Veteran enrollment is surging and their positions at universities over the country are likely to continue climbing as 
the drawdown in Afghanistan continues. With the Post 9/11 GI Bill making the way for some veterans to enroll in colleges, retention rates continue to be dismally low. What can recruiters do to implement a more veteran-centric admission process and strategies that your college can utilize to keep military undergraduates in college and engage them until graduation? A portion of the recruitment strategies utilized [to attract veterans] are not all that different from regular campus recruiting. That being said, recruiting veterans is not precisely the same as recruiting non-veteran civilians.
On account of that, we have listed three tips on how employers can effectively court veteran candidates on college campuses.
Keep-up a Physical and Online Presence on Campus:
Recruiters need to go attend events on campus so as to get the word out that they are recruiting military veterans. Some activities include:
- Show up to career fairs and information sessions
- Speak to groups and associations, departments on campus, veteran’s affairs offices, career services, ROTC commanders.
- Connect with each of those people and develop relationships
With regards to keeping up a digital presence, the key is to deliver quality messaging that connects with and addresses military professionals, supports their efforts, [and] bolsters the freedom that they’re protecting for us.
Develop Relationships With Veteran-Focused Student Groups
Veteran student groups offer another helpful road for reaching veteran hopefuls. One such group would be the Student Veterans of America, a coalition of student veterans groups on college campuses across the country. Some schools and colleges have their own particular veteran-focused student affiliations.
Recruiters need to form associations with on-campus ROTC programs. While the ROTC focuses on preparing students for the military, numerous ROTC groups will also have associations with veterans on campus.
Connect With Off-Campus Organizations
Numerous veterans going to college additionally take an interest in off-campus associations, similar to local V.A. branches and the Association of the United States Army, among others. Contacting those groups can be a great way to invite veteran candidates on college campuses. The military wants to ensure that the men and women who were serving the nation are landing positions and transitioning suitably.
Another proposal for recruiters is to investigate the assets on procuring veterans given by military installations, the U.S. Department of Labor, and a variety of reputable sites.
For more on proven methods of recruiting veterans for your campus, join Dr. John Schupp in a Live Webinar on Tue, June 28, 2016. During this webinar Dr. Schupp will provide you with methods to find the number of veterans in your community, from any age group, and most importantly, how to reach those veterans effectively.
