Skip to main content
Careers After Service

Get recruitment support as an employer

Find out how signing up to Op ASCEND can help connect your business with skilled veteran candidates.

What Op ASCEND can do for you

Finding skilled, reliable employees is tough, but Op ASCEND can make it easy.

It’s a free, government-backed service that connects you with highly qualified candidates who’ve served in the armed forces and are ready to hit the ground running.

No costly training. No uncertainty. Just experienced professionals who bring leadership, creative problem-solving and reliance to your team from day one.

How it works

After signing up, an Employer Relationship Manager will be in touch to discuss how the service can meet your requirements.

They will help you attract talented veterans to your organisation.

Support includes:

✅ Advice and guidance on the development or expansion of a military employment pathway for your company

✅ Support for your company in the adoption of veteran-friendly practices

✅ Providing access to veteran talent pools and job advertisement boards

They can also help raise profile of your company to the military community through sector-focused events or company military insight days. Here, you can connect with a network of like-minded employers and skilled veterans.

You can also claim National Insurance contributions relief as an employer of veterans.

It doesn’t matter how big or small your organisation is, and there is no set time-commitment.

Sign up and find out what works best for your organisation.

What you’ll need

When signing up, you’ll need to confirm your:

  • contact details
  • company details (name, organisation type, sector, location)
  • services you are most interested in

Speak to an advisor: 0121 262 3058

Ready to get involved?

Tap into an outstanding talent pool of highly skilled professionals with armed forces backgrounds today.

Sign up now

Real stories

Op ASCEND Leadership Lessons – The Veterans Edge: Qualities
Op ASCEND Leadership Lessons – The Veterans Edge: Skills
Op ASCEND Leadership Lessons – The Veterans Edge: Impact

They bring an ability to assess a situation quickly and make decisions.

Chris O’Shea
Chief Executive, Centrica

[Veterans] operate really effectively as part of a team…military service is all around teamwork.

Cath Possamai
Talent Acquisition Director, Amazon

The work ethic I’ve seen in all of them [veterans] is tremendous – it really helps lift and drive things forward.

Niall MacGinnis
Group Director of Risk, Sky

Great skills that veterans can offer

With their wide range of skills, qualifications and attention to detail, employees who’ve served in the armed forces could help take your organisation further.

These may include:

Communication skills
Strong communication skills, critical in conveying orders and articulating information clearly, effectively and persuasively.
Leadership skills
The ability to inspire, influence, motivate, assess situations, make decisions, take risks, determine goals and achieve results through resourcefulness, creativity and teamwork.
Analytical skills
The ability to evaluate data or research, compile and interpret information, or to apply logic, handle numbers and determine patterns.
Organisational skills
Good time management, with the ability to prioritise, disseminate and record data and generate accurate reports, along with the ability to manage resources, multi-task, administer, direct and coordinate.
Technical skills
Good practical ‘know-how’ and hands-on proficiency, with experience of specific equipment and machinery, software and hardware, chemical substances, techniques and procedures.
Personal qualities
Integrity, loyalty, resilience, character, self-discipline and control (being punctual, reliable, responsible, structured, resourceful and mission-oriented, with a ‘can-do’ attitude).
Interpersonal skills
Strong interpersonal skills, including the ability to listen, take orders, cooperate, supervise, negotiate, guide and be part of a team.

Other support for employers

Sign the Armed Forces Covenant and make your pledge

Sign the Armed Forces Covenant to make your pledge towards becoming a veteran-friendly employer.

Defence Employer Recognition Scheme

The Defence Employer Recognition Scheme recognises and celebrates businesses that support the armed forces community through veteran-friendly practices.

Follow us