(GI Jobs circulated the following news release on November 9.)
PITTSBURGH — Union Pacific Railroad tops the list of America’s “Top 50 Military Friendly-Employers” in the fourth annual list published by G.I. Jobs.
The annual list is a “who’s who?” of large corporations which have made the greatest effort and have had the greatest success in hiring military veterans. The list spans across the entire industry spectrum of the U.S. economy to include railroads, transportation, defense, energy, financial and business services.
“We are at the leading edge of baby boomer retirements. That, combined with continuing economic expansion, has caused demand for talent to skyrocket,” said Chris Hale, general manager of the publication. “If corporate recruiting was a commoditized function before, it certainly isn’t now. Companies which have built a solid military recruiting program will enjoy competitive advantages over their peers for decades. The companies on our list have done just that.”
Companies represented on the list were predominately headquartered in four primary regions (number of companies): Texas (10), the greater New York City (7) area, Virginia/D.C. (6), and Atlanta, Ga. (5). While the industries represented a cross section of the American economy, it appears veterans are finding significant employment opportunities in the transportation, energy and utilities, financial services, construction and retail industries.
“In the military, our troops learn how to define a mission, develop a plan, apply resources and execute the plan with superior leadership skills,” said Rick McCormack, the publisher. “This real world experience solving complex problems at such a young age makes our veterans hot commodities to corporate America. And it’s why our Top 50 employers have put their military hiring programs into overdrive.”
Union Pacific, this year’s top-ranked company, utilizes both former officers and enlisted personnel in its everyday operations. Former noncommissioned officers, who are used to leading anywhere from 10 to 200 troops, based on rank and experience, are ideal for operational assignments including switchpersons, conductors and locomotive engineers that all require technical skills, safety and accountability. Former officers with education backgrounds in business and engineering are developed through the company’s operations management training program to become the next generation of corporate leaders.
Due to an increase in corporate demand for transitioning military talent, the pool of companies eligible for the list was increased from 500 (minimum of $4 billion annual revenues) to approximately 2,500 (minimum of $1 billion annual revenues). As a result, the list was increased from Top 25 to Top 50.
Companies were evaluated on their efforts to recruit from the military, results in recruiting from the military and policies for Reserve and Guard members called to active duty. Veteran promotional programs and community involvement were also considered.
The Home Depot finished as runner-up this year after earning top honors in 2004. The Home Depot, USAA, General Electric, Sprint, Brinks, American Electric Power, and Merrill Lynch have made the list all four years since its inception in 2003.
ABOUT G.I. Jobs
G.I. Jobs (www.gijobs.net) is published by Victory Media, a veteran-owned business, headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pa. The company also publishes Veterans Business Journal (www.vbjonline.net) and Military Spouse (www.milspousemag.com). Additional supporting materials are available at www.gijobs.net/top50.