NORTH DAKOTA (KXNET) — One North Dakota business has been added to the Forbes list of America’s Best Employers for Veterans 2023.

According to a news release, this award is presented by Forbes and Statista Inc., and given to Sanford Health.

“We are incredibly appreciative for all of our service members and are extremely grateful for those who’ve chosen Sanford Health as their employer,” said Captain Paul Weckman, who is the head of military and veteran affairs at Sanford. “For those who are part of our Sanford family, the least we can do is make sure they have the resources and benefits they need to have a successful career with us. Sanford Health continues to fulfill its efforts in making sure current and past military members have employment opportunities to become part of our Sanford family.”

America’s Best Employer for Veterans 2023 is identified through an independent survey from nearly 8,500 veterans who have served in the United States Armed Forces — either in the regular military or National Guard or military reserves — and are working for companies that employ at least 1,000 people in the country.

It was based on these two pieces of criteria:

• Direct Recommendations: Veterans were asked to give their opinion on a series of statements related to general topics about their employer such as atmosphere and development, image, working conditions, salary and wage, workplace, and diversity.
• Indirect Recommendations: Participants were allowed to evaluate other employers in their respective industries that stand out.

Statista then published hundreds of industry rankings and company listings with high-profile media partners. The research and analysis service is based on the success of statista.com.

Sanford offers many programs for military and veteran employees, including continuation of benefits and differential pay for service members during their deployment.

This year, Sanford expanded its support to active-duty members and spouses through the partnership with the Department of Defense (DoD) Skillbridge Program and the Military Spouses Employment Program.

When applying for a job at Sanford, those who disclose that they are veterans are automatically given a screening interview. Those employees also have the option to continue their education and apply for a $5,000 scholarship or receive a $3,000 Veteran Educational Grant.

For more information, veterans can visit this website and use the keyword: military.