Veteran Recruiting Must Answer a 2% Voluntary Quit Rate

By Tom Whitfield

The U.S. voluntary quit rate is about 2%, according to Labor Department data, giving employers a concrete measure of voluntary turnover their recruiting plans must absorb.

Veterans Day may prompt companies to widen their search, but the source gives no veteran-specific quit rate or retention evidence. Jerome Soltani, senior vice president of U.S. services at Schneider Electric, puts the process requirement plainly: “To attract and retain veteran talent, focus on developing targeted outreach initiatives, offering mentorship programs, and providing tailored onboarding support.”

That guidance touches candidate sourcing, onboarding and retention, yet it does not prove that veterans outperform other hires. Any employer using the 2% churn figure should separate claims about candidate quality from evidence about tenure, promotion and workplace contribution.

Where can employers find veteran candidates?

Sarah Peiker, former CEO of Orion Talent, says veterans bring advanced training in their field, learn quickly and tend to be disciplined, dedicated team players. She offers no comparative data; the source presents these traits as recruiting arguments rather than measured outcomes.

Peiker says HR professionals can find and recruit military veterans through college chapters, military transition support and publications aimed at veterans and employers. The named options provide specific access points:

• Student Veterans of America: Some colleges have chapters, giving HR teams a route into recent-graduate hiring programs.
• Military Transition Centers: Employers can connect with prospective hires who remain on active duty.
• Diversity in Action and US Veterans Magazine: Both provide veteran profiles and information about the types of roles candidates can fill.

Employers can reach veterans through several channels, but the source names no campaign volume, cost or response rate for any of them.

What strengths do employers say veterans bring?

Soltani describes veterans as bringing experience, discipline, a strong work ethic, leadership, adaptability and commitment to teamwork. He also links military training with resilience under pressure, strategic problem-solving, accountability, attention to detail, mission focus and the management of complex projects.

He presents them as valuable in any workforce, but the article offers executive testimony rather than a veteran-specific survey, performance study or comparison with nonveteran candidates. Employers still need to test those attributes in their own roles and management systems.

These claimed strengths justify testing, not assuming, that veterans will fit particular roles.

How do companies build veteran pipelines?

Schneider Electric combines external partnerships with internal support. It works with the military transition program SkillBridge and uses the veteran recruitment platform Hiring Our Heroes. SkillBridge participation helps equip veterans with skills and certifications and gives them clear pathways to grow within Schneider.

The company has also developed a veteran employee resource network so veterans can build relationships with colleagues who served. Soltani says an inclusive culture that recognizes military experience can encourage veterans to join and grow. Schneider has earned repeated national recognition as a Gold Military Friendly Employer, although the source gives no score or audit detail.

At Power Home Remodeling, James Boscia, national director of military affairs and an Air Force veteran, frames the commercial case more bluntly: “Simply put, hiring veterans isn’t charity or good PR. It’s good for business.”

Boscia's organization works with Chamber of Commerce Hiring Our Heroes events, which connect industries with military veterans. Its Power Veterans Initiative asks current veterans to share their unique perspective on LinkedIn and other social channels. He also identifies employee referral programs as a way to extend those efforts into veterans’ networks.

Schneider's external partnerships and Power's employee-led network model offer different routes to candidates, but the source reports no recruitment results for either route.

What does retention require after hiring?

Soltani recommends hands-on training, mentorship and dedicated support as service members move into civilian careers. Schneider's SkillBridge work supplies skills and certifications, while its veteran employee resource network offers peer relationships for employees adjusting to civilian work.

Power's Power Veterans Initiative makes support more concrete for veterans and veteran spouses who join the company:

• A sign-on bonus.
• A fellow-veteran mentor.
• Additional paid time off beyond normal leave for VA appointments, adjustment to the role and the transition into civilian life.

Boscia argues that retention depends on whether incoming veteran talent feels supported, heard and valued. He describes veterans arriving early to cook breakfast for their offices, organizing hikes with co-workers and encouraging civilian colleagues to join company culture.

These examples suggest a stronger companywide culture and camaraderie, but they remain anecdotes from one employer. The source does not show whether the incentives or mentorship reduce turnover.

Support is the common thread across the proposed retention model, but its value depends on results the source does not provide.

Can employers prove the business case?

The source stops short of measuring outcomes. It gives no veteran-specific retention rate, hiring cost, time to fill or promotion rate for Schneider Electric or Power Home Remodeling. The 2% Labor Department figure covers voluntary quits in the wider U.S. workforce; it does not establish veteran turnover, and the source does not state the sample size.

That distinction matters because the strongest claims remain testimonials: executives describe useful traits, employees describe camaraderie, and both companies describe practices designed to help veterans stay. Before treating veteran recruitment as a business advantage, employers must track whether veterans remain, progress through clear pathways and strengthen workplace culture.

The next test is not the scale of the recruiting push, but whether targeted outreach, tailored onboarding and credible support produce durable careers and measurable loyalty.