Vets Offer Skills You Can't Teach

Former military personnel have a range of skills and values that can improve your franchise.

By Tim Davis, CFE

Back in February, I had the honor of moderating a panel on corporate culture and opportunities for veterans with three experts at this year’s International Franchise Association Annual Convention. Each panelist demonstrated an immense passion for entrepreneurship and serving veterans.

The panel included businesswoman and author, Carly Fiorina, who not only was the first woman to head a Fortune 50 company, but also served as the chairwoman of the External Advisory Board of the CIA after 9/11, giving her the highest civilian security clearance. Also on the panel was U.S. Navy SEAL Monty Heath, who serves countless veterans through entrepreneurship and mentorship programs, and Mary Kennedy Thompson, a USMC veteran and the chief operating officer of Neighborly. Mary stands as an inspiring figure to all veterans, as someone who has thrived in the field and in the business world.

During the panel discussions, the experts and I dove into why veterans are a smart hire and how they add value to a franchise brand. The UPS Store has had tremendous success from hiring veterans as franchise owners. We find there are many unique qualities veterans possess that simply aren’t found anywhere else and make them a great fit for franchising.

Veterans Add Diversity and Value

Carly Fiorina brought up a staggering statistic: $8 billion of corporate dollars are spent on diversity in America today. While veterans don’t often think of themselves as a minority group, only 7.3 percent of the U.S population are veterans. Bringing veterans onto your team can add new perspectives from individuals with different life experiences who have had to overcome challenges very different than the average person.

If we want to see more veterans in business, we need to allow pathways for them to access positions of leadership, give them a seat at the table and set them up for success to make decisions that allow greater opportunities for success. Thankfully, franchises are great building blocks for veterans’ careers. They are a place of business where they can empower and be empowered and give a voice to veterans all around the nation while adding value to the brands
they represent.

Veterans Have Skills You Can’t Teach

Mary Kennedy Thompson said “Veterans are very much driven toward serving others.” Service before self is a characteristic that can’t be taught, but is found intrinsically. Service men and women enter their vocations for that very reason – to serve. It can be expected that when veterans are added to your business, they will bring with them a strong desire to serve customers, co-workers and their leadership with the same respect they learned from their time in the military.

Veterans have extensive experience with self-discipline and are mission-focused. They are timely, pay close attention to detail and have learned to complete tasks to their fullest potential. If you are looking for someone to get the job done on the first try, hire a veteran, because in the military, there aren’t many second chances.

Veterans Are Professional Problem-Solvers

Veterans are no stranger to crisis, maydays or threatening conditions. They are trained to assess and react to situations in the most efficient way possible. By hiring a veteran, you’re adding an expert problem-solver to your team whom you can rely on to be calm under pressure and work well with others. As Monty Heath explained: “In the military, we don’t do anything alone.”

For franchises in particular, where the workplace is dynamic, veterans are great employees who have overcome many challenges through discipline, teamwork and determination, all while working in an ever-changing environment. In fact, a study conducted by The UPS Store Inc. found that 54 percent of service members said they feel confident that the skills they gained while in the military will indeed help them be successful in the civilian world.

Veterans Understand the ‘Big Picture’

“Veterans understand franchises,” Kennedy Thompson said. “They know how to work within a bigger system.” For veterans, the franchise world is not much different. Each franchise is based on a system that plays into the bigger picture of the company, just as each military unit plays into the bigger role of the Department of Defense. With this, veterans have instilled in themselves a posture of respect for the system and those in leadership, balancing a desire to lead and be led within a system they trust.

As a veteran myself, it’s encouraging to be part of conversations like the one on this panel, where we look to support our veterans transitioning into new careers after their military service. The UPS Store franchise network is proud of the more than 200 veteran franchisees who add priceless value to our brand. As another way to show our continued support, The UPS Store is waiving initial franchise fees for 10 qualified veterans this year, allowing veterans to have a jumpstart in their careers. Our veterans not only bring diversity of thought, but also a wide range of skills that help bring our company to the next level.

Tim Davis, CFE, is president of The UPS Store and a former U.S. Marine Corps captain and a Gulf War Veteran.