“To the uninitiated, management and leadership practices in armed services…may appear rigid…and hierarchical. Not true…the civilian world of business can learn much from the military.”
— Susan M. Heathfield, a consultant with 35+ years’ experience in human resources, training, organization development, consulting, facilitating, education, counseling, and coaching.

I am reminded of Ms. Heathfield’s remarks in an everyday paradox: everyone speaks about the “war for talent,” yet too many hiring decision makers hold stereotypes about the military that keep firms from recruiting some of the very best employees on earth.

How the “hidden” military downsizing can work for you
You have read the stories about the Army and Marines struggling to build their numbers. Part of the problem is a growing exodus of more experienced service men and women. The Air Force has already released 25,500 in the past two years and will cut back 17,000 more in the next two. The Navy is also reducing manpower. In short, some of the best trained, best educated, most experienced people are looking for employment in the civilian world. That’s the good news. The bad news is these top performers are turned away by hiring decision makers who buy into “conventional wisdom” about military people.

How military professionals differ from civilian professionals
Because military people often think of their work as a mission, they like responsibilities they see as vital. They've been trained that way. One young lieutenant, in his twenties, was asked to direct a $20M construction project—just seven days after he finished his training and arrived at his first "job" in the Air Force. His story is typical. Very few civilian clients are given those kinds of tasks until they have been on the job for a decade or more.

You can expect military professionals to have a strong work ethic, a sense of doing what is right. Finally, they have training and experience in nearly every aspect of management, including controlling sexual abuse, combating drugs, and optimizing quality production methods. If that weren’t enough, many earn masters degrees while working more than 40 hours a week.

Removing myths that can keep top military applicants away
Because we haven't had a draft for more than 35 years, many civilian managers have never been on active duty and don't know anyone who has. They may hold these inaccurate stereotypes about military candidates:

• "Military people are rigid. They only do things one way. We have to be nimble in our world and react to changing conditions." Try mentioning that to people who must often make critical decisions in just seconds and fight budget battles every quarter.
• "Military people never have to think. They just give orders and take orders." I am unusual among people with long experience on active duty. I gave just one direct order in my entire, 26-year-long career. That's more than almost any other senior officer I know.
• "Military people have unlimited funding and unlimited people." People are being forced to leave because there aren't enough resources to do the job. Most units are chronically undermanned. Many Air Force aircraft are older than the crews that fly them—sometimes twice as old!
• "Military people don't know profit and loss." Though most civilians don’t realize it, the military must bid to provide services, sometimes in competition with the private sector. That requires a detailed understanding of profit and loss. Individually, many members are evaluated—rigorously and continuously—on how well they control costs and get the job done with very little money.

How to recruit, hire, and retain professionals coming from the uniformed services

• Fold in their special preparation as career managers. Everyone who retires or leaves the military must attend several hours of Transition Assistance Training. For the more senior members, that training is tailored to matching their excellence with your needs at senior levels.
• Be well prepared. Generalizations are always a bit risky, however some trends are clear. Most successful military people fall into the Meyers-Briggs ISTJ category. For those of you not familiar with this assessment tool, ISTJs are highly organized. They seek responsibility. They like to bring details together into well-organized plans. And so they respond well if you are organized. Bolster that impression by using situational questions during interviews.
• Illustrate the value of their contributions. If you can draw the straight line between the position you are trying to fill and your corporate mission, you’ll have the undivided attention of this special group.
• Be completely honest. They’re not afraid of problems; they welcome the challenges. But they have little tolerance for those who bend the truth because military people thrive working with colleagues they trust implicitly. After all, “duty, honor, country” is their way of life.
• Don’t leave them hanging. When Kennedy Information Inc. surveyed professionals about the hiring process, many pointed to a lack of responsiveness from the employer. Try to acknowledge their applications—even if you use an automated system to handle that chore. And you’ll both benefit if you think about the process after the interview before you meet the military candidate. Once that meeting is over, what’s the next step? Who takes that step? When will that step occur? I’m not suggesting you have a detailed plan, but engaging the military applicant throughout the process can pay big dividends.

The bottom line relates to your bottom line
Military applicants are underwritten by the most demanding employer: the Armed Services. They have recent, state-of-the-art training you’d have to pay for in lesser prepared applicants. They value responsibility and a chance to support your mission. And so, with apologies to Ms. Heathfield…the civilian world can earn from the military.