Veterans Leadership: Cultivating a Strategic Advantage

From 2010 to 2012, the U.S. government hired more than 195,000 veterans into civilian service. Yet, recent studies show that many veterans change jobs twice within the first three years of civilian employment. Veteran employment attrition rates cause not only a loss of valuable talent, but also a financial loss, as replacement employees cost anywhere from 50% to 200% of their salaries to recruit. While federal departments and agencies benefit from veterans’ experiences, leadership and judgment, hiring officials continue to wrestle with integrating veterans into a new culture. As veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan reintegrate to civilian life, how are they prepared to navigate the cultural leadership differences they will encounter in their civilian career? What advice and preparation should veterans consider in order to effectively breach the institutional government and corporate cultural barriers they will face when developing their professional leadership pathway?

On Friday, March 6, Brookings Executive Education hosted Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert McDonald for a discussion of caring for veterans and the importance of cultivating and retaining their leadership.