Military Veterans: Leading Positive Change in Society and Corporations (VIDEO)

quotIt39s a missed opportunity on a national scale if you39re an employer and you39re not engaged with the veteran community They can be a differentiating resource in your culturequot commented Michael Haynie Director the Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University In a discussion with MediaVillage founder Jack Myers titled quotFostering Support Systems for Veterans and Military Familiesquot Haynie pointed out there are about 19 million veterans in the US representing 10 of the total population Military veterans are a racially and ethnically diverse group with 126 of veterans identifying as Black 769 Hispanic or Latino 159 AsianAmerican and 371 selecting another race or two or more races 2020 data from the Department of Veterans AffairsIn coming years the military will become an even more important resource for diversity hiring with the percentage of Hispanic veterans growing to 16 by 2046 and the share of Black veterans rising to 15 Pew estimates When it comes to diversity and inclusion efforts in the workplace military veterans are sometimes overlooked but service members can lend valuable skills to any organization in the advertising media and marketing industries Veterans offer diversity in background culture and life experience which can elevate company culture and positive business resultsWomen are emerging as a strong force in the veteran community Currently about 10 of veterans are female but that number is expected to grow to 18 by 2046 Pew reportsquotThe veteran community is inherently diverse by every metric you can apply to that termquot Haynie noted In another definition of diversity he said a career in the military produces insights into how other communities work and live Many service members are stationed overseas and interact with people from different cultures religions militaries and governments They learn how to think both locally and globallyquotThe global and cultural experiences that come from military service assure veterans are comfortable operating in global environments and operating effectively across cultures and contextsquot advises Haynie who served 14 years as an officer in the United States Air ForceSyracuse University39s growth story offers a lesson in how veterans can contribute to an organization or institution Prior to World War II the university was regarded as a regional institution with a small student body After 125 million veterans returned home from the war and sought to take advantage of the GI Bill Syracuse encouraged veterans to enroll Within two years SU39s student body grew from about 4000 students to 18000 studentsIn that spirit Syracuse created the IVMF in 2011 to support military members veterans and their families with research analytics programs and support The institute collaborates with the esteemed SI Newhouse School of Communications at Syracuse University and they39ve created two Department of Defensesponsored 10month programs that provide activeduty service members with credentials in photojournalism and broadcast journalismAs the overall cultural landscape has shifted so too has the veteran experience As the US military has transformed into a volunteerbased force Haynie said many Americans aren39t quotculturally competentquot in relating to military life and veterans39 experiences That lack of understanding can make it difficult for veterans to find support among their corporate peers and managers If executives hiring managers and civilians can learn more about military life it will foster a sense of belonging Haynie said and help veterans better integrate into the workplaceWhile they39re learning about military life Haynie said Generation Z and Millennials can gain valuable professional insights from their veteran colleagues He encouraged young professionals to seek out veterans get to know them and engage them as allies quotIn military service the word service is important it is ingrained in the DNAquot he said quotThey want to serve and want to be part of enacting positive change in our societyquotClick the social buttons to share this content with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated writers

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Military Veterans: Leading Positive Change in Society and Corporations (VIDEO)

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Alli Romano

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Military Veterans: Leading Positive Change in Society and Corporations (VIDEO)

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Alli Romano

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