AUSTIN, MINN. — Hormel Foods Corp. was recently recognized as one of the Best Places to Work for Recent Grads by Experience Inc., a leading provider of career services for college students and alumni. Now in its third year, the Best Places to Work for Recent Grads list recognizes 20 employers in the U.S. who demonstrate excellence in recruiting, hiring and retaining young professionals.

Hormel was the only food and beverage company recognized in this year’s list. The company was selected, in part, due to its compensation and benefits package, as well as the opportunity for career growth and diversity. The company was able to demonstrate its ability to attract and keep top talent with its extremely high employee retention rate. More than 60% of current employees have been employed at Hormel Foods for more than five years.

“We are honored by this recognition as one of the country’s top employers for recent graduates, as this reaffirms our commitment to hiring talented individuals and then providing the tools, environment and opportunity to build rich, diverse lifetime careers,” said Larry C. Lyons, director of human resources at Hormel Foods.

Experience’s Best Places to Work for Recent Grads was developed in conjunction with Yahoo! HotJobs. The survey ran from September 2009 through November 2009. It received responses from nearly 200 corporate recruiters and employers in the U.S. In March, the field was narrowed to 50 companies and then 20 companies were selected based on hiring and retention practices, benefits, training programs, growth opportunities and starting salary.

For information on Experience’s Best Places to Work for Recent Grads, visit http://www.experience.com/experience/page_display?page_id=best_places_to_work_for_recent_grads_2010