Engagement and well-being for veterans in the workplace
By Tom Hove, MSW, guest author
Veterans bring many great skills and traits to the workforce and can be a major addition to your team. They have a strong work ethic, are adaptable and immediate team contributors, have experience working in diverse groups and organizations, and can perform under pressure while often being innovative problem solvers.
If you’re a supervisor with a veteran on your team, here’s two key ways you — and your teams — can be supportive and inclusive.
Develop cultural competency
The Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA) has opportunities for you to advance your understanding of support for veterans in the workplace. These learning opportunities are aimed at developing a better understanding of the unique culture veterans have experienced.
WDVA’s Veterans Training Support Center (VTSC) offers workshops to help you learn about the nuances of the military and veteran community. These workshops include:
- Veteran Cultural Engagement — This training sheds light on the world that military veterans come from, highlights the challenges veterans face in transitioning from “Battlemind to Homemind,” and offers a meaningful discussion about how an individual or organization can create an environment in which veterans can find their “second mission.”
- LEARN Suicide Prevention — Forefront’s LEARN Saves Lives for Veterans training, developed in partnership with WDVA, offers perspective on the unique challenges veterans and their families face. It teaches essential skills for support and suicide prevention, tailored to those who have served, their loved ones, and those who work with or support them.
- Introduction to Veterans Benefits — An overview of the Veterans Benefits Administration and what programs and services that veterans can access.
The workshops aren’t about showing how veterans are different from the rest of the community. Instead, they create cultural competency for your workforce on best ways to support veterans transitioning to their second mission. Both supervisors and employees can visit the VTSC website and workshop catalog to learn more.
Express gratitude meaningfully
As we approach Veterans Day, how can you express your appreciation to veterans in your work or personal life? Before you throw out a simple “Thank you for your service,” think about who you are thanking, and whether you really know what you’re thanking them for. This is one of the topics covered in the Veteran Cultural Engagement course. The guidance can be surprising to those of us who have become accustomed to saying “thank you” and expecting people to appreciate our gesture.
Recent polls show only about half of veterans appreciate a verbal “thank you.” For some, the statement may bring up memories of experiences they would rather not recall, or it could feel like an empty gesture. If you’ve hired a veteran, you’ve provided a tangible “thank you” that supports the veteran and allows them to provide for themselves and their families — truly the best “thank you” we can express.
Other ways to support and show gratitude for veterans’ service are:
- Hire a certified veteran owned business.
- Connect with the state military spouse liaison.
- Donate airline miles to veterans.
- Volunteer or donate to state veterans’ homes.
- Learn more about and donate to a veterans service organization.
- Share WDVA job opportunities with your network.
Once you’ve chosen to say “yes” to hiring a veteran to your team, you immediately become eligible to become a YesVets employer. YesVets recognizes employers who show their commitment to veteran employment by hiring veterans into their workforce.
The fact that you’ve read this article means that you’re committed to your veteran team member and want to learn more. Thank you for taking this step and joining WDVA in Serving Those Who Served.
Tom Hove, MSW, is the manager for the Veterans Training Support Center at the Washington Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA). Tom was formerly a Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) case manager, where he worked with homeless veterans and their families to coordinate and monitor successful community living. He has served as a social work intern for VA Puget Sound Health Care System’s Homeless Patient Aligned Care Team to provide direct services to homeless adult and geriatric veterans. Tom served in the US Navy as a hospital corpsman. He currently lives in SeaTac with his husband and two kids.
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The Washington State Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is a free, confidential program created to promote the health, safety and well-being of public service employees and their household adult family members. The EAP is available to provide confidential and expert consultation in a variety of areas. Reach out to EAP online or by calling 877–313–4455. To find out if the Washington State EAP serves your agency or organization, contact your supervisor or human resources department.
Links to external websites are provided as a convenience. The Employee Assistance Program and the Department of Enterprise Services do not endorse the content, services, or viewpoints found at these external sites. Information is for general informational purposes only and is not intended to replace the counsel or advice of a qualified health or legal professional. For further help, questions, or referral to community resources for specific problems or personal concerns, contact the EAP or other qualified professional.
