Leading organizations are using data analytics to enhance their understanding for how to make better people decisions. They’ve focused on predictive models that help improve talent retention, diversity, succession planning as well as talent acquisition. The results are promising, especially in certain talent management areas. The question is, do predictive analytics work well when hiring military veterans?
In recruiting and selection, HR professionals hope that predictive models will improve their processes for overcoming unconscious bias. Many companies are also experimenting with automated recruiting processes to analyze job applicants to mitigate unconscious preferences and biases. The hope is that by eliminating factors that might unfairly bias a decision (age, gender, race, etc.), companies will secure the best talent. It is similar to what a judge decides through blind auditions on NBC’s show, The Voice. Judges listen to only a performer’s voice to make their initial decisions – without the distraction of a vocalist’s appearance, age or stage presence. Similarly, with hiring decisions, companies want to make better and more objective hiring decisions.
However, military veterans are experiencing a different scenario. With 250,000 military veterans or more entering the civilian workforce each year, most have had little or no practice in translating military work experience to civilian language. Based on numerous interviews and recent research, the military’s Transition Assistance Program (TAP) hasn’t effectively focused on resumé translation, and recruiters find that veterans need additional support to understand how to position themselves to stand out in the realm of electronic screening. Successfully navigating the automated algorithms is a major challenge facing veterans today. The military promotion process, for example, is very different from corporate America and veterans may have difficulty describing how their skills meet organizational needs and/or how their past experience relates to the civilian workplace.
According to a study by iCIMS in collaboration with RecruitMilitary, a majority of veterans believe their military experience is an obstacle to getting a job. Forty one percent believe hiring managers do not understand their military experience and 37% believe hiring managers devalue their military experience. In addition, veterans believe that job postings require more specialized experience than they have (36%) and have trouble translating military skills to civilian roles (28%).
Until veteran resumé translation and transition programs improve, HR data analytics may not be the best option for identifying and hiring top veteran talent. As corporate leaders and managers consider the barriers of automation for veterans during the veteran recruiting process, Innolect services provide insight and guidance for better ways to identify, decipher and manage veteran talent. Consider our Veteran Onboarding Employer checklist to see if your company is applying industry best practices.
For more information on how to enhance your programs, contact Becky Ripley or Kittie Watson.