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What are the benefits of hiring a veteran?

Through their experience in the military, veterans have strong leadership and teamworking skills as well as proven abilities to work with diversity, and also have the proven ability to quickly learn new concepts and skills. Veterans work well under pressure, have integrity, and understand their place in an organization. You will also earn tax credits for hiring veterans.

Do employers get incentives for hiring veterans?

In addition to the skills and talents military veterans can bring to a company, did you know that they can also help your business earn tax credits?

Businesses that hire eligible unemployed veterans can take advantage of a Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC). (This credit is also available to certain tax-exempt organizations.) After recent changes, The Returning Heroes Tax Credit now provides incentives of up to $5,600 for hiring unemployed veterans, and the Wounded Warriors Tax Credit doubles the existing Work Opportunity Tax Credit for long-term unemployed veterans with service-connected disabilities, to up to $9,600.

Hiring veterans is good business — it’s a common refrain, but it also has basis in the experiences of many companies who have welcomed veterans to their workforces. A study by the Center of New American Security conducted lengthy interviews with 87 people representing 69 companies, and the overriding sentiment was the same: veteran workers bring very real value to an organization.

The companies interviewed in the study pointed out many reasons why veterans are valuable, including the following:

Leadership and teamwork skills: Veterans typically have led colleagues, accepted direction from others and operated as part of a small team.

Character: Veterans have the reputation in these companies as being trustworthy, dependable, drug-free and having a strong work ethic.

Structure and discipline: Companies, especially those that emphasize safety, appreciate veterans’ experience following established procedures.

Expertise: Companies value veterans’ occupational skills, job-specific experiences and understanding of the military community.

Effectiveness: Interviewees report that veterans “get it done.”

Proven success: Some organizations hire veterans largely because other veterans have already been successful in their organization. Veterans demonstrate that they share company values and fit the organizational culture.