The other day I was talking to an onsite system installer with more work than he could handle. With residential development on the rise in his area, the phone kept ringing and he kept scheduling projects further out, past the end of the year. It was getting to the point that he either had to disconnect the phone service or pass along customers to other contractors … who are probably just as busy as he is.

“I’d hire a new person every week if I could find them,” he told me. But, he said, there were just no skilled workers who wanted to take on this kind of physically taxing manual labor or were qualified to operate his machines. He felt like he had exhausted his networking possibilities and didn’t hold out hope to assemble another installing crew.

After I hung up the phone, my thoughts turned to a press release sitting on my desktop promoting a program that links skilled trades companies with military veterans eager to find a new career path. I noodled around the internet and quickly found there are a few nonprofit organizations set up to match employers with veterans who had the skills to spring into action in the private sector. Among these are Helmets to Hardhats, a program administered by the Center for Military Recruitment, Assessment and Veterans Employment. And Hiring Our Heroes, a project of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation.

BY THE NUMBERS

If you already have veterans on your team, you might find them to be a great fit for the installing field. If you haven’t considered recruiting veterans, here are some interesting statistics about this potential pool of job candidates. According to the U.S. Department of Defense:

• About 180,000 service members leave military service annually. Veterans make up 5.5% of the national workforce.
• Half of the 18.5 million veterans as of April 2022 were in the American workforce. Almost half of the veterans served in the Gulf War era; 66% are 45 years old or older, only 2% are under age 24.
• Female veterans tend to be younger. Women represent 10% of all veterans and 20% who served since 9/11 and 40% are in the post-9/11 group, compared to 23% of men.
• Nearly all enlisted service members have traditional high school diplomas and 9% have earned college credits. About 79% of service members score above the 50th percentile in aptitude testing.
• It is harder to be accepted into the military than most secondary education institutions due to stringent enlistment standards. The military requires aptitude, medical, drug and physical testing.

Military members are trained in hundreds of different job categories, some that align well with the duties performed by onsite installers. According to an article at www.trade-schools.net, veterans are qualified for a variety of skilled trades in the private sector. Many vets have been trained as diesel mechanics, as many military vehicles use diesel engines.

Among the civilian jobs (and their average wages) cited as common for vets include landscape designer ($69,360); aircraft mechanic ($64,000); land surveyor ($63,420); electrician ($56,180); plumber ($55,160); auto mechanic (46,480); heavy equipment operator ($45,260); commercial tractor-trailer truck driver ($45,260); welder ($42,490); and light truck delivery driver ($34,730).

FITTING IN

Vets are also often well-suited to outdoor jobs. The article states that veterans who have seen combat duty sometimes don’t want to work indoors and that many who suffer with mental conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, prefer to work in outdoor settings like those in the installing field.

According to the Defense Department, by and large “high-quality, drug-free, law-abiding, smart and educated young men and women enlist to serve our nation to be part of something greater than themselves.” The Labor Department website lists many common traits found in vets that would mesh with the needs of companies in the wastewater industry. Those include leadership readiness, a mission-focused approach to work, experience working with diverse teams, a strong work ethic, performance under pressure, loyalty and integrity.

If you are convinced the veteran workforce may hold the answer to your labor shortage, the next question is: How do you tap into this resource? Luckily a lot of assistance is available and sound tips for attracting vets to your company.

For example, the Labor Department points out that employers can receive free help posting vacancies where veterans can see them through local American Job Centers. Check out www.careeronestop.org or the National Labor Exchange at veterans.usnlx.com. The Labor Exchange works with the National Association of State Workforce Agencies and the Direct Employers Association to post an average of 2.9 million daily job listings for 300,000 employers. 

Before you post those installing jobs, however, consider these tips gathered from the Labor Department and organizations promoting vet hiring:

Know the basics of the U.S. military

There are six branches of the U.S. military: Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Space Force and Coast Guard. There are two statuses of military personnel, active duty and reserve. There are about 2.2 million service members, 850,000 who are in the reserves, typically serving a minimum of one weekend per month and brought to active duty when needed. The Hiring Our Heroes website dives deeper into explaining the ranks, titles and responsibilities of military personnel. This background will be helpful when recruiting and interviewing veterans for job openings.

Involve your team in veteran recruiting

You may already employ one or several veterans. Invite them to help out in your recruiting process. Have them meet with veteran job candidates to convey their positive experience working for your company. You can also include your successful veteran workers’ stories in online marketing or networking for new hires. When you take on a new veteran employee, consider starting an Employer Resources Group, or ERG, to make the vet comfortable with your company and team. According to the Labor Department, veterans are a tight-knit group and they appreciate communication with others who understand and embrace their background.

Establish your military commitment

Through social media channels, voice your support for the military and veteran hiring. Hiring Our Heroes recommends registering to participate in job fairs offered by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. If you want to learn more, HOH offers free webinars with topics including Military 101, Employer Best Practices and Wounded Veteran Employment.

Write a job description aimed at informing veterans

Keep in mind the military language and mindset when developing a job description and be straightforward in your listing. Make it easy to learn the duties, for example operating excavating machines, assembling wastewater systems, all the jobs of an installer. Along with the posting, you might want to add a video showing installing work being done in the field or a message from an employee who is a veteran. Include your mission statement and outline clear goals and company values for veteran applicants. Remember that veterans want a job they feel qualified for, but also want a rewarding job that serves people. Rather than demand a certain level of education or knowledge of the wastewater industry for your job opening, stress “equivalent military background” to be inclusive.

Check into potential tax credits

According to the Labor Department, businesses hiring veteran workers may qualify for the Work Opportunity Tax Credit, which has been used by employers to save $1 billion. The WOTC can reduce the employer’s federal income tax liability by up to $9,600 for each veteran hired, with no limit on the number of hires. For more information, go to www.doleta.gov/business/incentives/opptax/. The Labor Department also works with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment program. Through the VR&E, companies hiring veterans with a service-connected disability may receive up to 50% back on the first six months of wages to cover training costs. Check the https://benefits.va.gov website.

Don’t forget about the military spouses

Whenever a veteran is looking for work, often so is their husband or wife. Whether or not they also have a military work background, spouses of service personnel often have skills and experience to offer and they are accustomed to the same discipline and work ethic as their partners. Also, it’s important to get the spouse of your new veteran employee on board with the career move in general as they both adjust to life outside the military.

IN THE TRENCHES

In some ways it seems like our installing community and the veteran workforce are the perfect fit. You desperately need proven, hardworking employees and they need a second career that provides for a bright future. If you’ve already had a positive experience hiring veteran workers, I’d like to hear about it. Drop me a line at editor@onsiteinstaller.com and I will share your stories with readers in a future column.