15. IDEO
% of MBAs who want to work there*: 6.68%
Headquarters: Palo Alto
Hiring plans: With only 500 employees altogether, competition is stiff for very few openings.
What they're looking for: The firm looks for "T"-shaped people, meaning they have "a lot of depth in one area and breadth as well," says spokeswoman Debbe Stern.
IDEO -- an award winning design firm -- debuts this year at No. 15 on the 100 Top MBA Employers list. With traditional opportunities in the financial world falling out of favor, more MBAs are looking to smaller, innovative companies like IDEO, which they may have learned about at recruiting events or through case studies at B-school.
The company is known for creative designs like Crest's Neat Squeeze toothpaste and Tivo's remote control with thumbs-up/thumbs-down preference buttons. New hires might have the opportunity to work on current projects like the Centers for Disease Control's effort to combat childhood obesity, Bank of America's "Keep the Change" program, improved patient care with Kaiser Permanente, or a new bicycle design strategy for Shimano.
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Last updated May 27 2009: 10:13 AM ET
Source: Universum
* Based on survey respondents who selected as one of their top 5 ideal employers. Methodology
* Based on survey respondents who selected as one of their top 5 ideal employers. Methodology
