Tesla recruits U.S. military veterans to build electric cars In California

The environmental benefits of electric cars are obvious, but cutting emissions is far from the only way car makers can play a positive role in society.

Many U.S. military veterans face difficulties finding civilian jobs after they return from deployment.

Now Tesla Motors is trying to make a difference.

The Silicon Valley electric car maker is poised to become a leading employer of veterans, according to the San Jose Mercury News.

Tesla now has more than 6,000 employees, of whom 300 are veterans. A further 600 veterans are “in the hiring pipeline,” according to the company.

Veterans are viewed as an especially good fit for building electric cars, because many of them acquired relevant technical skills during their service. And all are used to working as part of a team.

With that in mind, Tesla is making a concerted effort to hire veterans and make them feel comfortable in their new positions.

A former Army intelligence analyst in its human resources department focuses on recruiting veterans. Candidates are reached through word of mouth, partnerships with veterans groups, and recruiting events.

Tesla also holds informal monthly gatherings for its military employees and has made Veterans Day a company-wide paid holiday.

Management also makes efforts to accommodate employees still on active duty.

When National Guard member and Tesla engineering technician Megan Gates left for a two-year deployment, Tesla held her job open. The company kept in touch with her throughout that term.

After returning to work last November at the company’s Fremont, California, assembly plant, Gates was recently promoted.

Tesla’s pro-veteran policy will likely create more opportunities for returning servicemen and women in the near future.

The company is in the midst of a major expansion, with plans to grow sales, increase its presence in China, and build a massive lithium-ion cell “Gigafactory” to sustain increased car production.

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This story originally appeared on Green Car Reports. Copyright 2014