Military spouses could be the solution to your talent shortage

Military spouses could be the solution to your talent shortageMilitary spouses could be the solution to your talent shortageMilitary spouses could be the solution to your talent shortageIts no secret- the current labor market is stronger than it has been in years. Companies are in hot pursuit of the right fit for their open positions but may be overlooking one of our most capable and untapped talent communities military spouses.Military spouses represent an incredible depth of technical skills and capabilities and bring to the table an added level of diversity, resiliency, determination, focus and leadership skills- all of which can help accelerate an organizations ability to meet its business goals and objectives.Unfortunately, as documented in recent studies from Blue Star Families and the US Chamber of Commerce, military spouses are unemployed at four times the national unemployment rate.Even more of these spouses areunderemployed- working in part-time or seasonal jobs while seeki ng a full-time role, accepting positions that require less skill or responsibility than previous roles, or being hired into jobs those that dont fully utilize their education or experience.At and Military.com, we spend a lot of time connecting with veterans and their families to discuss employment opportunities and career challenges.We understand that military spouses have difficulties finding meaningful work in todays job market, yet wanted to know more about the challenges that military spouses face when looking for a job, and what they need from employers to determine if a position is a right fit for them.This resulted in our military spouse employment survey, revealing the challenges they face when seeking new opportunities, includingSeven in 10 (71%) respondents found it difficult to establish a clear career path and believed achieving upward mobility is difficult with the constant moves.Two in three respondents (65%) believe it is difficult to find a job that takes their milit ary lifestyle into account.While 52% of respondents viewed military spouse status as a benefit to employment, 45% viewed it as a barrier, and 53% choose not to disclose it at all when applying for a job.So, how can employers better connect with military spouses and utilize their talents?Promote your companys military-friendly programsThe first step is to brand your organization military friendly and make it apparent youre invested in hiring veterans, transitioning military, and military families. Whether through content on your companys career site, via HR materials, or partnerships with non-profit organizations, its important to highlight the veterans and military spouses in your workforce, as well as everything your organization is doing to hire this talent.Consider flexibility, portability, and childcareThe second step is taking action and making your organization become more accommodating. While they dont need to be looked at as a cause, military spouses do need a bit of flexibi lity from their employers.In order to highlight opportunities as appealing and attainable for military spouses, companies must review which positions can be portable or flexible. By creating more versatile, portable positions, jobs can move with the spouse as they move with the military.Additionally, many military spouses are the primary caretakers for their families, so employers should consider improving access to childcare, whether via onsite care or partnering with local childcare facilities.Make your jobs easy for military families to findLastly, employers must be sure theyre posting their open positions in the appropriate locations for military spouses to find them. When surveyed, 63% said they use online job searches, creating an opportunity for private and non-profit entities to work together. Most (60%) use searches in addition to seeking help from family and friends, while fewer than 19% turn to military career services. Its important for employers to keep this in mind whe n they decide where to advertise their military spouse job opportunities.and Military.com have a long-standing commitment to military spouse employment. As an underutilized talent swimmingpool in todays workforce, military spouses can apply invaluable expertise to a variety of positions, including short-term contracts and long-term salaried positions.Our focus is to help bridge the gap between employers and job candidates as well as to help organizations fill open positions with dynamic, capable talent. And, we strongly believe the wives, husbands, and partners of members of the military are just that.Interested in learning more ways you can create a directed spouse-recruiting initiative? Check out some of the resources at and Military.com.Susan Fallon Brown is a vice president of Global Strategy and Business Development at and Military.com. She was raised in a Navy family, is the wife of a Marine Corps veteran and is the proud sibling of several military family members. Susan is ac tive on numerous national boards and advisory programs that support strong workforces and the military and veteran community.