A report published by SSAFA highlights how veterans are feeling increasingly alienated from society, with 62% feeling undervalued. Many veterans have expressed that finding employment has been a challenge due to society’s misconceptions of their transferrable skills; 70% of veterans surveyed said that employers did not properly value their skills or abilities. As part of Armed Forces Day, I want to address and challenge these misconceptions.
At Openreach, we recognise that people leaving the Armed Forces have a raft of excellent skills and knowledge that are transferrable to our business. Experience tells us that veterans are high-quality recruits, demonstrating better performance, higher retention rates and lower sickness absence, whilst also improving our delivery and customer service.
We employ more veterans and reservists than any other company in the UK – around 4,000 in total, with more than 3,000 ex-service personnel recruited since 2011. We are proud to be one of the country’s most proactive corporate supporters of the UK Armed Forces community, with a relationship stretching back over 160 years.
We’re committed to building a workforce that reflects the hugely diverse communities we serve and we’re working hard to attract even more ex-Armed Forces into our workforce. If you’re interested in working at Openreach, click here to find out more.
Kevin Brady, HR Director