Abstract
Purpose. The purpose of this qualitative research study was to explore employer perceptions related to hiring veterans and whether a veteran candidate's service affiliation (Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, or Marines) affects those perceptions when hiring for technical positions at an industrial engineering company in the United States. Methodology. The participants in this study were 10 managers from a single division of a large industrial engineering company. All participants had multiple years of experience in organizational leadership positions, participated in the hiring process within one or more organizations, and managed or worked with one or more veterans. A descriptive case study methodology was used to explore and describe the perceptions of the participants within a single bounded system. Findings. Managers perceive that veterans are disciplined, reliable, loyal, and hard working but can be disciplined to the point of being rigid and inflexible. Managers perceive that high-performing veterans developed and refined transferrable skills during their time in service, while low-performing veterans became dependent on military structure or were negatively affected by combat experience. Managers note a veteran's service affiliation but are more concerned with occupation and capabilities. The Navy and Air Force are viewed as more technical services while the Marine Corps and Army are seen as more likely to provide enhanced soft skills. Managers do not equate soft skills with interpersonal skills. Managers do not believe a veteran would face any more difficulty than a nonveteran while assimilating into a new organization. Managers expect a veteran to remain with the organization longer and be more likely to actively seek advancement than a nonveteran. Conclusions. Managers associate veterans with several positive character traits and attributes, but individual perceptions related to military culture affect a manager's expectations regarding veteran behaviors in the civilian workplace. Recommendations. Future research efforts should include a replication study with a larger sample and a quantitative study to measure the impact of perceptions related to military culture on expected veteran behaviors in the civilian workplace.