Commentary by Janet Foutty
Leader, Federal Consulting Practice
Deloitte Consulting LLP

With troops returning from Afghanistan and the Department of Defense reducing the size of forces deployed overseas, more than 1 million veterans are expected to re- enter the workforce during the next five years. That’s a workforce large enough to staff a company that would instantly be one of the world’s biggest employers.

As a nation, we owe these returning heroes our gratitude, and one of the best ways we can show our appreciation for their sacrifices is by helping them finding meaningful and rewarding post-military employment. These are incredibly talented and resourceful young men and women, comfortable with hard work and assuming leadership roles.

The challenge for employers is how to turn military leadership experience into a business asset.

The challenge for armed service members and veterans is to adapt their skills, knowledge and experience into the business environment.

They can do that by participating in programs that help identify their strengths, develop networking and communication skills through employment simulations, and interact with professionals in both the public and private sectors.

Such programs help military members and veterans take the first step toward integrating into the civilian workforce, but it’s just that — a first step. To complete the transition to civilian life, veterans need the right job opportunity and this too requires special attention from employers.

With more service members entering the workforce daily, companies need to develop programs designed to recruit and retain veterans. Many wounded, ill and injured veterans weren’t planning to leave the military before they were injured, and this can make the transition more difficult. They may not have a clear idea of what they want to do, what jobs are best suited for the skills they learned in the military, or how to get additional education.

Will Reynolds, an Army veteran who’s now a senior consultant with Deloitte LLP, knows first-hand the struggles that wounded and ill veterans face in adjusting to civilian employment. In 2004, Will was serving in Iraq when he stepped on an improvised explosive device. He spent almost two years at Walter Reed Army Medical Center undergoing 23 surgeries to repair damage to his leg and arm.

“Employers must be flexible with veterans when they re-enter the workforce,” Will says. “A lot of us are not going to land on the right job immediately.” He recommends allowing veterans to try different jobs on a rotating basis to help them adapt to the culture and opportunities within an organization.

Finally, employers must realize that for veterans, the workplace can seem quite different from the military. The military, for example, tends to work as one large organization focused on a single goal. Corporations typically are built around smaller teams that may be moving in many different directions. That can be an adjustment for veterans used to military life.

It’s our responsibility to help them. We owe it to today’s newest veterans and returning heroes to help them find the right opportunities, the right access to education, and the chance to enjoy the future they fought so hard to protect for the rest of us.

Janet Foutty is the leader of the Federal Consulting practice for Deloitte Consulting LLP. In this role, she directs more than 5,000 dedicated practitioners and former government executives to help federal agencies transform into more efficient, effective organizations with wide-ranging missions in the United States and around the world. Deloitte’s Career Opportunity Redefinition & Exploration (CORE) Leadership Program is designed to help members of our armed forces successfully transition to the business sector.

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