"The Hartford is honored to be recognized as a top military friendly employer," said Eileen Whelley, executive vice president of human resources for The Hartford. "Through their military service, veterans gain the training and experience that makes them valuable employees. In addition to their outstanding leadership skills, our nation's veterans embody The Hartford's core values of teamwork, integrity and winning spirit. Hiring veterans makes smart business sense."
The G.I. Jobs Military Friendly Employers list, in its seventh year, serves as the primary benchmark of corporate recruiting programs aimed at veterans. The annual survey is one of the key tools used to determine the nation's most Military Friendly Employers.
"This isn't about charity or patriotism. It's about good business. The companies on our list understand that," said Rich McCormack, who heads G.I. Jobs' list research. Chris Hale, general manager of G.I. Jobs, notes that interest in hiring military veterans has never been higher. "This list serves to disprove a populist notion that veterans are having difficulty finding jobs when leaving the military." Hale bristles at what he calls inaccurate attention given to high unemployment rates for America's young veterans, citing the fact that many young veterans opt to take unemployment benefits before starting a civilian career. "Given the operational tempo we're putting our troops through, wouldn't you?"
The Hartford has many partnerships and programs in place to recruit, retain and support veterans and their families. Examples include:
Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR): The Hartford has signed a Statement of Support for its commitment as an employer to the ESGR. Executives from The Hartford have participated in several Bosslifts, a program of the ESGR which exposes employers from across the country to the various roles and missions of Guard and Reserve forces. The program aims to help give employers a better understanding and appreciation of the vital part Guardsmen and Reservists play in our nation's defense. Since 2004, The Hartford has been designated as an "Above and Beyond" Employer by the CT ESGR committee.
Helping Veterans Return to Work: The Hartford launched the Workplace Warrior Think Tank - the first-of-its-kind group - with the Disability Management Employer Coalition (DMEC), the leading developer of employee health and productivity strategies. In February 2008, The Hartford and DMEC announced recommendations on how employers can help disabled veterans make the transition from battlefield back to the business world. The think tank's white paper (PDF) can be found on The Hartford's Web site: www.thehartford.com/workplacewarriors.pdf
The Hartford Ski Spectacular: For four years, disabled veterans with the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) have participated in The Hartford Ski Spectacular, the nation's largest winter sports festival for individuals with physical disabilities. At The Hartford Ski Spectacular 2008, 119 American Wounded Warriors, their families and hospital staff participated in the Learn-to-Ski, Learn-to-Race, and mentor programs. Several Wounded Warriors who have participated in The Hartford Ski Spectacular in previous years also returned to serve as mentors and instructors to first-time participants.
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Military Community: In 2008, The Hartford formed a support network for the company's reserve component soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, and coastguardsmen. The military community is open to all employees and is intended to be a focal point for communication regarding different events and activities in support of The Hartford's employees who have a direct or indirect connection to military members and/or their families. The military community hosted its second annual Veterans Day Ceremony at the company's world headquarters on Wednesday, November 11.
Criteria for the rankings included assets dedicated to military hiring (28 percent), Reserve/Guard policies (18 percent), percentage of new hires who are veterans (14 percent), veteran training programs (10 percent) and previous three years' rankings (30 percent). A full list of all 100 Military Friendly Employers can be found at www.gijobs.com/top100pr.
For more information on careers at The Hartford, please visit our Web site: http://www.thehartford.com/careers.
About G.I. Jobs
G.I. Jobs (www.gijobs.com) is published by Victory Media, a veteran-owned business, headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pa. The company also publishes Military Spouse and Vetrepreneur magazines. Victory Media also produces an annual list of Military Friendly Schools and Military Friendly Franchises.
About The Hartford
Celebrating nearly 200 years, The Hartford (NYSE: HIG) is an insurance-based financial services company that serves households, businesses and employees by helping to protect their assets and income from risks, and by managing wealth and retirement needs. A Fortune 500 company, The Hartford is recognized widely for its service expertise and as one of the world's most ethical companies. More information on the company and its financial performance is available at www.thehartford.com.