THE VETERAN

THE VETERAN DAV Guide to Hiring

ADVANTAGE & RetainingVeterans with Disabilities

"Honor to the soldier and sailor everywhere, who bravely bears his country's cause. Honor, also, to the citizen who cares for his brother in the field

and serves, as he best can, the same cause."

--Abraham Lincoln

DAV GUIDE TO HIRING AND RETAINING VETERANS WITH DISABILITIES

America's veterans answered the call of duty, and many sacrificed in return. Now, more and more employers--both large and small--are stepping up to repay their sacrifice, at least in some small measure, by hiring veterans with disabilities. As a result, these employers are realizing several benefits. When you hire a veteran, your organization gets a loyal, team-oriented employee with job-ready skills, tested leadership abilities and a strong, mission-focused work ethic. Nearly 4 million veterans have a service-connected disability and are among the most resilient members of society, having served in the military and overcome adversity.

Nearly 4 million veterans have a service-connected disability and are among the most resilient members

of society.

This guide is intended to help employers navigate the often-unclear terrain of recruiting, hiring and retaining veterans with disabilities. Much of the information and many of the strategies, lessons learned and best practices contained here also apply to hiring all veterans. What makes this a must-have resource for employers is that it explains the benefits of hiring veterans and focuses on solutions, including approaches unique to hiring and retaining veterans with disabilities, while weaving in the real-life experiences of different-sized employers and voices of veterans.

As one of the nation's largest nonprofit veterans service organizations, with more than 1 million members, DAV (Disabled American Veterans) is working to ensure America's veterans find meaningful employment. We are committed to helping employers like you successfully hire and retain veterans. Every year, along with our partners, we convene nearly 150 job fairs where employers can meet and recruit talented veterans. This guide is our latest effort to help the nation's employers fully realize the value veterans, particularly those with disabilities, bring to the workforce while also improving the bottom line.

Whether you are starting or expanding a veteran-hiring initiative, or seeking to reduce barriers to employment; promote job satisfaction, productivity and retention; or translate and understand the skills and experiences that a veteran can bring to your workforce, this guide equips you to make sound employment decisions that include veterans with disabilities. Consider this guide a map to empowering your organization to become a thought leader in the veteran employment space, while making it easier to do the right thing for the country and your company.

J. Marc Burgess DAV National Adjutant and Chief Executive Officer

Sam Johnson, Veteran

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter 1

Hiring veterans with disabilities--valuable additions to your workforce . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Chapter 2

The business case for hiring veterans with disabilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Tax credits for hiring veterans. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 VA Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 The Special Employer Incentives program. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Department of Labor and State hiring and job-training resources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Chapter 3

Strategies for recruiting and hiring veterans with disabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Do's and Don'ts of interviews. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Four things employers should know when hiring National Guard and Reserve members. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Chapter 4

Strategies for retaining veterans with disabilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Common requests for accommodations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Chapter 5

Understanding the transition to civilian life and work. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 The military/civilian gap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Translating military strengths into organizational outcomes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Chapter 6

Understanding PTSD and traumatic brain injury. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Checklist

Hiring and retaining veterans with disabilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Legal and other resources for employers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

For additional reading. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

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