NSBE - Fall 2009 - 36

21st AnnuAl EmployEr prEfErEncE survEy SURVEY RESPONDENTS BY MAJOR Electrical Engineering Mechanical Engineering Computer Science/Engineering Civil Engineering Chemical Engineering Industrial Engineering Other Engineering numbers in parentheses are the 2008 rankings. 19% 16% 14% 7% 7% 7% 6% 5% 5% 5% 5% 6% 7% 8% 17% 18% 20% Biomedical Engineering All Others 4% 3% 3% 2% 2% 2% 2% 2% 2% 2% 2% 3% Business Management Medical/Life Sciences Aerospace Engineering Physical Sciences Math Environmental Engineering 0 Continued from page 35 2009 2008 1% 5 10 15 20 In addition to the small but important shifts mentioned above, there were also some large moves this year. Deloitte rose 12 spots to enter the NSBE 50 at No. 48, Genentech, Inc. jumped seven spots to anchor the NSBE 50, and 3M reemerged after slipping out of the NSBE 50 last year. The Dow Chemical Company improved its standing by jumping 10 spots to No. 33 this year. When some employers rise, others have to drop, and this year Merck & Co., Inc. fell 10 spots to No. 40, and Pfizer Inc. fell 14 spots to No. 42. The national economic turmoil is only now shaking out, and it will be very interesting to see the effects on next year’s results! conclusions Two important conclusions can be drawn from this year’s survey, which benefit both the employer and the employee. First, an employer’s performance on common issues such as salary, re36 • nsbe magazine cruitment, training and having interesting work continues to strongly influence the attractiveness of that employer to individuals. The second conclusion is that organizations that are seen as having strong positive ethical climates are much more attractive to NSBE members. In particular, organizations that are aware of and sensitive to moral issues are most attractive to individuals entering the work force. Organizations able to develop and publicize strong ethical climates will fare better in the recruitment race, as potential job applicants will be looking outside of the box and within their own value systems when choosing future employers. Clearly, ethics do matter to individuals who are about to enter the work force, which is a promising finding. In a country in which companies have fallen due to unethical behavior, it is easy to make the quick assumption that Corporate America has lost its moral compass. That would be a hasty conclusion, though. The vast majority of employees are ethical, and the results of this survey indicate that the next generation of workers also strongly believes in ethical behavior. Ethical climates also yield positive outcomes for organizations (decreased revenue loss and fewer counterproductive work behaviors) and for workers (increased satisfaction). Ultimately, employers that foster a strong ethical climate will not only reap the benefits mentioned above; they will also be more attractive to NSBE members as a whole. ABout thE survEy The NSBE 50 survey data are collected annually from two sources: (1) the annual NSBE registration process and (2) an online survey of current NSBE collegiate members. First, during the NSBE registration process, collegiate members are asked to identify their top www.nsbe.org • fall 2009

NSBE - Fall 2009

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