Around The Railroad

UP Named a Top 50 Company to 'Launch a Career'

September 11, 2008 | 12:40 p.m. CDT

BusinessWeek has named Union Pacific among the top 50 "Best Places to Launch a Career."

The Sept. 15 issue ranks UP 39, joined on this year's list by various accounting firms, government agencies, Internet companies and financial services. "UP brings a lot to the table when competing for top talent," said Barb Schaefer, senior vice president-Human Resources.

"Including a large number of retirements, attrition will account for more than 20,000 employees leaving the company throughout the next five years. This means we will continue hiring a large number of people," Schaefer said. "Knowledge transfer and retention is crucial. We work hard to provide employees with the tools and skills necessary to advance quickly, and take on jobs that are critical to running our nation's largest railroad."

Whether it's learning to switch rail cars in a yard or calling on customers in the MDSC (Market Development Sales Center), employees have access to a number of benefits, including tuition reimbursement, competitive benefits and compensation packages, affinity groups, fitness centers, systemwide training centers, mentoring and coaching, leadership and development programs, child care and an elder care referral network. "With all these assets working together, we want people to know about our company and the benefits of working for us," Schaefer said.

The "Best Places to Launch a Career" ranking is based on three surveys: a BusinessWeek poll of career-services directors at U.S. colleges; a survey of 50,000 U.S. college students conducted by Universam USA, a Philadelphia research company, and a BusinessWeek poll of the employers themselves.

Working Mother, GI Jobs, Forbes, Latina Style and the United States Department of Defense also have honored Union Pacific for the opportunities provided to its workforce.