Canada has more than 700,000 Veterans, the majority of whom are of working age – and each year, more than 10,000 highly skilled Veterans enter the civilian job market. Despite this, 95 per cent of the Small and Medium Enterprises surveyed by Challenge Factory indicated they do not have a Veteran hiring program or focus.

Canada’s SMEs are facing new and urgent challenges as they plan their paths to recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, as of the end of September only 69 per cent of SMEs were fully open, 43 per cent were fully staffed, and 30 per cent had normal sales.  In today’s uncertain and unstable labour market, Canada’s Veterans represent an increasingly important hiring and talent pool for both SMEs and nonprofits.

Until now, there has never been a fully Canadian resource that provides employers with:

• practical information and guidance to combat misperceptions that keep Veterans hidden as a talent pool
• templates and other aids for attracting, interviewing, onboarding and retaining Veterans
• a unique focus on the data, experiences and hiring needs of Canada’s small- and medium-sized businesses (SMEs)

The second important purpose of this Guide is to help destigmatize Veterans both in and outside the workplace, and to clarify exactly why they make such a valuable yet hidden talent pool and recruitment source in Canada. Drawing on Challenge Factory’s ground-breaking national research about employer hiring biases and the unique working style of Veterans, this Guide explores:

• perceptions about Veterans in the civilian workforce;
• why employers in need of talent and Veteran jobseekers are missing each other; and,
• lessons that can be learned from existing Veteran hiring programs.

The Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence says. "The Canadian Guide to Hiring Veterans offers detailed insights and research to explain why Veterans are an invaluable employment resource for businesses across the country, and I believe it’s going to help promote Veterans hiring across Canada.”

This fall and winter, as employers continue to rebuild their businesses and workforces during a second COVID-19 wave and the ongoing economic repercussions, Veterans should be top of mind.

To download or buy your own copy of The Canadian Guide to Hiring Veterans developed by Challenge Factory, click here.

Challenge Factory’s systems-focused consulting, research and learning services provide innovative yet practical solutions to today’s most pressing career and workforce challenges. Serving clients in government, institutional and corporate sectors, Challenge Factory is a leading voice on the Future of Work, career development and revolutionary change.