Resources for employers

If you're an employer looking to hire a current or former member of the military this page is for you. 

You might be wondering how you can hire a Veteran? What the benefits are? Here are some answers to those questions:

Why should I hire a Veteran?

Hiring America's Heroes has a six-step plan for hiring members of the military. Those steps are:

Step 1: Design a Strategy for Your Veterans Hiring Program
Step 2: Create a Welcoming and Educated Workplace for Veterans
Step 3: Actively Recruit Veterans, Wounded Warriors and Military Spouses
Step 4: Hire Qualified Veterans and Learn how to Accommodate Wounded Warriors
Step 5: Promote an Inclusive Workplace to Retain Your Veteran Employees
Step 6: Keep Helpful Tools and Resources at Your Fingertips

The Society for Human Resource Management provides even more benefits to hiring Veterans.

Tax Credits for Employers Hiring Veterans/Military Members

On November 21, 2011, President Barack Obama signed into law two new tax credits:

• The Returning Heroes Tax Credit is a new hiring tax credit that will provide an incentive for businesses to hire unemployed veterans.
  • Short-term unemployed: A new credit of 40 percent of the first $6,000 of wages (up to $2,400) for employers who hire veterans who have been unemployed at least 4 weeks.
  • Long-term unemployed: A new credit of 40 percent of the first $14,000 of wages (up to $5,600) for employers who hire veterans who have been unemployed longer than 6 months.
• The Wounded Warrior Tax Credit will double the existing tax credit for long-term unemployed veterans with service-connected disabilities.
  • Maintain the existing Work Opportunity Tax Credit for veterans with service-connected disabilities (currently the maximum is $4,800).
  • A new credit of 40 percent of the first $24,000 of wages (up to $9,600) for firms that hire veterans with service-connected disabilities who have been unemployed longer than 6 months.

Learn more about the tax credits here. 

How do I Hire a Veteran in Oklahoma?

Employers can register for Oklahoma JobLink and OKJobMatch.com. Once complete, employers can search resumes for qualified applicants based on the type of work a job seeker is trying to find and their location. 

You can also contact Workforce Oklahoma by phone, at 1-888-980-WORK (9675) or visit a one-stop location for further help.

The Oklahoma Air and Army National Guard has launched an Employment Coordination Program, designed to get Oklahoma employers to hire members of the Guard. Learn more on their Facebook page. You can also visit them in person at  the 90th Troop Command Multi-Unit Readiness Center at 6800 N. Kelley Ave., Oklahoma City, OK, 73111.

Hero 2 Hired is a national website that allows employers seeking military trained talent to post jobs free of charge. 

Operation Warfighter is a national internship program, sponsored by the Department of Defense, for wounded, ill, and injured service members who are convalescing at military treatment facilities across the United States.