Business Week says National Instruments is one of the

BusinessWeek cited the ongoing National Instruments commitment to training opportunities as a key factor propelling NI to the top of the list, which includes some of the world’s largest and most successful companies.

“I started the company 30 years ago with the goal of not only building a career for myself but also creating a growth-oriented company and culture that would attract talented employees,” said Dr. James Truchard, NI President, Cofounder and CEO. “I am pleased that so many employees have built successful careers with National Instruments and have in turn used their knowledge and experience to help new employees grow and thrive at NI.”

Through a variety of career development and training programmes, such as the Engineering Leadership Programme (ELP), new NI employees can address challenges creatively, shape the company’s products and choose the direction of their careers. ELP engineers work extensively with every department in NI over a two-year development period. Upon completion of the programme, they are free to pursue technical sales, marketing and research and development assignments and are encouraged to apply for leadership positions. The programme is part of a long-standing commitment to new graduates. Since the company’s beginning, recent graduates have constituted more than 80 percent of new NI engineering hires, the vast majority of which stay with NI long term. While BusinessWeek reports that employers in its top 50 ranking lose – on average – a third of their new hires within three years, NI has a three-year retention rate of 85 percent among all employees and a five-year retention rate of 77 percent.

In addition to its superior training environment, NI has long been recognised for its unique corporate culture. Team members can collaborate on community service projects or celebrate a recent success with a team match on the company’s on-site sand volleyball courts. NI consistently challenges its employees, from new graduates to tenured staff, with new projects, new technologies and new ways of doing business, and all employees share a passion for ensuring customer success.

This work atmosphere and the company’s commitment to its employees and customers have also contributed to NI being recognized by FORTUNE magazine as one of the “100 Best Companies to Work For” seven years in a row.

BusinessWeek identified ideal companies for new graduates using a three-part process. First, it asked more than 100 career services directors to identify the best organisations for young people to launch a career. BusinessWeek then gathered information from the nominated organisations to determine which led their industries in recruitment, training and mentorship, salary, retention and other factors important to new graduates. Finally, it included data from a recent survey that asked undergraduates to identify companies for which they would most like to work. For more information on BusinessWeek’s “Best Places to Launch a Career” list, visit www.businessweek.com.