MHI Solutions Improving Supply Chain Performance
Veterans Bring Leadership and Logistics Skills
ISTOCK.COM/JACOB WACKERHAUSEN
Supply chain organizations that embrace diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) hiring initiatives often focus solely on race and gender. Yet, persons from a range of different talent pools remain underrepresented in warehousing and distribution. One such overlooked population? Military veterans.
According to McKinsey & Company,1 the skills and expertise veterans gain during their military careers represents untapped economic potential for U.S. businesses of nearly $15 billion over 10 years. Yet the American Community Survey2 found veterans are 18% more likely to be out of the workforce than civilians. An opportunity clearly exists.
To learn what makes veterans ideal for supply chain roles and how companies can both connect with and support this diverse workforce, I turned to two members of the Warehousing Education and Research Council (WERC), a division of MHI. Both also happen to be veterans working in supply chain.
Sharing their insights are Lee Ambrose, vice president at Remote Security Solutions, and Jeremy Banta, associate professor of supply chain management at Columbus State Community College. Ambrose served for 20 years in the U.S. Army, and Banta served full‑time in the Ohio National Guard for more than 16 years and retired with more than 20 years of total service.
Why Veterans Can Be a Great Fit for Supply Chain Jobs
Every branch of the U.S. Armed Forces has personnel dedicated to logistics. After all, deployments couldn’t happen without it. So former servicepersons with a military occupational specialty of warehousing, transportation or logistics on their resumé are certainly qualified for warehousing operations and management positions, agreed both Ambrose and Banta.
“Where it gets tricky is that two people can have identical military career paths on paper, but completely different experiences,” Banta noted. “Companies will likely have to dig into a veteran’s background during the interview to discover more about their relevant experience.”
That said, there are also many non‑logistics military jobs that give servicepersons skills that benefit supply chains, added Banta.
“A wheeled vehicle mechanic in the Army Ordinance Corps maintains inventory, services equipment, follows checklists, tracks parts—all skills that are a great fit for logistics,” he said. “Junior infantry soldiers may have expertise setting up and troubleshooting computers and networks in the field. Further, with the increasing adoption of automation in supply chains, there are lots of military roles that involve advanced technologies. All of these skills translate well to supply chains.”
Additionally, veterans with at least five to seven years of military experience also possess leadership skills, added Ambrose.
“They’ve led bigger teams, managed bigger budgets, been responsible for more expensive equipment, and likely have some supply chain experience,” he said, noting that many 20‑plus‑year veterans see supply chain jobs as a chance to help a high‑performing team become even better.
“In fact, many veterans make a seamless transition into the senior executive ranks of a company, which can sometimes frustrate leaders who have worked their way up on the civilian side,” continued Ambrose. “The large amount of international supply chain deployments that veterans have gained over the last two decades—combined with leadership experience and team mentality—will bring a positive influence to any supply chain organization.”
Conversely, some veterans leave supply chain jobs because they feel underutilized in their new roles, noted Banta. He cited a 30% retention rate for junior members of the military after they transition to civilian jobs. To prevent this, Banta advised checking in with new veteran hires after a few weeks.
“Ask them what other areas within the operation might benefit from their skills in a way that perhaps didn’t show up on their resume or in the interview,” he suggested. “With veterans, that follow‑up is really important; more so than with other employees.”
Misconceptions Surrounding Veterans as a Talent Pool
Both Ambrose and Banta agreed that one of the biggest misconceptions about veterans—particularly those who have seen active duty—is that they all have post‑traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
“Anecdotally, I hear that human resources people shy away from hiring veterans because they believe this,” Banta said. As someone who has been dealing with PTSD since 2004, dispelling that misconception has become his personal mission.
“It’s simply not true. The military has definitely changed its perspective on PTSD. It’s something that is in the open and for which help is provided proactively,” he said. “Frankly, veterans may be better equipped to deal with PTSD, regardless of its cause, than most civilians.”
A second misconception, added Ambrose, is fueled by Hollywood. “Not everyone in the military is in Special Forces, but you’d think that based on what’s in the movies. There are a lot of diverse roles across the armed forces.”