Verizon woos AT&T talent: Remote jobs spark poaching war

Remember the days of fighting for a decent parking spot? Or that awkward small talk by the water cooler? Yeah, some companies are bringing that back. But Verizon? They’re playing a different game.

Here’s the deal: AT&T told their people, “Back to the office, five days a week! ” Ouch. Verizon’s swooping in. AT&T’s making everyone eat broccoli, and Verizon’s offering pizza. Guess where people want to go?

Remote Work: The Ultimate Perk?

Verizon’s basically saying, “Hey AT&T folks, tired of the commute? Come work for us. Pajamas welcome. ” They’re dangling those sweet, sweet remote and hybrid roles right in front of AT&T employees. Smart move, right?

I saw an email Verizon sent. It was pretty direct: “Heard about the RTO? We’ve got options! ” They’re not being shy about wanting AT&T’s talent. Want to know what the email said?

“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. 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. ”

Numbers Don’t Lie: Remote Jobs are Hot

Maybe not *every* Verizon job is remote. But they have some. At the time of the writing, out of 1,455 U. S. job openings, 14 are hybrid or remote. AT&T? Zero. Everything is on-site.

AT&T’s response? Basically, “If you don’t like it, leave. ” They told Business Insider their employees “always have a choice. ” True. And Verizon’s giving them a pretty tempting one.

Get this: a study showed over a quarter of remote workers would ditch their job if forced back to the office full-time. That’s a lot of unhappy people.

Office Chaos? No Thanks.

Here’s the kicker: AT&T’s return to office hasn’t been smooth. Picture this: no desks, fighting for parking, elevator lines for days. Sounds like fun, huh? I’ll pass.

Verizon’s betting on flexibility. And honestly? It’s a pretty good bet. Is this a full-blown poaching war? Maybe. But one thing’s for sure: the battle for talent is getting interesting.