Diversity and inclusion efforts in Federal agencies: a context for exploring perceptions of military veterans

Abstract

National attention and resources are being brought to the issue of supporting the economic success of America’s military veterans. Deemed an essential part of the transition and reintegration of military veterans, employment remains a major area of focus. As such, various initiatives and hiring preferences in public and private organizations have reduced the obstacles to employment for those transitioning from the military to the civilian workplace. This is particularly the case in United States Federal agencies where military veterans comprise an increasingly significant demographic that is adding to the diversity of the workforce. These military veterans bring a unique set of values, life experiences, and perspectives with them to the civilian workforce that often differ from those of non-military veterans. In 2012, Federal agencies hired the highest number of military veterans in more than 20 years. Currently, this demographic makes up almost 28% of the Federal workforce. These increases coincide with agency efforts to move from a sole focus on diversity towards a focus on diversity and inclusion; an effort designed to move away from simply ensuring proportional representation from various groups towards integrating the diverse perspectives of various demographic groups into the organization. This article provides a theoretical context for better understanding the perceptions and attitudes of veterans and how perceptions of agency diversity and inclusion efforts may differ between military veterans and non-veterans.

Keywords

• diversity
• inclusion
• military veteran
• social identity theory
• federal agencies