Fortune names SAS No. 2 best place to work for millennials

Fortune has announced that SAS ranks No. 2 on its Best Workplaces for Millennials list. Once again ranked near the top of the list, SAS firmly believes that the ability to attract and retain creative employees directly affects business success. Employees are critical to the company’s innovation, so SAS invests in all its employees – from career development to health and well-being. 

SAS is deeply committed to helping employees succeed at all stages of their careers. Especially appealing to young professionals are the full-time training programs, such as the SAS academies. The academies provide intensive in-class and on-the-job training to ensure that recent grads are set for success as they move into their full-time roles. A young professionals group on the internal web fosters a sense of community in the early stages of employees’ careers; and development opportunities, such as the Emerging Leaders program, foster career growth.

“SAS knows employees are happier when they feel respected and valued, are given challenging work, and have opportunities to grow,” said SAS Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer Jenn Mann. “Our culture fosters a collaborative, creative environment where employees do work that matters to them.”

Far-reaching career development opportunities are coupled with the widely touted campus benefits, including a free on-site recreation and fitness center; free on-site health care center; and countless on-site conveniences such as a hair salon, dry cleaning and subsidized cafeterias. Such benefits, along with a wide range of personal and professional support services, just scratch the surface of why SAS appeals to a wide range of job seekers.

"There is one common thread that runs throughout the many characteristics of the millennial generation – we want to make a difference,” said SAS Associate Account Executive Frederyck Odom. “At SAS, I am given countless opportunities to make a difference in the lives of my customers. We do far more than just sell software. We solve real problems that our customers face each day and give them the tools to do the best work they can. It is a true blessing to work for SAS – they not only take the time to invest in my personal development, but they give me everything I need to invest in my customers as well.”

"Millennials expect more from their employers in areas like fair treatment, clear communication, authentic leadership and opportunities for advancement – and rightly so,” said Michael Bush, CEO of Great Place to Work, which administered the rankings for Fortune. “The best workplaces for millennials are finding that fulfilling all these expectations by building a high-trust culture boosts millennial employees’ intent to stay by 20 times.”

The ranking considered 398,000 surveys that assessed organizations’ fairness, teamwork, benefits and other elements essential to an outstanding work culture.

SAS is also considered a best place to work for recent grads, IT professionals and women. The business analytics leader has remained a staple on Fortune’s list of Best Places to Work in the US since the list was started 20 years ago. 

About the Best Workplaces for Millennials

Rankings are based on feedback from over 398,000 employees at Great Place to Work– Certified™ organizations. An anonymous Trust Index^© survey assessed millennial employees’ experience of their managers’ competence, respect and fairness in the workplace, meaningful work and other elements essential for an outstanding workplace. Results were compared to colleagues’ responses from other generations. Rankings also take into account the consistency of experience for all millennials, across various job roles and demographic backgrounds.

About Great Place to Work

Great Place to Work is the global authority on high-trust, high-performance workplace cultures. Through its certification programs, Great Place to Work recognizes outstanding workplace cultures and produces the annual Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For^® and Great Place to Work Best Workplaces lists for millennials, women, diversity, small and medium companies, industries and, internationally, countries and regions. Through its culture consulting services, Great Place to Work helps clients create great workplaces that outpace peers on key business metrics like revenue growth, profitability, retention and stock performance.