Fortune named SAS as one of the top companies to work for 2011, and I recently listened to a speech given by the Vice President of SAS. I was amazed as he talked with such reverent respect about their commitment to their employees.
What makes SAS different than other companies?
SAS is a software company that has tons of perks for their employees. They have on site health care, elder care, high-quality child care, summer camps for kids, car cleaning services, and a beauty salon. They even have a 66,000 square foot gym to facilitate the health of their staff.
SAS also leads the way in caring for the mental and physical health and well being of their employees’ families. The company offers seminars in a wide variety of areas such as divorce counseling, young children care, parenting, and loss. The company also offers off-campus family nights that include activities like visiting the rodeo and circus.
One employee’s feedback was the echo of many others, “I feel seen, attended to and cared for and love what I do.” This is no surprise. The average tenure is 10 years, with 300 employees having worked there for 25 years or more. Annual turnover was 2 percent in 2009, compared with the average in the software industry of about 22 percent. Women also make up 45 percent of its U.S. workforce.
This reverent respect to the employees is felt from the top down, starting with CEO Jim Goodnight who employees fondly call “Dr. Goodnight.” That’s why SAS is one of our Mindful Companies.