Mission Next Consulting envisions a world where transitioning service members swiftly succeed in the civilian workforce because they have the right tools and mindset necessary for their next phase in life. Our vision also includes civilian organizations that prepare their culture and recruitment strategy to maximize the leadership skills and values that a veteran brings to the workforce.
Over 200,000 service members leave active duty every year. That's a staggering amount of people that are faced with the challenges of transitioning into the civilian workforce. Some service members smoothly transition with limited support, while others most certainly do not. Each branch of service spends an incredible amount of time and money to recruit individuals into active duty, but they spend far less to integrate service members back into the civilian world. As of 2014, the federal government was running 85 different programs to help veterans transition. Yet, the Governmental Accountability Office found that most of those programs had only limited success.
In the civilian world, around 19% of employees leave their jobs within the first year of being hired. Turnover rates for veterans are noticeably higher. Studies show that between 54% and 65% of veterans will leave their first civilian job by the end of their second year. Officers tend to stay in place a little longer than enlisted service members.
It is difficult to ignore the staggering difference between how quickly former military members leave their first jobs compared to the civilian turnover rates. Civilian organizations repeatedly share how much they want to hire veterans. Government analysis and research studies back up this claim. Study after study confirms that businesses value veterans. The research by the Mission Next consultants pointed to a long list of skills and values that civilian organizations desperately want including "sense of duty, commitment, dedication, selfless service, and leadership." The disconnect happens when civilian organizations are unable to understand how veterans’ skills translate into their workplace, and when veterans are unable to apply their values and skills to the new organization.
Additionally, surveys suggested that service members thought that pay and benefits were the reasons that they left their first civilian jobs in their first 24 months. The research by Mission Next consultants shows different reasons. Veterans leave because they picked a job that wasn’t a good fit for them. They struggle to synch or conform to the culture of their civilian organization and simply abandon their new civilian job. A successful transition relies on the veteran’s ability to truly understand his or her own values and personal vision for this next phase. This step is crucial in making the transition and creates the foundation for the work at Mission Next.
The books were a result of two years of intense research on why veterans leave their first civilian positions. They are resources to help both transitioning veterans and employers looking to hire and retain veterans.
Learn MoreIn addition to the books, Mission Next offers workshops for transitioning service members and consulting engagements with civilian organizations to improve recruitment and retention of veterans.
Learn MoreThe Mission Next consultants bring professional and personal experiences to support transitioning service members and the civilian organizations who want to hire them.
Learn MoreIf you want to contact us with questions, or to discuss our services, we'll be happy to engage in a dialogue about how we can help you or your organization.
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