For those that have been here before welcome back. We are your hosts, BJ 'n Cindy. We own and operate this site as well as the sister sites. Recruiting Individuals for Your New Tech Business? Here’s Everything You Need to Know About Hiring Veterans
by Hannah Simpson
Among all types of small businesses, tech businesses need to hire employees sooner than others. Having a solid team of experienced and knowledgeable professionals is necessary for successful functioning and growth. As you explore options for expanding your staff, one exceptional solution is to hire veterans. Equipped with a wealth of expertise, veterans from all branches of the military are fantastic individuals to bring on board your team.
Fully launch your business prior to hiring
When hiring people for your business, all of the essentials should be in place. Not having standard operating procedures (SOP), policies, and expectations established can cause confusion. Ultimately, this can lead to costly turnover if your company has ambiguous rules and expectations. Because of this, it is important to fully launch your business prior to hiring staff.
What are some of the most crucial items to iron out before launching your business? Obtain all licenses, inspections, and permits that are needed to conduct operations. Also, draft up SOPs, an employee handbook, and time-off policies. Another thing that you may want to set up is a trade name. If you do not want to use the legal name you registered, filing a DBA (or "doing business as") name should be done before opening.
Benefits of hiring veterans
There are numerous benefits to hiring veterans. This is especially true for a technology company. First and foremost, veterans have acquired a level of leadership and accountability that is often not found in the general population. For years, these brave individuals have been held to the high standards of the U.S. military. From day one at training camp, values such as punctuality, respect, hard work, and loyalty are instilled. All of these qualities are wonderful to have in new hires for any role.
With tech companies, there is often sensitive data that cannot be shared outside of the organization. Nearly every veteran has worked with classified or secret information that needs to be guarded for the security of the country. Having staff members with this level of trustworthiness is particularly necessary for this line of work.
What positions are veterans looking for?
Military veterans have a wide range of talents and areas of expertise. For every need, you can find a veteran who is a subject matter expert. In addition to individuals who are looking to utilize their tech skills to the fullest, you can find others to fill almost any kind of position.
On top of veterans who are looking for full-time work, you can also find veterans who are freelancing. Nationwide, there are plenty of individuals looking for work in graphic design, web design, customer service, professional photography, and social media management. Not only does this allow you to employ additional veterans (on top of your permanent staff), but it also allows you to get the exact tasks completed when you need them completed.
Where to find veterans who are searching for a job
Just like anyone else, you can find veterans seeking jobs in all of the usual places. When searching for permanent employees, you can post job openings on any of today’s top online hiring platforms. The same is true for all freelance positions you are seeking to fill. However, there are specific websites that allow you to post your jobs for veterans only. One website — HireVeterans.com — is an outstanding example.
Also, when posting job listings for your new tech company, you can specifically indicate that you are looking to fill the role with a veteran. This is not against hiring rules, which makes it even easier to find well-qualified veterans.
CONTRIBUTED by Hannah Simpson