How does Military Experience Affect the Perception of Recruiters in Swedish Civilian Jobs? : A Case Study about Swedish Civilian Job Recruiters

Abstract: Under the United Nations’ proposal of downsizing military plans for peacekeeping, countries are continuously decreasing their military personnel size, resulting in a global military personnel decrease of 10% in twenty years, which is equivalent to a decrease of 3 million soldiers. Sweden, on the other hand, decreased its military personnel by 15% in just one year (2020), leaving these military personnel for the quest of new careers in civilian jobs.The purpose of this study is to understand how military experience affects the perception of recruiters in Swedish Civilian Job. This study will be able to help Swedish individuals with military experience who are switching careers to civilian jobs to understand the perception of recruiters on them and provide guidance for successful employment. For recruiters, this study can be used as a measurement model of how to accurately evaluate veterans, which can more effectively translate expertise for organizations, and help to enrich their human resources.This paper conducts a qualitative study, collecting responses from thirteen Swedish civilian recruiters by the method of semi-structured interviews to ensure effective data collection. Through the analysis of the data by NVivo coding program, and further analysis by the researchers, the theoretical model is established and discussed.The findings show that military experience does affect the perception of recruiters in swedish civilian jobs. The effect is overall mirthful and positive because military experience is perceived to affect personality and skills positively. However, the findings also showed that in the eyes of recruiters, military experience may generate some obstacles to employment if the individual did not obtain other qualities or sets, such as education, job experience before their military service, good communication skills, and emotional intelligence.