National Instruments – “Lots of fun. High expectations.”

Pros

The people who work here are amazing. I can't imagine a work environment more fun, relaxed and still so productive. The benefits package is fantastic and I could not have a better manager. NI treats there employees with respect and gives them a lot of freedom and latitude, but in return expects them to produce at a very high level. It is very obvious why NI has been on the Forbes top 100 best companies to work for 9 years in a row.

Cons

The salaries are competitive (especially for new grad hires) but the salary growth is not ideal. The management relys too heavily on the company stock making up for salary shortfalls when it has not grown nearly as quickly since the 2001 tech bust. These issues along with how long it takes people on the technical track to achieve promotionshave led to a problem with retention of new grad hires after the 5-7 year mark.

Advice to Senior Management

Re-evaluate the salary structure (especially the company performance bonus, that formula is a joke) and add in automatic raises when people get promotions. New title should equal new salary.