

British Steel to resume recruitment

8 May 2025

M&S pauses hiring as it deals with cyber...

2 May 2025

Top 10 HR questions April 2025: increases to...

2 May 2025

Leading with honest feedback: A responsibility in recruitment

24 Apr 2025

Succession planning now ‘more of a priority than...

24 Apr 2025

  • 2025 Employee Communications Report PROMOTED | HR and leadership...Read more
  • The Majority of Employees Have Their Eyes on Their Next Move PROMOTED | A staggering 65%...Read more
  • Prioritising performance management: Strategies for success (webinar) WEBINAR | In today’s fast-paced...Read more
  • Self-Leadership: The Key to Successful Organisations PROMOTED | Eletive is helping businesses...Read more
  • Retaining Female Talent: Four Ways to Reduce Workplace Drop Out PROMOTED | International Women’s Day...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+