Veterans have a unique and valuable skill set developed during their time in the Australian Defence Force (ADF). This skill set is highly transferrable to the civilian workforce. Veterans can be excellent candidates for roles in a range of industries.

Accessing veteran talent

See below to learn more about how you can access this pool of highly skilled individuals.

Build informal networks

Build networks and word-of-mouth connections with veterans, other employers and service providers. You can use these connections to find veteran job applicants.

Include veteran-directed material on your website and social media

This will attract veteran applicants and showcase your commitment to the veteran community.

To highlight your efforts:

  • Signal if you have joined the Veteran Employment Commitment
  • Provide details about your organisation’s veteran employment initiatives and programs
  • Celebrate successful veteran employees within your organisation
  • Post news stories about what your organisation is doing to support the veteran community.

Leverage employee referrals

Your current employees are well-positioned to recommend job candidates. If you have employees who are veterans, or have connections to the veteran community, encourage them to refer individuals who would be a good fit.

Depending on the size of your organisation, you could establish a formal employee referral program. This approach makes good business sense for many reasons. Referrals from your current employees can: 

  • reduce recruitment costs
  • make the hiring process quicker 
  • increase candidate quality
  • improve retention rates

Follow these steps to establish an employee referral program. 
 

Steps to establish an employee referral program

 

Partner with veteran-focused organisations

To expand your reach when recruiting, connect with other veteran-friendly organisations. Let them know that you are seeking veteran job applicants. These organisations can refer individuals who may be an excellent fit for the position.

You could connect with:

Organisations may choose to assign a team member to act as a recruiting liaison dedicated to building these connections. 

Advertise on veteran-targeted jobs boards

Advertising roles on veteran-targeted jobs boards is an effective way to directly target the veteran talent pool. There are a range of online platforms where employers can list job vacancies and veteran job seekers can apply for positions. 

Some veteran-targeted job boards are listed below. 

  • You can advertise your jobs for free on Workforce Australia. When listing a job ad, there is the option to select ‘Defence Force Experience Desirable’.
  • APODs employment initiative provides a platform for job listings where you can reach out to their community of veterans and Defence families. 
  • The RSL Employment Program provides a jobs board where employer partners can list vacancies.
  • The Transition Employment Portal (TEP) is a job matching platform designed specifically for employers to connect directly with veterans. This platform is available Australia wide. 
  • The Solider On Jobs & Opportunities Board connects Soldier On participants to opportunities with veteran-supportive employers.

Engage a veteran recruitment service

Some recruitment services specialise in veteran recruitment. You can engage with these services to recruit suitable veteran applicants. 

Here are some organisations who specialise in veteran and defence industry recruitment:

  • Ironside Resources provide tailored recruitment services for veterans and employers.
  • ERS Recruitment provides clients with direct access to veteran candidates in specialised industries.
  • Adecco provides ADF recruiting for employers in the defence industry.
  • Hays assists with recruitment for companies supporting Australia’s defence sector.
  • Boots2Business veteran recruitment helps civilian employers tap into the skills and talent of Australia’s veterans. 
  • Executive Risk Solutions specialises in crisis & emergency management, emergency response, specialist security and business continuity. Their recruitment division provides direct access to ex Australian Defence Force candidates.
  • PERSOLKELLY’s specialist Veterans Employment and Training Services (VETS) provides meaningful career opportunities and pathways for veterans and their families and connects employers with highly skilled, qualified, job ready candidates. 
  • WithYouWithMe offers skills-based tech recruitment. Their veteran employment program creates pathways for ex-service members to find meaningful tech careers.

Engage with veterans through recruitment events

Holding recruitment events is another way to connect with veterans seeking employment. These events provide an opportunity to showcase your organisation and identify potential candidates. Events may be virtual or face-to-face. You might co-host an event with other employers or an ex-service organisation.

You can also attend recruitment events hosted by other veteran-focused organisations.

  • Working Spirit hosts events thorough out the year whereby companies are invited to tap into the veteran talent pool. 
  • JobFairX provides virtual job fairs and allows employers to host their own Virtual Hiring Event. When searching for a virtual job fair, you can select ‘Veteran’ to filter for veteran specific events. 

Attract veterans on general job search websites

When advertising roles on general online job search websites, you can attract veterans by stating that ‘veterans are encouraged to apply’ or ‘Australian Defence Force (ADF) experience is desirable’ in your job advertisements.

Some popular job search websites in Australia include Seek, Indeed, CareerOne, Jora and Adzuna. You can also promote your organisation and job opportunities on LinkedIn.

Other job boards that might be suitable are detailed below. 

Busy Ability provides employment support to people with an illness, injury or disability. You can register a job or engage with their no cost recruitment service to access a database of work-ready candidates. 

The Field connects people with disability with organisations that want to hire more inclusively. You can register on the Field to engage with their pool of talent, simplify the process of inclusive employment, and diversify and upskill your workforce.

Related Veteran Employment Commitment activities: 

  • Build informal networks to seek veteran job applicants  

  • Include veteran-directed material on your organisation’s website 

  • Establish an internal employee referral network to identify potential veteran employees  

  • Advertise on veteran-targeted jobs boards 

  • Hold or attend veteran-specific recruitment events 

  • Engage veteran-specific recruitment services (aspirational) 

 

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