Windstream, a privately held communications and software company, has again been recognized by the U.S. Department of Labor, the Military Friendly® program, and the Military Times’ Best for Vets program for its initiatives to recruit, employ and retain military veterans.

“Windstream has made a strong commitment to hiring and retaining military veterans over the past five years, and we are honored that our efforts continue to be recognized,” said Mary Michaels, chief human resources officer at Windstream. “Veterans and their spouses make invaluable contributions to our success every day and take enormous pride in delivering essential communications services to our customers.”

Windstream received a gold 2021 HIRE Vets Medallion Program Award from the Labor Department. This is the fourth consecutive year that the company has been the recognized by the HIRE Vets program and the second year it has received a gold medallion.

For more information about the HIRE Vets Medallion Program, please visit www.hirevets.gov.

Windstream also received a gold rating on the 2022 Military Friendly® Employer List by VIQTORY and was named to three other Military Friendly lists: Military Spouse Friendly Employer (#7), Military Friendly Supplier Diversity Program, and, for the first time, Military Friendly Brand (#10).

Institutions earning the Military Friendly® Employer designation were evaluated using both public data sources and responses from a proprietary survey. Hundreds of companies participated in the Military Friendly® Employers portion of the 2022 Military Friendly^® Companies survey.

Methodology, criteria, and weightings were determined by VIQTORY with input from the Military Friendly^® Advisory Council of independent leaders in the higher education and military recruitment community. Final ratings were determined by combining an organization’s survey score with an assessment of the organization’s ability to meet thresholds for Applicant, New Hire Retention, Employee Turnover, and Promotion & Advancement of veterans and military employees.

Windstream will be showcased along with other 2022 Military Friendly^® Employers in the December issue of G.I. Jobs^® magazine and on MilitaryFriendly.com.

More than 160 employers participated in the Military Times 2021 survey. Each year the rankings provide a snapshot of different employment policies and services that companies provide to America’s veterans, and highlight firms that veteran job seekers should target.

Windstream ranked first among telecommunications providers and eleventh overall in the Best for Vets rankings. Windstream has appeared in the list’s top 15 for the last five years.

The full list of this year’s Best for Vets: Employers rankings is available here.

This year’s list was compiled in partnership with the Fors Marsh Group, a research firm specializing in the veterans and the military community. Officials there tweaked findings from previous years to better emphasize “areas that are of greatest importance to the veteran and veteran-connected community when looking for an employer.”

That included recruiting practices aimed at current military members and veterans, retention and support programs, and a higher emphasis on employers who provide assistance and flexibility for individuals in the Guard and reserves.

Earlier this year, Windstream was named to Newsweek’s Most Loved Workplaces list for 2021, ranking at #63 among the top 100 companies recognized for employee happiness and satisfaction at work. Produced in collaboration with the Best Practice Institute (BPI), a leadership development and benchmark research company, the Newsweek list results were determined after surveying more than 800,000 employees from businesses with workforces varying in size from 50 to more than 10,000.

To see available jobs at Windstream, please visit www.windstreamtalent.com.

About Windstream

Windstream Holdings is a privately held Fortune® 1000 communications and software company. Windstream offers managed communications services, including SD-WAN and UCaaS, and high-capacity bandwidth and transport services to businesses across the U.S. The company also provides premium broadband, entertainment and security services through an enhanced fiber network to consumers and small and midsize businesses primarily in rural areas in 18 states. Additional information is available at windstream.com or windstreamenterprise.com. Follow us on Twitter at @Windstream.

From Fortune. ©2021 Fortune Media IP Limited. All rights reserved. Used under license. Fortune and Fortune 1000 are registered trademarks of Fortune Media IP Limited and are used under license. Fortune is not affiliated with, and does not endorse products or services of, Windstream.

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