Since January 2003, there have been more than 27,000 mobilisations of reservists to serve their country in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere. But what are the benefits to employers of hiring a reservist?
Research conducted by Supporting Britain's Reservists and Employers (SaBRE), and endorsed by the Chartered Management Institute, found that an employer would have to purchase more than £8,000 worth of training to provide the same amount of development that an average reservist's military service provides in a year. This research relates only to skills relevant to the civilian workplace. Also, the commercial value of experience gained from military operations, including training, is worth £18,400 for an officer, £14,600 for a sergeant and £8,300 for a private.
Training plays a huge part in every reservist's career. Employers benefit directly as their reservist employee constantly learns new skills that can be put to good use in the workplace. There is also a broad range of transferable skills, such as communication, decision making, team building, leadership and practical skills.
According to SaBRE employer research in 2010, 83% of reservist employers agreed reservists gain transferable skills that could never be learnt in their civilian jobs.
Reservists also have a lot of experience of dealing with a diverse range of people from all ranks, nationalities and cultures.
SaBRE works with employers and industry bodies to help firms understand the benefits and obligations associated with hiring members of the reserve forces. We recognise there are challenges in employing reservists and have a range of resources explaining rights and legal responsibilities.
A paper published this month sets out how the Ministry of Defence is working with firms and employer organisations to make the practice more predictable for employers. We hope employers will get behind our reservists by hiring one or championing them.
Tim Corry is director of support at SaBRE
