Three Trends in the Military-Connected Community That Will Shape 2021

As we enter this new year, we’ve identified three crucial trends in the military-connected community that will impact recruitment, education, and corporate giving. These are the trends that leaders in the federal, non-profit, and business sectors need to know as we navigate a year of opportunity.  

Hiring Military Veterans and Spouses is Changing—Virtually

The pandemic has redefined the recruiting and hiring process for companies—perhaps permanently. According to LinkedIn Insights, “81% of talent professionals agree virtual recruiting will continue post-COVID.” Separating military service members and their spouses will find their next role in the workforce, virtually. The challenge for companies recruiting military talent will be three-fold. They will have to refine workforce talent acquisition strategies to identify prospective employees without face-to-face interaction, i.e., less job fairs and more targeted online marketing campaigns. Second, they will have to recognize the important role referrals play in talent acquisition. According to Aliro, building a “military ecosystem” that combines referrals from fellow veterans with military occupational skills translation leads to referred candidates who, “stay longer; perform better; and are quicker to hire.” Finally, companies will have to invest more into employee development including establishing military and veteran employee resource groups to attract and retain veterans and stand apart from their competitors. 

The Fight for Social and Racial Justice Will Be Led by Veterans—Embrace It  

The military-connected community has embraced a leading role in this societal movement towards equality. Perhaps second only to the pandemic, the wave of calls for social and racial justice in America last year was a pronounced, and we would say welcomed, development that will continue to shape the military-connected community in 2021. According to Minority Veterans of America, “effectively supporting our nation’s minority veterans begins with recognition that the heart of the problem is inextricably bound to social and structural forces, and will require social and structural change to equitably serve all veterans.” Barriers to health, wellbeing, and employment continue to exist for minority and underrepresented veterans compared to their peers. For example, a New York State Minority Veteran Needs Assessment by the Center for a New American Security found that, “black veterans experience unemployment at lower rates than black nonveterans but higher rates than white veterans …” These inequalities will continue to push against social mobility. Leaders in the military-connected community can take steps to support social and racial justice this year by prioritizing hiring minority veterans, reprogramming corporate social responsibility funds into research and/or non-profit organizations that support the military-connected community, and more. 

Recruiting Veterans into Higher Education Will Be a Generational Opportunity 

A January 2019 report by Ithaka S+R found that, “the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) estimates that by 2021, there will be about 5.1 million veterans who were on active duty after September 10, 2001 (Post-9/11 Veterans). Of those Post-9/11 Veterans, 32 percent have a bachelor’s degree or higher, which means that 68 percent do not.” This stark degree-divide combined with the fact that, “only one in ten veterans using GI Bill benefits enrolls in institutions with graduation rates above 70 percent,” presents a startling opportunity for higher education to recruit more military veterans to their campuses. This means institutions of higher education must work now to reduce barriers to access for an untapped pool of adult learners. Examples for how to make your campus veteran-ready abound, but the best areas to focus on are awarding more credit for prior learning and training in the military, providing more scholarship support, and targeted recruitment at the point of separation. 

These are just a few trends we’ve helped clients navigate last year and see shaping the contours of 2021.We’d like to hear yours: What changes do you think will shape the military-connected community in 2021?