Verizon Recognized for Its Military Recruiting and Hiring Practices

NEW YORK, May 3, 3012 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon has been named for the first time to the Military Times EDGE Best for Vets 2012: Employers list, in recognition of the company's military recruiting and hiring practices. Verizon was ranked No. 10 on the list of 40 companies. The company was also named for the second consecutive year to the CivilianJobs.com Most Valuable Employers for Military List.

These recognitions are the latest in a series of honors Verizon has received for its long-standing commitment to recruiting, hiring and supporting military veterans and their families.

Military Times EDGE surveyed more than 1,000 major companies and top government contractors with a detailed questionnaire about their recruiting and hiring policies, social recognition for veterans, and pay and benefits for reservists. The focus was on companies that demonstrated how much they support the military through tangible policies and programs to help hire veterans and make them feel welcome after they join the company. Verizon employs nearly 12,000 veterans and hired approximately 550 last year.

"As a leading global communications and technology company, Verizon is always looking for strong leaders to help us deliver winning customer solutions and create sustainable value," said Magda Yrizarry, chief talent and diversity officer at Verizon.  "With their superb training, mission-driven focus, discipline and experience in supporting our country, our veterans contribute their skills across the entire spectrum of jobs in our company. We are proud to receive these recognitions and even more proud to employ our more than 12,000 veterans."

Verizon has a variety of programs to support veterans and their families.  One program assists employees who are married to active duty members by finding the employees jobs within Verizon, near where their spouses are assigned. Also, the company's Veteran Advisory Board provides recognition, mentoring and other support for veterans.

For job-seeking veterans, Verizon's military career website includes a U.S. Military Skill Matcher that lets applicants enter their branch of service and specialty code to find job openings that match their background, education and experience. In addition to actively recruiting and hiring employees with military experience, Verizon offers a variety of benefits to employees serving in the National Guard or Reserves, including some of the best corporate leave policies in the country.

Verizon's Emergency Military Leave benefit allows employees to continue serving their country while working at Verizon. When an employee who is in the Reserves or National Guard is activated in support of international anti-terrorism or peace-keeping operations, Verizon pays, for up to 36 months, the difference between the employee's Verizon base pay and military base pay, and continues health care and other benefits for the same period.  Verizon has provided these benefits to the nearly 1,650 employees who have been called up to active duty during the past decade.

Verizon also has a number of external partnerships to further advocate the hiring of veterans, including the JP Morgan Chase 100,000 Jobs Mission, Employer Support of Guard and the Reserves, Military Spouse Employment Partnership, Hiring our Heroes, and Wounded Warrior Project.

Providing legal support for returning veterans is also a key part of the pro bono program sponsored by Verizon's legal department.  In partnership with the National Veterans Legal Services Project, Verizon attorneys provide pro bono legal assistance in support of veterans injured in combat or other hazardous duty. Verizon attorneys have also helped returning veterans start small businesses, and recently volunteered at an event serving more than 700 homeless veterans needing food, clothing and help reconnecting with loved ones. 

Last year, Verizon was named to G.I. Jobs' Top 100 Military-Friendly Employers list. G.I. Jobs' sister publication, Military Spouse, named Verizon to its list of America's Military Spouse-Friendly Employers. Earlier in the year, CivilianJobs.com named Verizon to the organization's Most Valuable Employers for Military. Verizon Wireless recently received the Pro Patria Award from the New Jersey Employer Support for Guard and Reserve.

Click here for video footage of Verizon recruiting veterans at a Global Veterans' Career Expo last November.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ), headquartered in New York, is a global leader in delivering broadband and other wireless and wireline communications services to consumer, business, government and wholesale customers.  Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, with 93 million retail customers nationwide.  Verizon also provides converged communications, information and entertainment services over America's most advanced fiber-optic network, and delivers integrated business solutions to customers in more than 150 countries, including all of the Fortune 500.  A Dow 30 company with $111 billion in 2011 revenues, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of nearly 192,000.  For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

VERIZON'S ONLINE NEWS CENTER: Verizon news releases, executive speeches and biographies, media contacts, high-quality video and images, and other information are available at Verizon's News Center on the World Wide Web at www.verizon.com/news.  To receive news releases by email, visit the News Center and register for customized automatic delivery of Verizon news releases.

SOURCE Verizon