Orion Insights

As manufacturers confront persistent vacancies, rising operational risk, and changing skill requirements, one talent pipeline continues to be overlooked despite its scale and readiness: military talent.

Most veterans have done far more in their military careers than a civilian resume can capture. You have led teams, solved problems, trained others, adapted quickly, and delivered results under pressure. These strengths are powerful, yet many candidates struggle to show employers what they can actually do.

For many manufacturing leaders, workforce shortages feel inevitable. An aging workforce, fewer traditional entrants into the trades, and persistent turnover have created the impression that constrained labor is simply the cost of doing business in today’s environment.

When manufacturing leaders hear “accelerated hiring,” the immediate concern is risk. Speed is often associated with shortcuts, misalignment, and early turnover, especially in maintenance and service roles where safety, uptime, and reliability matter.

It is natural to want stability after your military career. A reliable job, predictable schedule, and familiar routine can bring a sense of comfort during a major life transition. But for many veterans, that comfort can slowly become something else: career stagnation.

Once manufacturers move away from resume-driven “perfect fit” hiring and begin evaluating capability and readiness, the next challenge becomes execution. Even with the right mindset, many organizations still struggle to translate that shift into faster hiring outcomes without introducing new risk to already stretched operations.

After prolonged vacancies, burnout, and early attrition take hold, many manufacturing leaders reach the same conclusion: hiring must happen faster, but without increasing risk. The challenge is that traditional hiring models often force a false choice between speed and quality, reinforcing the belief that only “perfect fit” candidates can protect performance and safety.

Many veterans hesitate to pursue new career opportunities because they believe they need technical experience, specific certifications, or industry credentials before they can be considered. This belief keeps talented candidates from exploring roles where they could excel and grow quickly.

In manufacturing environments, unfilled maintenance and service roles rarely slow production in obvious ways. Work continues, schedules are adjusted, and teams compensate to keep operations running. While this flexibility is often viewed as a strength, it can also mask the growing strain that prolonged vacancies place on people, equipment, and performance.

For many manufacturing organizations, hiring still begins and ends with the resume. Years of experience on specific equipment, time spent in the industry, and a career path that closely mirrors the job description are often treated as proxies for readiness and performance.

Archives

RSS Feed

Subscribe to Orion's Blog