Historical trends reveal that after protracted armed conflict, the U.S. Military has experienced troop reductions (Shanker & Cooper, 2014). Over 200,000 service members from the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have left active duty each year since 2014. For veterans who successfully navigate the hiring process, transitioning into a civilian workplace may prove daunting (Minnis & Wang, 2011), particularly regarding retention. Some studies reveal that nearly half of newly hired veterans left their first post-military job within the first year of hire (Maury, Stone, & Roseman, 2014).
The Solution
This article explored strategic talent management planning considerations and their relationship to military-to-private sector transition processes, from the perspective of the organization and veterans who made successful transitions. Through the utilization of a conceptual framework focused on integrated processes across organizational levels, we suggest that human resource development (HRD) practitioners can effectively integrate veterans into the workplace and assist organizations with maintaining optimally performing workforces by identifying strategic relationships between veteran transition processes and organizational talent management objectives.
The Stakeholders
Through the use of a framework, HRD practitioners enhance their ability to assist organizations in attracting, developing, and retaining veteran talent using a systematic approach.
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