Many local governments struggle to meet their objectives due to budget constraints, and when they can’t meet their objectives, the welfare of their constituents suffer. Yet while many focus on trying to increase their budgets, this approach can be time-consuming and even ineffective. An alternative solution is to hire an external consultancy to apply lean and agile methodologies to help streamline processes and reduce waste. External consultants bring expertise and a wealth of experience to the challenges, which means that they can help establish lean, sustainable processes that free up existing labor and financial resources so organizations can “do more with less.”

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In today’s rapidly changing marketplace, companies need to be agile, responsive, and resilient in order to remain competitive. They need strong leaders to help them adapt to new business models and help them navigate the ever-changing business environment. However, with 75 percent of business leaders stating it’s challenging to find talent with the right leadership skills and only 22 percent of Millennials aspiring to leadership positions, a growing number of organizations find themselves without sufficient leadership talent in their pipelines. Fortunately, there’s a growing pool of qualified talent with proven leadership skills. Women veterans, whose numbers are projected to reach 2.4 million by 2020, possess key leadership skills including resilience, problem-solving skills, and the ability to lead effective teams in changing, pressure-filled circumstances. By hiring former servicewomen, employers gain leaders who can immediately put their skills to work and whose passion for their jobs and community can help make employees feel more engaged and connected. In addition, hiring women veterans reduces the pressure on organizations to establish leadership development programs, giving them more time to explore their options and objectives.

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Almost 80 percent of CEOs are concerned that the ongoing skills shortage will adversely impact their businesses’ ability to grow. As such, a growing number of employers are turning to veteran job fairs in order to recruit former service members with in-demand skills. Unfortunately, employers’ investments in these events does not always yield the desired ROI. An inability to find candidates with the right skills, a highly competitive environment, and imperfect communication between veterans and civilian recruiters all contribute to this lack of returns. Employers that want to capitalize on veteran job fairs need to create strategies that ensure a good understanding of the veteran candidate persona, the ability to interpret military résumés and recognize transferable skills, and clear communication about all aspects of their available jobs and their organizations. In addition, these strategies should enable employers to position themselves as attractive, veteran-friendly employers and provide a means to get the best candidates into the hiring process onsite. By creating effective recruiting strategies for veteran job fairs, employers can take advantage of the scope of these events while simultaneously ensuring they attract candidates that possess the right skills and the potential to be successful in their organizations.

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Many former military personnel possess skills and experience that make them highly sought-after by companies. However, almost 50 percent of veterans leave their first post-military job in under a year for a variety of cultural, professional, and organizational reasons. Employers that want to leverage veterans’ potential need to create veteran-friendly workplaces by educating management and employees, designing quality onboarding programs, establishing mentoring and reverse mentoring programs, providing dedicated career support, and creating flexible work environments. In addition, they need to create employee assistance programs that are tailored to veterans, organize team building activities to promote assimilation, and recognize the contributions of veterans and their families to U.S. society.

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A growing number of U.S. companies report that recruiting and retaining qualified, affordable talent is becoming increasingly challenging. Yet cost containment and human capital are essential to succeeding in the global, innovation-driven marketplace. Despite the need for talent, several misconceptions prevent employers from recognizing the potential of military spouses. They believe that military families’ frequent relocations would impact retention and jeopardize their ROI. In addition, they believe that military spouses don’t have the technical and soft skills required in today’s workplace and that they’re too isolated to add value through professional networks.

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By 2021, the number of veterans of the United States Armed Forces in the civilian labor force is expected to rise from 10.6 million to 12.1 million. These men and women bring with them well-honed skill sets in a wide range of occupations, as well as valuable soft skills such as discipline, communication skills, and problem-solving abilities. Yet while 45 percent of U.S. hiring managers are experiencing difficulty finding qualified candidates, they frequently fail to recognize the capabilities of former military personnel due to miscommunication, misconceptions, and veterans’ lack of experience in the civilian job market. By creating a veteran-friendly company culture and adjusting their talent acquisition strategies, employers can leverage the unique strengths of former military personnel to advance their business objectives while simultaneously giving back to veterans and their communities.

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