In a word, people. It does hire some of the best people not only in the engineering departments but also in the Business Analyst groups. They have some of the best Business Analysts I have ever worked with and I have been a Business Analyst at various companies for over 10 years.
Cons
In a word, management. In my area, they didn't even know what role or tasks, not to mention the critical ways in which a Business Analyst can benefit various projects and departments via automation and how to use the existing system and processes better.
National Instruments has a friendly work environment, solid people, and management cares about employees and treats people with respect. The company celebrates success, and does a great job sharing information about customers, products and business strategy with all employees.
Cons
Engineers are given first choice for opportunities, and can move around the company quite freely. The consensus culture slows decisionmaking and can be frustrating if you want to act quickly. The senior positions are staffed with long time employees, and the company's growth is not creating sufficient new opportunities. NI takes few risks.
Amazing place to start a career. Management is willing to give big responsibilities to rather inexperienced (albeit ambitious) staff. Good work life balance and respect for employees. I trust the management and that goes a long way in making NI a great place to work.
Cons
It is a rapidly growing company and some career paths are still being developed. It still has some small company ways. It is highly social which can make it hard to get started