Hiring a veteran is great for your organisation. Veterans have developed a skillset in the Australian Defence Force (ADF) that is difficult to obtain and expensive to cultivate in new employees. Many of these skills and capabilities are readily transferrable to the civilian workforce.
Organisations that are Veteran Employment Commitment (VEC) signatories have access to advice on how best to attract veterans to their roles. Visit the VEC webpage to find out more.
Our top tips when advertising your roles to veterans are:
- Clearly state that ‘veterans are encouraged to apply’ or ‘Australian Defence Force (ADF) experience is desirable’
- Use capability-based job requirements that focus on what candidates can do, not just qualifications
- Include veteran-directed material on your website and social media sites to show that you are committed to supporting veterans and how you do it.
Where to connect with the veteran talent pool.
There are a range of veteran focused employment platforms and services that you may choose to engage with. These include not-for-profit and for-profit agencies that may offer job boards, job matching and/or employment placement. Some are listed below - find out what will work best for you.
Australian Partners of Defence
Australian Veterans Employers Coalition
RSL ACT Veterans’ Employment Program
RSL NSW Veterans' Employment Program
RSL Queensland Veteran Employment Program
RSL South Australia Veterans' Employment Program
RSL Western Australia & Working Spirit Transition Employment Portal
The Field (Inclusive employment focus)
Executive Risk Solutions - Recruitment
JobFairX Virtual Job Fairs (filter for veteran)
Right Management (Manpower Group)
BUSYAbility – Employer support
(Disability Employment and Employment Services)
Want to implement or improve your veteran employment initiatives?
If you want to attract veterans to your organisation, there’s lots you can do in veteran recruitment, support and retention, leadership and public commitment. It can be as simple as applying a ‘veteran lens’ to existing human resource policies and practices. See how you can introduce veteran-inclusive job advertising and job application and interview processes.
To learn more, visit our other employer pages and consider applying for the VEC.