Supporting Australian veteran transition: Career construction through a person-environment fit perspective

Despite military veterans being recognised as a rich talent pool for employers, evidence suggests that their capabilities are not fully utilised in civilian workplaces, with recent research indicating difficulty finding appropriate jobs and then high turnover rates even once they have secured work. This study is underpinned by a person-environment fit perspective, and applies career construction theory to explore veterans’ perspectives of key challenges in the significant career transition from military service into a civilian workforce. It identifies ways to improve integration and ultimately, retention. Interviews were conducted with 31 veterans from the Australian Defence Force who had transitioned from full-time service andhad been working in civilian employment for at least six months but no more than three years. The research resulted in the development of a framework for veteran career transition to inform HR theory and practice to attract and retain this valuable talent segment.