Workday’s New Tool Translates Military Skills for Easier Hiring of Veterans

Workday, a leading enterprise AI platform, recently announced a significant development that could reshape how small businesses recruit veteran talent. Their new feature, the Military Skills Mapper, aims to help organizations effectively identify and hire military veterans by translating military experiences into civilian-equivalent skills. This innovation not only seeks to bridge the gap between military and civilian job requirements but also positions veterans as valuable assets in the workplace.

As over 200,000 service members transition to civilian life annually, many small businesses may not fully recognize the potential these individuals bring to the table. The Military Skills Mapper offers a solution by making veterans’ skills more relatable to hiring teams. It can potentially transform hiring practices and enhance an organization’s workforce diversity.

Rod Levy, CEO of Code Platoon, a nonprofit coding bootcamp for military personnel, emphasizes the importance of clarity in showcasing veterans’ skills: “Veterans aren’t looking for special treatment — they’re looking to have their skills clearly understood.” This resonates well with small businesses that may want to widen their talent pool and meet diverse hiring commitments.

For small business owners, the Military Skills Mapper integrates seamlessly into the Workday Recruiting platform. When veterans create their profiles, the tool examines their military backgrounds alongside job descriptions. It generates a tailored list of skills that translates niche military jargon into terms more familiar to civilian recruiters. This translates into not just better resumes for candidates but also a streamlined process for employers.

Joe Wilson, Workday’s global chief technology officer and a colonel in the U.S. Air Force Reserve, pointed out that “veterans bring hard-earned skills — leadership, adaptability, and teamwork — that don’t always show up clearly in traditional hiring processes.” This feature helps make these capabilities unmistakably visible, ultimately enabling small businesses to tap into this underutilized talent pool.

Employers can expect a faster and more accurate understanding of veterans’ abilities, eliminating the need for external translation tools. This can lead to smarter, more strategic hiring, ensuring that small businesses can find qualified candidates who truly fit their needs.

However, while this innovation holds promise, small business owners should consider a few challenges. First, there may be a learning curve associated with using new software features, especially for those unfamiliar with the Workday platform. Training staff and integrating this tool into current hiring processes will require initial time and resources.

Another concern is ensuring that the tool’s recommendations accurately reflect the veterans’ skills and experiences. Authenticity in their backgrounds must be preserved, and ensuring employees can edit their profiles for clarity could be critical. Small business owners should be prepared to support veterans in refining their profiles without diluting the uniqueness of their military experiences.

Additionally, the Military Skills Mapper is projected to be available to Workday Recruiting customers in fall 2026, which means that the immediate benefits may not be available right away for all businesses. It’s wise for small business owners to plan ahead and evaluate how this feature fits into their long-term hiring strategies.

Ultimately, adapting to this change could open doors for small businesses looking to to expand their talent acquisition strategies while supporting veterans in finding meaningful employment. By leveraging the Military Skills Mapper, companies could not only fulfill their hiring commitments but also benefit from the diverse skill sets that veterans bring to the workplace.

For more information on Workday’s Military Skills Mapper, visit the original press release.

Image via Google Gemini

This article, "Workday’s New Tool Translates Military Skills for Easier Hiring of Veterans" was first published on Small Business Trends

View the full article