Post 9/11 Veterans With Service-Connected Disabilities and their Transition to the Civilian Workforce

2016 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 66-77 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Stern
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Human Resource Development ◽  
Military Service ◽  
Career Transition ◽  
Identity Conflict ◽  
Three Solutions ◽  
Civilian Workforce ◽  
Civilian Employment ◽  
Hrd Professionals ◽  
The Impact

The problem More than five million U.S. veterans are expected to return to our communities and the civilian workforce by the year 2020. The vast majority of Americans have little understanding of military service or the impact service may have on civilian employment outcomes. Connection to the labor force provides the swiftest means for a successful transition back home, yet almost half of post 9/11 veterans indicate finding a job is their biggest challenge. An exploratory literature review was conducted to examine if and how the career transition of post 9/11 veterans with service-connected disabilities is presented in the human resource development (HRD) literature. The solution Based on the results of this exploratory literature review, three solutions are proposed: (a) examine what is working at work for veterans with disabilities in an effort to change the research conversation from problems to solutions, (b) understand and begin to deconstruct the veteran–civilian career identity conflict, and (c) explore the lived experiences of veterans with service-connected disabilities and their employers. The Stakeholders HRD researchers, HRD scholarly practitioners, and HRD professionals with an interest in the complexity of career transition and return-to-work issues facing veterans and people with disabilities.

Military Veterans’ Transferrable Skills

2016 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 6-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valerie E. Davis ◽  
Sarah E. Minnis
Keyword(s):  
Human Resource Development ◽  
Military Service ◽  
Military Veterans ◽  
Armed Forces ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Civilian Workforce ◽  
Retention Initiatives ◽  
Civilian Employment ◽  
Hrd Professionals

The Problem Military veterans face a number of employment challenges as they transition from military service to civilian employment. Although the American workforce has become much more diverse, there continues to be a lack of understanding and misperceptions about veterans’ skillsets and military experiences which inhibits successful employment after military service. Veterans are a source of talent for civilian employers as they bring distinctive capabilities and valuable skills developed through real-world, high-pressure experience, but some human resource development (HRD) practitioners may not be aware of the vast array of skills, training, and knowledge that veterans bring to the civilian workforce in addition to supervisory and management skills acquired during their time in the armed forces. Given the civilian public’s general lack of knowledge about military experience, HRD practitioners, in particular, may be less able to effectively evaluate and integrate veterans’ military experiences, skills, and capabilities in the civilian employment sector. These misunderstandings are contributing factors impacting veterans’ ability to transfer their skills from military to business cultures. The Solution It is imperative that HRD practitioners understand the potentially strong contributions and societal misperceptions regarding the business value of military veterans’ skills and experiences. This article will explore distinctive capabilities of veterans that make them assets in the civilian workforce as well as some potential concerns and highlight HRD’s role in recognizing and facilitating the development of veteran hiring and retention initiatives in civilian employment. Educating HRD professionals about how to integrate military veterans’ skills, knowledge, and abilities in business cultures and mitigate concerns is vital to promote veterans’ contributions to civilian organizations and is necessary for effective hiring and talent development. The Stakeholders Veterans, HRD professionals, scholars, practitioners, and policy makers interested in the HRD field, private sector, federal, nonfederal public sector, and U.S. Office of Personnel Management.

Human Resource Development Before, During, and After Military Leave

2021 ◽  
pp. 152342232098292
Author(s):  
Kenneth M. Sweet ◽  
Stephanie L. Black
Keyword(s):  
Human Resource Development ◽  
Human Resource ◽  
Military Service ◽  
Military Training ◽  
Resource Development ◽  
Active Service ◽  
Civilian Employment ◽  
Dual Careers ◽  
Military Reservists ◽  
Hrd Professionals

The Problem Many organizations are ill-equipped to mitigate the talent management challenges associated with extended leave for military reservists. Today, reservists take more long-term leave from civilian employment than at any point in modern history, due to more frequent and longer periods of active service resulting from persistent conflict. Yet, there is a lack of research on managing the dual careers of military reservists, and limited guidance is available for human resource development (HRD) professionals. The Solution We propose that opportunity exists in the effective career management of reservists, who receive extensive military training. This article draws on inclusivity research to provide a model for managing the HRD aspects of extended military leave. Rather than focusing on the compliance aspects of military leave, we believe organizations can increase the performance, commitment, and career progression of reservists to better capitalize on the skills and competencies gained through military service. The Stakeholders This article offers practitioners of HRD and HRM insights into building inclusive organizations for military reservists. Implications may also be of interest to scholars of military psychology, military reservists, and military-connected employees.

scholarly journals Speaking right: HRDs role in mediating good boardroom conversations

2019 ◽  
Vol 44 (2/3) ◽  
pp. 259-277
Author(s):  
Nick Beech ◽  
Jeff Gold ◽  
Susan Beech ◽  
Tricia Auty
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Human Resource Development ◽  
Good Governance ◽  
Communicative Action ◽  
Good Practice ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Governance Practice ◽  
Hrd Professionals ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This paper aims to explore the impact discourse has on decision making practices within the boardroom and considers how personal proficiency in micro-language use can enhance an individual’s personal efficacy in influencing boardroom decisions. The work uses Habermas’ theory of communicative action to critique board talk, highlighting the need for greater understanding of the power of everyday taken for granted talk in strategy shaping. It illuminates the contribution that human resource development (HRD) professionals can make to the management of such behaviour and minimising dysfunctional behaviour and enabling effective boardroom practices. Design/methodology/approach Traditional governance theory from a business and organisational perspectives are provided before considering the boardroom environment and HRD’s role. The authors undertake ethnographic research supported by conversation analysis to explore how directors use talk-based interpersonal routines to influence boardroom processes and enact collective decision making. The authors provide one extract of directors’ talk to illustrate the process and demonstrate what the data “looks like” and the insights it holds. Findings The analysis suggests that the established underlying assumptions and rationale ideologies of corporate governance are misplaced and to understand the workings of corporate governance HRD academics and professionals need to gain deeper insight into the employment of talk within boards. Armed with such insights HRD professionals can become more effective in developing strategies to address dysfunctional leadership and promote good governance practice throughout their organisation. Social implications The work raises a call for HRD to embrace a societal mediation role to help boards to become a catalyst for setting good practice which is strategically aligned throughout the organisation. Such roles require a more dialogical, strategic and critical approach to HRD, and professionals and academics take a more holistic approach to leadership development. Originality/value The paper considers the role of the development of HRD interventions that both help individuals to work more effectively within a boardroom environment and support development to shape a boardroom culture that promotes effective governance practice by influencing boardroom practice thereby promoting strong governance and broad social compliance throughout the organisation.

The impact of prior deployment experience on civilian employment after military service

2013 ◽  
Vol 70 (6) ◽  
pp. 408-417 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaime L Horton ◽  
Isabel G Jacobson ◽  
Charlene A Wong ◽  
Timothy S Wells ◽  
Edward J Boyko ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Military Service ◽  
Civilian Employment ◽  
The Impact

Career Development for Women Veterans

2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomika W. Greer
Keyword(s):  
Career Development ◽  
Women Veterans ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Unemployment Rates ◽  
Civilian Workforce ◽  
Barriers To Employment ◽  
Civilian Employment ◽  
Hrd Professionals ◽  
Policies And Programs

The Problem Women veterans suffer from higher unemployment rates than their male counterparts. This is especially true among women veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Although scholars and practitioners recognize the disparity in employment between men veterans and women veterans, there has been little attention given to addressing this gap to improve the employment situation for women veterans. Furthermore, many of the existing policies and programs designed to assist veterans with civilian employment pursuits are targeted toward men veterans and have proven to be less effective for enhancing employability of women veterans. This is a critical HRD issue due to HRD’s interest in career development and the role of HRD professionals in assisting more women veterans in gaining civilian employment. The Solution Toward a remedy for improving unemployment rates for women veterans, this article contains a review of literature focused on exploring barriers to employment among women veterans and strategies for overcoming these barriers. Within this study, the specific needs of women veterans are explored in relation to their employability. Ultimately, this article highlights practical solutions in accordance with transition theory to the growing problem of unemployment among women veterans. These solutions are useful for HRD professionals to assist with successful transitions to civilian employment for women veterans. The Stakeholders This article will be of interest to HRD scholars and practitioners who are concerned with the well-being and employability of women veterans. The information contained in this article will be helpful to counselors and other professionals who are assisting women veterans in their transition to the civilian workforce.

Resilient Leadership: The Impact of a Servant Leader on the Resilience of their Followers

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 404-418 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason L. Eliot
Keyword(s):  
Human Resource Development ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Psychological Needs ◽  
Servant Leader ◽  
Servant Leaders ◽  
Hrd Professionals ◽  
High Level ◽  
Resilient Leadership ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Resilience Capabilities

The Problem Businesses and their leaders regularly face disruptive change, uncertain economic futures and the pressure of improving employee well-being. To not only withstand these crises but to rebound and even grow stronger, organizations must develop resilient leaders and a resilient workforce. Human resource development (HRD) professionals are responsible for resilience development within an organization and need to understand whether the development of servant leaders also increases leader and workforce resilience. The Solution Leaders with a high level of resilience are able to respond in positive ways to crises their organizations may encounter and, by exhibiting that resilience and those positive responses, are able to increase the level of resilience of those around them. Servant leaders focus their efforts on meeting the psychological needs and health of their followers and are therefore well placed to positively impact subordinate resilience. This article explores the ability of servant leadership to positively impact and grow the resilient capacity of those impacted by the servant leader. It proposes that HRD professionals can increase the resilience capabilities of an organization through the development of servant leaders who also exhibit resilient behaviors. The Stakeholders This article benefits organizations, leaders, employees, and HRD professionals as well as resilience and leadership scholars and practitioners.

Preface

2016 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah E. Minnis
Keyword(s):  
Military Service ◽  
National Guard ◽  
Military Veterans ◽  
Global War On Terror ◽  
Civilian Workforce ◽  
Cultural Divide ◽  
Hiring Managers ◽  
Employment Sector ◽  
Civilian Employment ◽  
Global War

In the 15 years that America has been at war in the Middle East, more than 2.5 million American service members have been deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation New Dawn (OEF/OIF/OND). These are in addition to associated and ongoing conflicts in the Global War on Terror. The time spent in military service has changed their lives and challenged these veterans in ways theymay not have expected. One of the most significant challenges the veterans face, is in finding and securing careers in the civilian employment sector after their military service has ended, or between deployments with the National Guard or military reserves. Civilian hiring managers, most often than not, have little or no knowledge about the variety of roles and range of skills that military veterans bring with them following military service. Likewise, veterans are often stymied by the experiences and expectations they experience in the civilian workforce. Misunderstandings and misconceptions plague both military veterans and civilian employers in the hiring and employment processes, leaving each side wondering how to effectively bridge the cultural divide.

Keeping It Real: The Impact of HRD Internships on the Development of HRD Professionals

2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 176-189 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katina Sawyer
Keyword(s):  
Human Resource Development ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
Practical Experience ◽  
Educational Institutions ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative Methods ◽  
Career Trajectories ◽  
Hrd Professionals ◽  
The Impact

The Problem Participation in internships may provide undergraduate human resource development (HRD) students with practical experience necessary to be successful in the field. However, research is lacking which examines the impact of HRD internship experiences on professional development and career trajectories. Research is also limited which provides guidance on how to distinguish which undergraduate internships may be most valuable. The features which make internships most effective in preparing students for their chosen careers warrant further examination, specifically within HRD. Relatedly, it is important to understand which internship experiences are most likely to develop HRD competencies for undergraduate students. The Solution Qualitative and quantitative data were collected from HRD professionals who had participated in an HRD internship while they were undergraduate students. These data were analyzed, using qualitative and quantitative methods, to better understand the structure and focus of student HRD internships. Specifically, while the data are preliminary, this study generated insights regarding the extent to which effective internships were able to promote the development of key HRD skillsets, and which skillsets were most likely to be enhanced. The Stakeholders Using the results of this analysis, educational institutions can better understand how to locate effective internships for students. In addition, students can utilize these data to better recognize valuable internship experiences in the future.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document