A lot of companies say they want to hire veterans, but there are some who really put the time and effort into creating a plan to attract veteran talent. Some of America's top employers, Fortune 500 companies and other major players see U.S. military veterans as critical to their future operations.
To fill their ranks with veterans, these top companies have created special job portals for veterans, veteran training programs, fellowships and more to ensure that they get the dedication vets bring to their post-military careers. Here are some of the best companies looking for vets, based on the programs they've developed to attract them.
1. USAA
Of course, it's USAA, the company made for military service members, veterans and their families, coming in at No. 1. USAA not only created a special jobs portal for veterans, the company invested in a new technology to help transitioning service members translate their military skills to the civilian world.
Its hiring portal is the first step for veterans looking for a career at USAA, but even if they don't apply or don't land the job with the company, the website offers tips for landing a job elsewhere, along with links to websites, training programs and fellowships to help vets further their career goals.
2. AT&T
The telecommunications giant not only has its own searchable job portal for veterans, it hired a special officer for recruiting military veterans, created an in-company group for veterans to collaborate and network, offers a scholarship program for vets and families, and partners with veteran nonprofits to honor military service. The company currently boasts 12,000 veteran employees, and 9% of its new hires in 2022 were veterans.
AT&T is also a Department of Defense SkillBridge partner, which means transitioning service members can get hired on to learn a new career with AT&T during the last 180 days of their military service, while still earning military pay and benefits. When they leave the service, they will already be trained and hired with their new company.
3. UnitedHealth Group
UnitedHealth is also a DoD Skillbridge partner that offers fellowships up to 24 weeks long in career tracks ranging from business and finance to clinical operations to customer service, depending on interest and how much time the service member has left in the military.
Like some of the other ranking members of this list, UnitedHealth Group also has a special veteran job search portal, but on top of searching by keywords or job locations, veterans can search by their military occupational specialty codes.
4. Amazon
Amazon and its many subdivisions are not only looking for veterans but also want to hire veteran spouses in a big way. It currently employs 10,000 spouses but has pledged to hire up to 100,000 spouses and veterans by the end of 2024. Amazon offers fellowships through the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation's Hiring Our Heroes program and its own 12-week fellowship programs.
Veterans looking to apply at Amazon.com can use its proprietary military skills translator. It not only takes into account a veteran's military skills, but also any of the other skills, education and experience they've picked up along the way, using Oplign, an AI-powered data platform that manages data from the worldwide labor market.
5. Instant Teams
Instant Teams is likely the least well-known company on this list, but it offers remote employment opportunities for companies on par with Amazon, USAA or UnitedHealth Group. The company was founded by two military spouses in 2016 and actively recruits spouses and veterans for jobs in many fields.
Organizations like Google, Expensify and even the United States Air Force have hired Instant Teams to fill certain critical needs with remote workers from 40 states and abroad, using software to match applicant skills with open positions.
-- Blake Stilwell can be reached at blake.stilwell@military.com. He can also be found on Twitter @blakestilwell or on Facebook.
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