The U.S. Military—An Endless Pool of Leadership Talent
In December 2019, the U.S. unemployment rate hit 3.5 percent, the lowest since 1969. While this is great news for workers everywhere, it makes hiring more difficult. A serious shortage of leadership and technical talent continues to make the jobs of many talent acquisition professionals very tough. Simply put, there are more open jobs than there are candidates to fill them.
So, where can managers and executives find the expertise needed to lead teams or handle highly technical jobs? The perhaps surprising (to some) answer: the U.S. military.
Each year, 200,000 service members transition from military to civilian life, many opting for a career in corporate America.
Soldiers, sailors, and marines bring an impressive menu of skills, abilities, training, and experience to any job:
- Unmatched Work Ethic. The military instills a commitment that is tested and deepened through months (sometimes years) of conditioning. The result is an unwavering work ethic that’s hard to find in the civilian world.
- A Habit of Discipline. Every day, every routine, every task, every instruction instills a discipline that veterans carry with them upon entering civilian life.
- Effective Communication Skills. In the military, the stakes are high. Communicating and leading in both everyday and tense situations is imperative. Decisions need to be made quickly and communicated with precision.
- A Growth Mindset. Military personnel face change and new challenges all the time. From day one in boot camp, they are trained to always look for ways to improve and grow.
Business is full of intimidating situations: cold calls, a new project, angry customers, etc. But veterans are not paralyzed by fear. They understand how to control their nerves in the face of ambiguity, making them exceptional employees.
Lucas Group maintains relationships with every U.S. military base in the world, providing thousands of qualified leadership and technical candidates at all times, regardless of the unemployment rate (something that most companies simply have no access to).
We’ve been doing this for 50 years, so military candidates know to come to Lucas for guidance into the civilian world. As a bonus, Uncle Sam will often pay a portion (if not all) of the moving expenses for veterans to relocate. That means companies can draw on talent from almost anywhere in the United States (and really, anywhere in the world) at little cost.
The next time your company needs talent, remember the US military. It’s one of the best ways to find top-notch people in any employment environment.