IT manager Steven Toy says one of the biggest benefits at SAS -- and one of the biggest incentives for him to stay -- is the work/life balance he enjoys. "There's a culture from the top down that SAS wants you to have a life outside of work," says Toy, noting that IT has both formal and informal flexible scheduling arrangements to make that happen.
The work itself is also an attraction. "We're always touching the latest and greatest in technology," Toy says. "For a lot of people, that keeps them excited about coming to work." Toy is particularly interested in his current work on an advanced analytics project, he adds.
The Cary, N.C.-based software company encourages IT staffers to bring their own ideas and solutions to the tasks before them, says Sara Betz, principal IT project manager. "I'm trusted to make the right decisions, and I'm empowered in how I do my job and get my job done."
Betz says she also likes SAS's global focus, which adds extra dimensions to her position, and that the company provides ongoing training and education, so she and her colleagues can keep their skills current.
In addition to flexible schedules, SAS supports work/life balance with services such as an on-site child-care and preschool program. The campus offers plenty of other amenities as well, including a gym, a healthcare center with a physician and a pharmacy, and several subsidized cafeterias and cafés.
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