There are roughly 18 million veterans in the United States. Many of them are disciplined, mission-focused, adaptable, and ready to work. Yet a surprisingly large number of small business owners overlook this talent pool entirely; either because they don’t know how to find veterans, don’t know what to expect, or aren’t sure how to bridge the gap between military culture and civilian business life.
That’s a mistake worth correcting. Hiring veterans can be one of the smartest staffing moves a small business owner makes. Here’s how to do it right.
Why Veterans Make Exceptional Hires
Before getting into the how, it’s worth understanding the why. Veterans bring a specific set of qualities that are hard to teach and even harder to find in the general workforce.
Discipline and reliability. Military service is built around accountability. Veterans show up, follow through, and take deadlines seriously. For a small business that depends on consistent execution, that work ethic is invaluable.
Leadership under pressure. Many veterans have led teams in high-stakes environments. Even someone who served as a mid-level non-commissioned officer likely managed personnel, resources, and mission-critical tasks simultaneously. That translates directly to supervisory roles in small businesses.
Adaptability and problem-solving. Military training emphasizes improvisation when things don’t go to plan. Veterans are often excellent at staying calm when things go sideways and finding workable solutions quickly.
Technical skills. Depending on their Military Occupational Specialty (MOS), a veteran may already have hands-on experience in logistics, mechanics, communications, IT, medical support, finance, or operations. These are skills that translate directly to civilian business roles.
Team orientation. Veterans are trained to put the mission and the team first. They’re generally less concerned with office politics and more focused on getting the job done. That’s a cultural fit that most small businesses would welcome.
Where to Find Veteran Job Candidates
Finding veteran candidates requires knowing where to look. Most standard job boards aren’t specifically veteran-focused, though veterans do use them. Here are the best places to start.
Veteran-Specific Job Platforms
- Hire Heroes USA (hireheroesusa.org): A nonprofit that helps veterans transition to civilian careers. Employers can post jobs for free.
- VetJobs (vetjobs.com): One of the largest veteran job boards in the country. Also useful for military spouses.
- RecruitMilitary (recruitmilitary.com): Offers job fairs, an online job board, and candidate screening tools specifically for hiring veterans.
- TAOnline (taonline.com): The Transition Assistance Online portal used during military separation counseling. Posting here reaches veterans actively transitioning out of service.
Local and Community Resources
Your local American Legion post, VFW chapter, or Veterans Service Organization often maintains informal job networks. Connecting with a veterans coordinator at a nearby community college or vocational school can also surface motivated candidates who are actively upskilling.
Many states have Veterans Employment Representatives (VERs) stationed at American Job Centers. These representatives are specifically tasked with helping veterans find jobs and can refer screened candidates directly to you at no cost.
LinkedIn and Military Networks
LinkedIn has a veterans hiring initiative and allows you to post jobs with a “veteran committed” tag. Veterans who connect through alumni networks, unit associations, or organizations like Team Red White and Blue (Team RWB) are often responsive to direct outreach from small business owners who take the time to reach out personally.
How to Write a Job Description That Attracts Veterans
Many veterans are put off by job descriptions filled with vague corporate language or credential requirements that don’t map to their experience. To attract strong veteran candidates, your job description should do a few things differently.
Focus on outcomes, not credentials. Rather than listing a specific degree requirement, describe what the person in this role will actually accomplish. Veterans often have equivalent experience without a formal credential, and leading with outcomes helps them self-identify as qualified.
Call out military experience explicitly. A simple line like “Military experience is a plus” or “We welcome applications from veterans and transitioning service members” sends a clear signal that you’re open and informed.
Be direct about expectations. Veterans appreciate clear communication. Specify the schedule, physical demands, reporting structure, and performance expectations upfront. Ambiguity feels disrespectful to people trained to operate with clarity.
Bridging the Civilian-Military Language Gap
One of the common friction points in hiring veterans is translating military experience into civilian terms. A veteran might list their role as “E-7 Signal Corps” on a resume without realizing that most hiring managers won’t know what that means.
As a small business owner, the fix is simple: ask good questions during the interview. When a veteran describes a role or responsibility using military terminology, follow up with: “Can you walk me through what your day-to-day looked like?” or “How many people were you responsible for?” These open-ended questions surface the actual skills and experience without requiring the candidate to translate perfectly.
Tools like the Military Occupation Code Translator from CareerOneStop (a DOL resource) can help you decode military job titles and map them to civilian equivalents before or after the interview.
Tax Incentives for Hiring Veterans
There’s a financial upside to hiring veterans that many small business owners don’t know about: the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC). This federal tax credit is available to employers who hire individuals from certain target groups, including veterans.
Depending on the veteran’s circumstances, the credit can range from $2,400 to $9,600 per qualifying hire. Veterans who have been unemployed for an extended period or who have a service-connected disability typically qualify for higher credits.
To claim the credit, you’ll need to file IRS Form 8850 (Pre-Screening Notice and Certification Request) within 28 days of the veteran’s first day of work. Your state workforce agency processes the certification. This is worth doing before the hire starts, not after.
Onboarding Veterans Successfully
The transition from military to civilian work culture can be jarring, even for highly capable veterans. Your onboarding process plays a major role in how quickly they integrate and perform.
Provide structure upfront. Veterans are used to clear chains of command, defined roles, and explicit expectations. Your first week with a new veteran hire should leave no ambiguity about who they report to, what success looks like in the first 30 to 90 days, and what the culture norms are.
Assign a mentor or buddy. Pairing a new veteran hire with an experienced team member reduces the social friction of adapting to a new environment. It doesn’t need to be formalized; it can be as simple as saying “Check in with Sarah if you have questions about how we do things around here.”
Don’t assume they’ll ask for help. Military culture often discourages appearing vulnerable or asking for support. Check in proactively in the first few weeks. Ask specific questions (“Is there anything about our workflow that doesn’t make sense yet?”) rather than open-ended ones that invite the default “everything’s fine” answer.
Recognize their contributions clearly. Veterans respond well to direct, specific feedback. “You handled that customer situation exactly the way I’d hoped” lands better than vague praise. Specificity signals that you’re paying attention.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Treating veterans as a charity case. Hire veterans because they’re qualified, not because you want to feel good. Veterans can tell the difference, and merit-based hiring builds mutual respect from day one.
Overestimating PTSD or mental health concerns. The vast majority of veterans transition to civilian life successfully. Letting stigma or unfounded assumptions shape your hiring decisions is both legally risky and factually inaccurate.
Failing to leverage their full skill set. Don’t hire a veteran who led 50 personnel in combat logistics and then park them in a role with no growth potential. Veterans who feel underutilized disengage and leave. Use what they bring.
Skipping the WOTC paperwork. The 28-day filing window is strict. If you wait until after hire to research the tax credit, you may lose it entirely. Build it into your hiring workflow from the start.
Building a Reputation as a Veteran-Friendly Employer
Word travels fast in veteran communities. If you develop a reputation as an employer who respects, utilizes, and supports veteran employees, you’ll attract more without having to recruit aggressively. A few small steps go a long way: recognize veteran service days on social media, mention your hiring practices on your website and job postings, and ask your veteran employees whether they’d refer others from their network.
Some small businesses also pursue formal recognition programs such as the HIRE Vets Medallion, a federal program that recognizes employers who demonstrate a commitment to veteran hiring, retention, and professional development. The application is free and the credential builds credibility with both veteran candidates and customers who value it.
The Bottom Line
Veterans represent one of the most underutilized talent pools available to small business owners. They arrive with discipline, leadership experience, and a mission-first mindset that most employers spend years trying to develop in their teams. The process of finding, hiring, and onboarding them well isn’t complicated; it mostly requires knowing where to look, asking the right interview questions, and being intentional about making the transition smooth.
Building a team that includes veterans isn’t just good citizenship. It’s good business. Pair that with the available tax incentives and the reputational benefits of being a veteran-friendly employer, and the case becomes even clearer.
If you want more practical guides on building, leading, and growing your small business team, join the Hustler’s Library for free and get access to the full resource library.
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