Transition to employment difficult for vets

When Joel Guindon returned home from Afghanistan with post-traumatic stress injuries, he knew he was in a tough spot.

While the Gatineau, Que., resident eventually found work as a Canada Post supervisor in Ottawa, he discovered his mission-oriented mindset didn’t always jive within a unionized environment.

“It was very difficult to transition as a military personnel,” said Guindon, whose military background is in infantry and reconnaissance. “My skills obviously did not translate to the corporate world. So I had to adapt.”

Guindon also struggled with the effects of his injuries, including recurring nightmares and hypervigilance that could prevent him from sleeping for days on end.

“I’m unable to work a full-time job, 40 to 60 hours a week,” he said. “I find that in the corporate environment, there’s not a lot of employers who can adapt their working schedule to someone who can only work three to four days a week.”

Guindon was part of a panel to discuss employment transition and identity for military members transitioning to civilian life on the eve of the 2017 Invictus Games in Toronto, an international Paralympic-type sporting tournament created by Prince Harry.

“In business, we have so much to learn from these true heroes, who’ve served their country, and we have to find a much better way to manage that transition into the civilian life,” said moderator Stephen Kelly, CEO of Sage, a U.K.-based enterprise software company, which recently launched Serving Heroes, a program aimed at supporting Canadian military veterans’ entrepreneurial ambitions.

“We’ve got a massive obligation and a duty to thank you for going to protect us and keep us safe, and to welcome you back with programs that make transition as easy as possible.”

Skills an asset

While it shouldn’t be an obligation for Canadian companies to reach out to veterans, it is an advantage, according to Guindon.

“I’ve never asked for anything for free,” he said. “I don’t see it as a social responsibility for companies or corporations to reach out, but I do see it as an advantage for them. If we’re able to be trained and mentored properly into their corporate environment, coming in with our background of military experience of leadership, mission-oriented goals, selflessness… we’ll be a definite asset to their companies.”

Veterans have three unique qualities that translate well to the business world — desire, drive and determination, said Vicky Gosling, director of the Sage Foundation’s military programming, who was also on the panel.

“If you think about it logically, we’ve had probably some of the best leadership training in the world,” she said.

“We come from a background of integrity. We’re all mission-oriented. It’s all about getting the job done. If you just take some of this and actually bottle it and put it into an organization… you’d get a good winning combination. Clearly, we need a bit of business savvy about us too, (but) it goes both ways.”

A military skill set is a “brilliant asset,” with veterans often keying in on teamwork and outcomes, said Gosling.

“We learn pretty quickly. We learn to think on our feet, absorb information and just crack on with it, and make a decision. That’s the sort of machinery that we come with… We should see businesses clambering to get veterans in, to be quite honest, with what they can bring.”

A typical soldier is loyal, committed and willing to sacrifice both body and mind. In the workplace, that could mean working more hours or giving up holidays, said Gosling.

“If you put faith in them and realize that they will get the job done and that time isn’t the issue here — it’s more about understanding and giving the support and trust and providing a sense of belonging — then you’re going to get the best out of them.”

“When you realize that these guys have learned to deal with combat, the battlefield of business isn’t going to be that complicated for them,” she said. “It’s more a case of just really being able to give them the foundation. If you can actually create this environment where you understand and you give mentorship and training programs, and create the environment where you’re providing trust and encouragement and support and a sense of belonging, then you’re going to retain some amazing talent.”

Mentorship matters

While former Team Canada captain Bruno Guevremont was able to start a gym in Victoria after his military career, not all veterans enjoy the same success.

“The military becomes your identity. It’s who you are and that’s what we’re conditioned to do,” he said. “(But) there’s a life after the military…. You need to have a plan for after. If you think you’re going to go and play golf or push carts at Walmart, it’s just not going to happen. You need to have something else.”

“Not every veteran can go to work every day but they’ve got the skill to run a business and run their own hours and be able to work when they can and when they are able to.”

Programming such as Sage’s works to empower startup journeys by aiding in client acquisition, marketing and software programming, honing in on mentorship and translating military language into civilian speak, said Guevremont, who was also on the panel.

Communicating your skill set can be difficult due to differences in language, he said.

“We in the military use a different language in how we communicate, and we don’t always know that these skills are transferrable to your organization, but they are. They’re exactly what you’re looking for.”

In Guevremont’s situation, mentors helped him transition and grow his business. “These people knew where the landmines were and they knew which turn to take,” he said.

Mentorship enables veterans to continue living in the community upon entering corporate life, said Michelle Banik, global head of HR at the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System (OMERS), who was also on the panel.

“It sets up this system whereby you immediately have a connection point and you feel a part of things, and somebody safe to go to and just have a conversation (with),” she said.

Employee resource groups can also help by giving new recruits some familiarity in the workplace.

“For organizations that have populations with other military veterans, set up that military employee resource group so that you have that sense of community and familiarity as you come in,” said Banik. “Those are incredibly passionate groups of people, and ways that immediately… make that transition even easier.”

The way forward

Organizations need to build better awareness regarding the qualities and skills veterans bring to the company table, she said.

Military members are often ingrained with a diversity of perspectives, leadership qualities, discipline, focus and attention to detail. 

“Organizations need to adapt the world of work and be more inclusive and flexible in the approach to work. Not everybody is chained to the desk and works nine to five,” said Banik. “We have to start looking at this differently because we’re going to miss out on some critical talent that can deliver on what we need.”

Employers and veterans have different responsibilities to help ease the transition difficulties, said Guindon.

“I would like to see programs put into place that can adapt the working environment for veterans suffering with post-traumatic stress injuries, programs that educate not only the employers but the employees of the stigma that surrounds them,” he said. “It’s very debilitating. We’re often viewed as a ticking time bomb.”

While the willingness to support veterans is present at Canadian organizations, it may take some fine-tuning, said Guevremont.

“It just needs to be about learning the language, being able to communicate, and maybe a little bit of patience with these guys,” he said. “Because if you do something for them, they will be with you for life. They will be loyal. They will work for your goals, because that’s how we were trained.”

“People who have been through military training, because of the discipline, because of the way things are done, we are conditioned to learn really quickly and apply the skills immediately. That is something that you’d want to have in your organization.”