Verizon Tries to Recruit Talent From AT&T After RTO Mandate

In January, AT&T employees in the U.S. were mandated to change from a hybrid schedule to being back in the office five days a week. Now, the company’s top rival, Verizon, is using AT&T’s return-to-office (RTO) order as an opportunity to recruit talent — directly from AT&T — by highlighting its open jobs with flexible working arrangements.

Verizon’s talent team emailed multiple AT&T employees and urged them to consider Verizon’s hybrid and remote jobs — and where they could find these flexible, open roles. Business Insider obtained a copy of the email and reported on the news on Tuesday. The email specifically called out their new RTO order.

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“Following the news of changing RTO policies across the industry, we’re reaching out to share helpful resources and potential hybrid/remote job opportunities across Verizon,” the email read. “If you have been personally affected by organizational policy changes or know anyone who has, we’re looking to add top talent to the V team.”

Verizon’s job board, at the time of writing, shows 14 jobs out of its 1,455 listed openings in the U.S. with a hybrid or remote working option. The hybrid and remote roles range from inside sales representative to network technician.

Meanwhile, all of AT&T’s 1,620 open jobs in the U.S. are listed as on-site.

Related: Salesforce Will Require Employees in Office 5 Days a Week

AT&T told BI that its employees “always have a choice” about the company they work for.

“We desire individuals who wish to work in a dynamic and challenging team environment with strong relationships and collaboration fostered by in-office constructs,” the company stated.

A July study from Bamboo HR found that 28% of remote workers would consider leaving a job if it required them to work from the office five days a week.

AT&T encountered some challenges implementing its RTO policies earlier this year. BI previously reported a lack of open desks at office locations, leading some employees to work in the dining area or at conference tables, as well as a lack of parking and long lines at the elevators.

AT&T had 149,900 U.S.-based employees as of January 31, 2024, while Verizon had 105,400 employees as of 2023.

Related: JPMorgan Shuts Down Internal Message Board Comments After Employees React to Return-to-Office Mandate