Today, the huge number of new services, products, and updates constantly being launched means the super competitive job market is having a hard time keeping up. That’s because with each new release and development, the skills gap gets bigger. Any company who wishes to stay relevant and be able to compete in our tech-driven climate needs to hire the best. And there is one talented group that is often overlooked - our military veterans.

We already know that the U.S. posses the largest military force worldwide. Our active duty has over a million troops with around another 800,000 in the reserves. Although we have recently seen a drop in veteran unemployment numbers, those figures still need to be lowered significantly.

When talking about what makes a good employee, our veterans have many unique skills and expertise that you can only get in service. Things that regular civilians will always lack. This gives you the chance to add value to your company that you may not generally expect from employees. So let’s look at seven reasons why it’s a good idea to hire veterans.

1. Highly trainable

The military sector is similar to the tech industry in the fact that they also have continuous development. From the day a person joins the military, they are not only encouraged but actually expected to grow and learn every day. To put it plainly, when it comes to adaptability, veterans are the true professionals.

Not only are veterans are great at following orders and finishing their given tasks, but their biggest advantage is also knowing when to trust their instincts and take responsibility. That’s because in the military environment, a learning mindset and trainability is the key to success.

2. Effective leaders
Many veterans are often thrown into leadership roles very early in their military careers. They are great at learning and leading by example. Not only that but veterans had the chance to experience responsibilities and a range of roles that you will have a hard time finding anywhere else in the market of candidates.

3. Perfected teamwork
Any person who goes into military service is taught the value of teamwork from their very first day. When I found out that there is a car leasing company in New York who pride themselves in hiring veterans, I decided to ask the owner why they do that. Here is what Zoriy Birenboym, the owner of AutoLease had to say:

“Veterans are true pros when it comes to working as a single and cohesive force. They possess razor-sharp and critical thinking skills that enable them to see the bigger picture. This means that they will not only know the best course of action for the team but also what each individual team member needs to do to achieve the end goal”.

So if your company requires collaboration and strong teamwork, veterans can contribute to that greatly.

4. Experienced in complex tech
Not many business owners know this but veterans are amazing in the tech sector. That’s because the military is always investing in cutting-edge technology and people who serve work with that state-of-the-art tech as soon as they join. Among other reasons why veterans are great in the tech industry are their detail-oriented approach and amazing self-discipline. When it comes to working under pressure, veterans are great at it since they can use their problem-solving skills to complete any task thrown at them.

5. Security
When you hire a veteran, you’re hiring a person who went through very detailed background checks spanning many levels of security clearance. This is a big plus when cybersecurity is a great concern worldwide. Unlike other people, veterans truly understand the value of confidentiality and security. This especially benefits those companies that have people with security clearances since hiring a veteran will save you money and time on background checks.

6. Know how to take constructive criticism
Any successful business needs to regularly assess the performance of employed individuals to not only improve their skills but also stay ahead of their competition. This process is also a way to inform the employees of any problems they need to work on overcoming. When a person can take constructive criticism and learn from past experience, this will enable them to grow.

Although not everyone can take criticism, veterans are different. The military constantly practices after-action reviews to examine all missions to see how they can improve future performance. Such reviews can get pretty rigorous but they are needed. From them, veterans get accustomed to taking constructive criticism and learn how to grow from it.

7. Unbeatable work ethic
Veterans have a developed natural instinct for figuring out how to get the job done. This also enables them to finish tasks in a more efficient way. A great work ethic is essential in learning how to rely on and trust each other under critical circumstances. What many business owners notice when they hire veterans is that they simply don’t slack off.

Whatever task you give them, they know it has a purpose and needs to be completed. Military people are simply hardwired to think that way. Those who served are already accustomed to hard work on a daily schedule and this will definitely show when they transition into civilian roles.