Hiring Military Talent: Why It’s So Hard for Small Employers, and What to Do About It

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Hiring Military Talent: Why It’s So Hard for Small Employers, and What to Do About It

For small employers, hiring and retaining talent has always been a top priority. It is also one of the biggest challenges they face. The Federal Reserve’s 2025 Report on Employer Firms cites “Hiring or retaining qualified staff” as the #1 Operational Challenge for growing small companies, and the #2 Challenge for firms that not growing (right behind reaching customers and growing sales).

At Orion Talent, our recent survey of more than 500 small employers found the same: 80% of respondents told us they are unhappy with the options available to find and hire talent.

At first glance, this might seem like a matter of resources. Larger organizations have recruiting teams, name recognition, and big budgets. But the real issue runs deeper. The tools, platforms, and hiring practices built for enterprise employers do not work for smaller companies. They were never designed for teams that need to move quickly, work lean, and hire with precision. To compete, small employers need a different approach.

The Hidden Challenges of Small Business Hiring

1. The Pressure of Just-in-Time Hiring

When a role opens at a small company, it typically needs to be filled immediately. Every day without that employee affects operations, revenue, and customer experience. Yet in this era of the Great Stay, candidates are not moving as freely as they once did. Many are “job hugging,” holding tightly to their current roles and weighing any new opportunity with extra caution. That makes speed and clarity even more critical. Small employers that wait for the perfect moment or move too slowly risk losing the few active candidates in the market to larger organizations with stronger pipelines and faster processes.

2. The Added Challenge of Hiring Military Talent

The challenge is especially acute when hiring military talent. Veterans and transitioning service members are deliberate about their next step. They want employers who understand how their experience translates and who can move with purpose once mutual interest is established. Slow communication or unclear timelines send the wrong message and can cause great candidates to disengage.

3. Competing Against Brand Recognition

Job seekers tend to gravitate toward names they know. For small businesses, particularly those in industrial, manufacturing, or technical sectors, brand visibility is often limited. Many veterans transitioning from the military recognize large companies through defense contracts or base operations, but not smaller employers that may offer equally meaningful work. That perception creates an uphill battle. Candidates often assume smaller firms cannot offer the same stability, benefits, or advancement as large corporations. That misperception makes it harder to attract top performers, even when the opportunity provides broader responsibilities, faster growth, and the chance to make a real impact.

4. Limited Recruiting Capacity

At many small companies, hiring is managed by HR generalists or business leaders who already wear multiple hats. Recruiting becomes reactive instead of strategic. Without dedicated time or tools for talent branding, sourcing, and follow-up, hiring often starts too late, takes too long, and ends with compromise.

5. The Final Hurdle: Closing the Hire

Even when great military candidates are identified, closing the hire can still be difficult. Larger companies can offer higher pay or clearer career paths. Yet what small employers sometimes overlook is their true differentiator: meaningful work, flexibility, and culture. Veterans often value these qualities deeply, seeking organizations where their contributions matter and where they can continue to serve a mission larger than themselves.

The Reality for Small Employers

Even with thoughtful strategies, small employers face a structural disadvantage. Most hiring tools were built for enterprise-level budgets and recruiting infrastructure. Job boards are crowded, placement fees are costly, and many platforms assume a dedicated recruiting team that small businesses simply do not have. This leaves smaller employers competing for attention in a market that favors the biggest brands.

For those seeking to hire military talent, the challenge is even greater: how to stand out in an environment dominated by large contractors and well-known employers? The result is predictable: long hiring cycles, wasted resources, and missed connections with high-quality candidates. The problem is not a lack of great people. It is a lack of systems that make it easy for small employers to find and engage them.

An Easier Way to Connect with Great Talent

At Orion Talent, we saw how difficult it has become for small employers to compete for qualified talent. The process is often too complex, too costly, and too time-consuming for teams that need to move quickly. That is why we created Muster, a simpler, more affordable way for small businesses to meet great talent. Muster gives small employers direct access to America’s most proven talent source: military veterans and transitioning service members.

Through a flexible, subscription-based model, employers receive curated introductions to qualified candidates who align with their business needs and values. There are no placement fees, long contracts, or endless filtering. Instead of job board noise, small businesses receive consistent, meaningful connections with candidates who are ready to engage.

Muster was designed to make hiring easier. It combines Orion Talent’s deep expertise in military recruiting with a modern, self-service platform that puts small businesses in control. Whether you are hiring now or building your future pipeline, Muster helps you stay connected to a steady flow of mission-driven talent that delivers results.

A New Path to Hiring Success

Hiring military talent should not be harder for small employers. Muster was created to level the playing field, giving small businesses the same reach and recruiting power that large organizations have long enjoyed, without the cost or complexity. When you simplify the process and strengthen the connections that matter, you make hiring more human, more efficient, and more effective.