Brief Guide to Attracting, Hiring & Retaining Military Veterans and Spouses

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About Solar Ready Vets

The Solar Ready Vets NetworkTM is a U.S. Department of Energy funded initiative to connect military veterans and transitioning servicemembers with solar career pathways. As a part of this project, the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) created this guide to assist solar industry employers in their military veteran and spouse recruiting, hiring and retention initiatives.

Military veterans offer leadership skills, transferable technical skills, and critical soft skills that are essential to the quickly expanding solar and clean energy industry workforce. In addition, military veterans, spouses, and members of the National Guard and Reserves have unique abilities to adapt and thrive in rapidly changing situations, which are valuable competencies in the growing solar and storage industry. However, in order to attract this exceptional talent, companies must work to cultivate a culture, along with policies and processes, which demonstrate that they value the unique assets military talent brings.

I. Recruiting, Hiring & Retaining Military Veterans

According to the 2021 National Solar Jobs Census, the solar industry employs over 20,000 military veterans throughout the United States, or 8% of all solar workers. This is higher than the 6% veteran employment percentage of overall workers in the economy; however, there are still plenty of opportunities to make the solar industry more veteran-inclusive.

Image Source: Haynie, J. Michael. (2016). REVISITING THE BUSINESS CASE FOR HIRING A VETERAN.

What is the Business Case for Hiring Military Veterans? 

Military veterans make excellent civilian workforce employees at all levels, from entry-level to senior leadership roles. They often have a strong commitment to the organization’s mission, are highly organized, and have the ability to build effective teams. Most veterans also have cross-cultural experience, take initiative, and have a strong sense of accountability. Veterans are bringing these skill sets to a wide variety of solar and clean energy industry roles including but not limited to:

  • Solar & Storage Installation and Crew Lead/Foreperson Roles
  • Operations & Maintenance Technician/Field Service Technician
  • Engineering
  • Project Management
  • Logistics and Supply Chain Management
  • Project Development/Business Development
  • Operations Management
  • Human Resources Management, Talent Acquisition, Procurement, Accounting, etc.

In addition, businesses that hire eligible unemployed veterans can take advantage of significant federal and state tax credits through the Work Opportunity Tax Credit.

How to Recruit and Hire Military Veterans  

Creating a successful military hiring program takes time, planning and resources. Below is a list of key tips to consider.

  • Obtain executive leadership buy-in including identifying at least one executive “sponsor” of veteran initiatives. Train key executives, HR team, and hiring managers on the basics of how to recruit, hire, manage, and retain military veterans.
  • Tap into local resources such as educational institutions near military bases, your local workforce development board, and your Regional Veterans’ Employment Coordinator contact.
  • Involve military veteran employees at your company as champions to support the company by identifying roles that could be a good fit for veterans or providing veteran resume reviewing and interviewing assistance.
  • Use competency-based job announcements, recruiting, and selection processes.
  • Post jobs where military talent can find them, for example on the National Labor Exchange (NLx). Posting on military-focused job boards for a fee is another option.
  • Connect with military talent via in-person and virtual hiring fairs and career events with partners such as Hiring Our Heroes.
  • Connect with transitioning service members getting ready to leave the service via a DOD SkillBridge program. For example, the Hiring Our Heroes Corporate Fellowship Program runs a SkillBridge program that provides employers with access to transitioning service members looking for mid-to-senior level civilian roles. Airstreams Renewables also can connect employers with veteran job candidates attending their SkillBridge Renewable Energy and Communications Tower Technician Program.
  • Consider reaching out to military veteran-focused staffing/recruiting firms your company could pay to help recruit and hire military talent.
  • Showcase your company’s leadership with the HIRE Vets Medallion Award, which recognizes organizations’ commitments to veteran hiring and retention.

On-boarding & Retaining Military Veterans  

  • Create a work plan for the first few months to first year of a veteran’s employment and provide clear feedback on performance on a regular basis.
  • Create a veteran mentoring program for new veteran hires to assist them in the transition to your company’s work, culture, and processes.
  • Create a Veteran Employee Resource Group as a place for collaboration, experience sharing, and supporting your company’s veteran recruiting and retention efforts.
  • Track current veteran employee recruitment, performance, and retention metrics; Set goals to improve metrics over time.

Resources

II. Recruiting, Hiring & Retaining Military Spouses

Military spouse unemployment rates are typically four to six times the national average unemployment rate. Active-duty military members typically relocate about every 3 years, leading military spouses to face unique employment challenges.

Image Source: https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/industry/public-sector/military-spouse-unemployment.html 

What is the Business Case for Hiring Military Spouses? 

Military spouses bring attributes such as resiliency, adaptability, resourcefulness, perseverance, and a strong work ethic, all of which contribute to successful performance in competitive business environments. According to Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Foundation, 85% of HR professionals, managers, and senior-level leaders reported positive experiences working with military spouses. If your company is looking to improve diversity, military spouses are approximately 93% female, and the military spouse community has a larger proportion of ethnic and racial diversity as compared to the broader civilian population.

How to Recruit, Hire, and Retain Military Spouses
In addition to many of the tips covered in the military veteran section above, companies may want to consider these suggestions specifically related to military spouses:

III. Recruiting, Hiring, and Retaining Members of the National Guard and Military Reserves

Almost half of the service members serving in the U.S. Armed Forces are members of the National Guard or Military Reserves. Guard members and reservists typically serve on a part-time basis while also holding full-time civilian jobs. They can be deployed at any time should the need arise, so employers’ support is essential to enabling their employees who are members of the Guard and Reserve to serve our country when needed.

What is the business case for hiring National Guard and Reserve Members? 

Similar to military veterans, members of the National Guard and Reserves exhibit leadership skills, a high level or responsibility, cross-cultural competencies, and are trained to remain calm under pressure just to name a few typical qualities employers tend to value.

How to Recruit, Hire, and Retain National Guard Members and Reservists

In addition to many of the tips covered in the military veteran section, companies may want to consider these specific suggestions related to members of the National Guard and Reserves.

  • Reach out to your local Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) representative. ESGR is a U.S. Department of Defense office that promotes cooperation and understanding between Guard and Reserve members and their civilian employers. Your local ESGR representative can help you participate in hiring events to attract Guard and Reserve service members to your company.
  • Ensure that National Guard and Reserve members are acknowledged by the company’s leadership for their and their families’ sacrifice and service from time to time. Your company may want to consider signing and displaying a Statement of Support for the Guard and the Reserve. 
  • Review your company’s personnel policies to make sure they allow for military leaves of absence as required by law. 
     

Resources:

IV. Resources

Additional Resources 

SEIA members may participate in SEIA’s DEIJ Certification Program, which includes an in-depth module on Attracting, Hiring & Retaining Military Veterans and Spouses. Companies may also visit solarreadyveterans.org for more information, guides, toolkits, and resources on recruiting, hiring, and retaining veterans. Additional resources of potential interest are listed below.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members

Military Spouses

National Guard and Military Reserves 

Thank you to our Solar Ready Vets Network partners for their support in developing this guide.

This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) under the Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) Award Number DE-EE0008577. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Department of Energy or the United States Government.