Veterans Day rolls around every November 11. For a lot of companies, that means a free lunch, a thank-you email, and a flag emoji on the company page. Then it is back to normal on the 12th.

Veterans notice. They can tell the difference between a gesture and real support. One feels like a checkbox. The other tells them they picked the right place to work.

I am Brad Tachi. I served as a Navy Diver and spent years on the hiring side of the desk. I have also spent the last two years working with veterans on their careers. The ones who stay at a company are not there for the free pizza. They stay because the place backs them up the other 364 days too.

This guide is for midsize employers who want to honor veterans the right way. You will get concrete ideas, the ones to skip, and a plan that lasts past November 11.

Why does Veterans Day matter to your veteran employees?

Veterans Day is a federal holiday set by law. It honors everyone who served in the armed forces. The Department of Veterans Affairs tracks the official observance and history.

To your veteran employees, the day carries weight. Many lost friends. Many gave years they will never get back. So a thank-you means something. But only if it feels real.

Most employers miss this. Recognition done well builds loyalty. Recognition done badly does the opposite. A hollow gesture can make a veteran feel like a prop for your brand photos.

Think about what your veterans actually want. They want to be seen as the skilled professionals they are. Not as a charity case. Not as a marketing angle. As people who lead under pressure and get the job done.

What is the difference between performative and meaningful appreciation?

Most Veterans Day plans fall into two buckets. One looks good for an afternoon. The other actually helps the people who served.

Performative appreciation is about how your company looks. Meaningful appreciation is about how your veterans feel. The first costs little and fades fast. The second takes real thought and sticks.

You do not have to pick just one. A nice meal and a public thank-you are fine. The problem starts when that is the whole plan. Use the lunch as the front porch. Build something real behind the door.

What are the best Veterans Day ideas for employers?

You do not need a huge budget. A midsize company can do this well with planning and care. Here are ideas that land, grouped by how much lift they take.

Low-effort ideas that still feel real

Start with a personal thank-you, not a mass blast. Have a leader speak to each veteran by name. Mention their branch and years if you know them. A handwritten note beats a templated email every time.

Ask first before any public recognition. Some veterans love a shout-out. Others want zero attention. A quick private question respects both. Never out someone as a veteran without their okay.

Fly the flag and keep it correct. Learn the difference between Veterans Day and Memorial Day. Veterans Day honors all who served. Memorial Day honors those who died. Mixing them up is a common and avoidable slip.

Mid-effort ideas worth the planning

Give veterans a paid day off on November 11. Time means more than a sandwich. If a day off is hard, offer flexible hours so they can attend a local ceremony or parade.

Host a lunch-and-learn led by your veterans. Let them share a story or a skill, if they want to. This puts them in the expert seat. It also helps civilian coworkers understand what military service really involved.

Match donations to a veteran cause your team chooses. Let employees vote on the group. Groups like the DAV, the American Legion, and Fisher House are well regarded. Let your team pick one.

High-effort ideas that change the culture

Launch a veteran employee resource group. Give it a budget and a sponsor at the leadership level. An ERG runs all year, not one day. It becomes the place where new veteran hires find their footing.

Build a mentorship program that pairs veterans with each other and with civilian leaders. This is one of the strongest tools for keeping military hires. We dig into it more in our guide on why veteran employees stay.

Which Veterans Day gestures should you skip?

Some moves backfire. They look caring on the surface. They land as tone-deaf to the people who served. Here is what to avoid.

Do not put a veteran on the spot in public without asking. Pulling someone up at an all-hands to "say a few words" can feel like an ambush. Ask in private first. Always give them an easy way to say no.

Do not use stock war imagery in your posts. Explosions, salutes, and silhouettes against a sunset feel canned. They also flatten a wide range of service into one cartoon. Use real photos of your own people, with their consent.

Do not lean on tired phrases. "Thank you for your service" is fine in person. As a brand tagline slapped on a sale, it rings hollow. If you would not say it to a coworker's face, do not post it.

Do not treat veterans as fragile. Most are not looking for pity. They want respect for their skills and a fair shot to grow. We cover the daily side of this in our veteran-inclusive workplace checklist.

How do you make appreciation last past November 11?

This is where most companies fall short. One good day does not fix a year of being overlooked. The veterans who stick around watch what you do in the quiet months.

Train your managers first. A manager who understands military leave, Guard duty, and how veterans communicate is worth more than any event. We lay out how in our guide on training managers to retain veteran hires.

Here is one example that matters all year. A National Guard member or Reservist on your team has drill duty. They may get called away for weeks or months. Federal law protects their job while they serve. A manager who treats that leave as a burden will lose them fast.

The same goes for how veterans talk. They tend to be direct. They give status updates without sugarcoating. A civilian manager can read that as blunt. A trained manager reads it as honest and clear. That small shift in understanding keeps good people on board.

Fix your onboarding. The first 90 days set the tone. A veteran who feels lost early often leaves within the year. A clear plan keeps them. See our 90-day onboarding plan for veteran employees.

Keep hiring veterans. The best appreciation is opportunity. If you valued the ones you have, go find more. Build a steady pipeline instead of a once-a-year scramble.

You should also check whether your effort landed. Recognition is not done when the lunch ends. Ask your veterans, in private, how the day felt to them. Did it feel real or staged? Did anyone feel singled out or skipped?

Watch the numbers too. Track how many veterans you hire each year. Track how long they stay. If your veteran turnover is higher than the rest of your team, your November gestures are not the fix. The daily experience is what needs work.

A short pulse survey after the holiday tells you a lot. Keep it anonymous so people speak freely. One honest answer is worth more than a hundred likes on a brand post. Use what you learn to plan a better day next year.

How do you build a veteran hiring pipeline year-round?

Appreciation and hiring are connected. A company that values veterans hires more of them. And a company that hires more veterans has more to celebrate on November 11.

The trick is making it steady. Most employers chase veteran hires in bursts. A job fair here. A LinkedIn post there. Then silence for months. Veterans see the gap and tune out.

A real pipeline means a fresh supply of candidates whenever you have a role open. That is where a focused source beats a generic job board. You want military-trained people who are actively looking, not a flood of mismatched applicants.

This is the gap BMR fills. We are a veteran resume platform built by veterans. Companies on our hiring side reach a pool that adds over 1,000 new veteran profiles every month. The platform has built more than 60,000 resumes, so the candidates come in role-ready, not raw.

If your military-friendly message is not landing, the problem is often reach, not intent. We unpack that in why your military-friendly brand is not converting veterans.

Turn Veterans Day into a year-round commitment

Veterans Day is a good prompt. It reminds you to recognize the people who served. But the day is the start, not the finish.

Plan the day with care. Skip the hollow gestures. Ask your veterans what matters to them. Then pick one thing that lasts, whether that is an ERG, manager training, or steady hiring.

The veterans on your team can tell the difference. They know who shows up only in November and who shows up all year. Be the second kind of employer.

If you want to grow your veteran team, that starts with reach. BMR connects employers with a pool of military-trained, role-ready candidates that grows every month. Reach out to access BMR's veteran talent pool and turn your appreciation into action.