The Top 10 IT And Engineering Companies To Work For In 2008

Last month, Fortune released their annual list of the "100 Best Companies to Work For" in 2008. We have reviewed these companies and put together our own list of what we feel are the ten best companies in the IT and engineering fields to work for in 2008. 1. Aflac The insurer famous for the Aflac Duck offers employees a seat at the business table by taking their input and recommendations seriously. At Aflac, staffers get to function outside of the techie role and really impact the business. The company offers flexible work schedules and throughout the year, awards spot bonuses of up to $1,500, in addition to the yearly performance bonus. They also have an "Aflac Bright Ideas and Quality Circles" program that encourages employees to bring cost-saving ideas to management and are awarded with cash, trips, gift certificates, reserved parking spaces, and more. And if living in Columbus, Georgia doesn't top your list of places to reside, you can roost in Atlanta and make the trek to HQ via provided transportation. Current open positions include: Systems Security Administrator, Sr Java Developer, Information Security Manager Career page: http://www.aflac.com/us/en/careers/default.aspx 2. Quicken Loans Even as the mortgage industry is submerged in its worst years of the last decade, Americas' Home Loan Experts® managed to outpace ever other company in Fortune's 100 Best Companies to Work For in 2008 list in new job growth, even surpassing Google by 8 percent. And with all this growth, the company is no stranger to great benefits which include personal development training, a yearlong leadership training program, $5,000 annual tuition assistance (plus $4,000 a year toward college tuition for employees' children), $2,000 for job referrals, and all the cappuccinos, slushes, and popcorn you can eat. Employees also receive a year-end performance with bonuses of up to 25 percent of their salary and spot bonuses as high as $10,000. Current open positions include: Data Warehouse Engineer, Software Engineer (.Net), SQL Database Administrator Career page: https://www.quickenloanscareers.com/web/ 3. Marriott International Marriott has so many employees (just shy of 125,000) that only a handful of companies exist bigger than them. To be fair, their IT department consists of only 1,000 but the average tenure of IT staffers is nine years. Benefits include telecommuting, onsite child care and fitness center, and a job sharing program and IT employees and their managers regularly work together to plan career paths within the department and throughout Marriott's business units. And because Marriott has more than 2,700 properties in over 65 countries, should you decide to move cities but stick with the company, opportunities abound. Current open positions include: Manager – E-Commerce, Java/Websphere Developer, Unix Shell Developer, Network/Admin Support Career page: http://www.marriott.com/careers/default.mi 4. Qualcomm “Benefits” is this wireless communications vendor's middle name. In fact, there's so many that it would take twice this space just to list them all. For starters, all employees get 100 percent health insurance coverage, subsidized gym membership, and the option to telecommute. New employees get stock options and IT staffers are issued laptops with wireless broadband cards so they can work wherever and whenever. IT employees also receive semiannual merit reviews and are actively promoted from within. For outstanding performance, employees are presented with Qualcomm's "Qualstar" award. Current open positions include: Systems Administrator, Senior Software Engineer - Upper Layer Protocols (C, C++), Sr. Project Manager - IT/Oracle Career page: http://www.qualcomm.com/careers/ 5. Paychex If you've owned your own company or worked in accounting before, chances are you've heard of Paychex. With more than 100 locations offering payroll services for small and medium-sized businesses, Paychex is the second largest payroll processing firm in the U.S. Last year, IT employee promotions topped 36 percent and employee training averaged 107 hours per employee. Recently, the company created the IT Advisory Committee, which is a self-managed group of IT employees that generate ideas to improve the quality of IT work life. Current open positions include: IT Support Specialist, Web Developer, Software Developer (Oracle) Career page: http://www.paychex.com/careers/ 6. General Mills Think of General Mills and you probably picture a cereal company. But that's not all the Golden Valley headquartered food conglomerate makes. General Mill's employee roster tallies nearly 20,000 and their IT department consists of around 600. For the last thee years running, their voluntary turnover rate has been a mere 4 percent and they offer a considerable training budget of $4,000 per IT employee. An early career rotation program helps new employees plan out their IT career path and understand all of the job opportunities available to them. Current open positions include: .NET Architect, Technical Project Manager - Web, SAP BW Data Architect Career page: http://www.generalmills.com/corporate/careers/index.aspx 7. L.L. Bean Last year, this family-owned company saw job growth of 24 percent and if you're an outdoors-type, you and L.L. Bean were made for each other. They need IT and engineering staffers and you need their 40 percent employee discount on the products they sell―not to mention, being able to borrow gear like tents, backpacks, snowshoes, even boats, for a weekend getaway. On non-working days, you can attend up to five "Outdoor Experience Days" per year to participate in activities such as hiking, kayaking, camping, and cycling. Note: This company isn't on Fortune's 100 Best Companies to Work For in 2008 list. We snuck it in here because we like it so much and we're hoping you wouldn't notice. Current open positions include: Systems Engineer, Security Delivery Architect, Computer Operator Career page: http://www.llbean.com/customerService/employment/ 8. Ernst & Young 25,000 employees strong, with just over 1,100 IT personnel, Ernst & Young is the third largest account firm in the U.S. Employee benefits include generous paid time off, insurance coverage, flexible work hours, the option to telecommute, a referral bonus program, subsidized tuition, and even elder care for one's parents. With their "Total Rewards" program, the company helps employees build their skills and resumes through work assignments, and every year, between 15 and 20 percent of employees receive cash awards, ranging from 5 to 10 percent of base salary for extraordinary achievements. Current open positions include: IT Project Manager, IT Communications Manager, Project Lead - Web Career page: http://www.ey.com/global/content.nsf/US/_Careers_Home 9. Publix Super Markets You don't get full health-care coverage, a fitness center, a job sharing program or the option to telecommute. But you do get an entire month's salary as a holiday bonus if you're a salaried employee, the option to trade in a bonus for additional week of vacation time, and an "Open Door" policy which encourages staffers to meet with any manager or executive to discuss ideas or issues. What's more, executives at this supermarket, the largest in the southeast, understand the importance of IT and are committed to high-priority IT efforts. The resulting effect: 40 percent of its IT force has been with the company for more than ten years. Current open positions include: IT Delivery Manager and Application Delivery Systems Analyst Career page: http://www.publix.com/careers/ 10. SAS Institute The leading worldwide business intelligence software company doesn't take their employees' health lightly. From their state-of-the-art 52,000 square foot gym featuring a 10-lane lap pool, volleyball, basketball, and racquetball courts, and strength training equipment, indoors, to their soccer fields, tennis courts, softball field and putting green, outdoors, the opportunities available to stay in shape and have fun doing it are plentiful. SAS also offers an on-site health care center at no-cost to employees and their family. Best of all, most employees get their own private office with nameplate on the door. Current open positions include: IT Management Solutions Tester, Software Developer, Technical Account Manager Career page: http://www.sas.com/jobs/USjobs/