Diversity and inclusion efforts in Federal agencies: a context for exploring perceptions of military veterans

Abstract

National attention and resources are being brought to the issue of supporting the economic success of America's military veterans. Deemed an essential part of their transition and reintegration, employment remains a major area of focus. As such, various initiatives and hiring preferences in public and private organizations have reduced the obstacles to employment for those transitioning from the military to the civilian workplace. This is particularly the case in U.S. federal agencies, where military veterans comprise an increasingly significant demographic that is adding to the diversity of the workforce. These military veterans bring a unique set of values, life experiences, and perspectives to the civilian workforce that often differ from those of non-military veterans. In 2016, military veterans comprised 31.1% of the federal workforce as compared to 27.6% in 2013. These increases coincide with agency efforts to move from a sole focus on diversity towards a focus on diversity and inclusion-an effort designed to move away from simply ensuring proportional representation from various groups towards integrating the diverse perspectives of various demographic groups into the organization. This article provides a theoretical context for better understanding the perceptions and attitudes of veterans and how perceptions of agency diversity and inclusion efforts may differ between military veterans and non-veterans.

Odysseus Goes to University—the Veteran to Scholar Boot Camp

“…They leave a military institution that discourages asking questions and is built on "rigid hierarchy, leadership, honor, and team over individual" (Liggans et al, 2018, p. 141) for an academic institution that leaves them in charge of their own schedule. That new freedom and sense of individualism can be unwelcome for a population used to following orders to achieve the bigger picture with a familial team (Dunivin, 1994;Liggans et al, 2018). Moreover, student veterans report that university bureaucracy often appears more byzantine than military bureaucracy.…”

Motivație Și Satisfacție În Mediul De Securitate Națională

“…În al cincilea rând, se poate constata ușor relevanța studiului pentru proiectarea politicilor de resurse umane și a strategiilor manageriale specifice organizației militare 82,83,84 .…”

The Business Case for Hiring Military Veterans/Reservists: Stock Price Performance of Military Friendly Firms

“…Sixth, evidence of the bottom-line impact of veterans can function to reinforce and reinvigorate organizational diversity and inclusion programs targeting veterans. This is especially relevant in Federal government agencies, which provide hiring preferences to veterans (Liggans et al, 2018), and in Federal contractors encouraged to achieve benchmark hiring goals for veterans by the Office for Federal Contract Compliance Programs in the US Department of Labor. The current benchmark, effective from 3/31/2018, for hiring veterans is 6.4% (US Department of Labor, 2019).…”