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Why Universities Should Hire More Female Veterans
According to LinkedIn’s Woman Veteran Opportunity Report, there are currently 2 million women veterans in the workforce, with 30,000 more leaving every year. So as we celebrate Women’s History month, we decided to take a moment to advocate for why higher education should hire more women veterans.
Warning: There are generalizations ahead. In this age of intersectionality, it’s unfair and impossible to stereotype women veterans into a single box. But there are some excellent reasons why universities should be looking to women veterans to help them meet their recruitment, retention, and DEI goals.
Why should universities hire more female veterans?
Like the rest of the public and private sectors, universities want to hire candidates who check all the boxes. They want staff and faculty to be both:
- Smart AND sensitive
- Enthusiastic AND practical
- Flexible/creative AND able to follow a process
- Demonstrate leadership AND be a team player
Universities can stop searching for unicorns and start hiring female veterans. It turns out female veterans are all of these things, plus they consistently demonstrate strong character. So what else do colleges need to know…
