Has anyone here worked for SAS? I'm getting interviewed for Dataflux, which is a part of SAS.

I've heard good things about the work environment there, but can anyone who's worked there give me some details about what makes it good?

Thankee for any information.

2/19/2009 3:40:28 PM

evan says it's like google. i doubt this, but that's what he says.

[Edited on February 19, 2009 at 3:46 PM. Reason : i'm sure it's great, but google is a nearly impossible standard.]

2/19/2009 3:44:33 PM

Thanks, PM sent to evan

[Edited on February 19, 2009 at 4:13 PM. Reason : .]

2/19/2009 3:47:07 PM

My sister works there. She loves it.

2/19/2009 3:48:40 PM

I like their profit sharing program vs. 401(k). Of course when the market goes back up I will like my 401(k) better.

2/19/2009 3:48:55 PM

^^ Yeah, I've heard a lot of people like it. What specifically do they like, though?

^ I didn't know about that, it sounds good.

2/19/2009 3:59:21 PM

Dataflux is off in its own building on Cary pkwy which kind of sucks because you don't have the benefit of being on campus and utilizing campus resources such as the cafes and gym. Other than that, the culture is the same as on campus.

2/19/2009 4:05:25 PM

God did

2/19/2009 4:12:42 PM

we studied the company in BUS 330. they have AMAZING employee benefits -- on site gym, child care, people who will do your grocery shopping for you, and paid maternity & paternity leave.

sounds pretty amazing.

i toured google in 2007; their employees get scooters to drive around the campus and every treadmill in the gym has its own tv, free naked juices when you walk in any building, a massage therapist, etc.

2/19/2009 4:18:02 PM

OH EVAN DOES


HIS USER NAME IS evan

I'm Big Business and i approved this message.

2/19/2009 4:24:38 PM

pm replied to

2/19/2009 7:32:51 PM

i think toyotafj40s interned there a while back

2/19/2009 7:36:04 PM

I worked a summer camp once, not sure if that counts but I got to meet some people who worked there. The campus itself is fantastic. The pay is great. The job stability is supposed to be good. Long term outlook is good. They have a great child care program (free and on site). Their cafeteria is delish and it costs about 2.50 for a full meal. Its really a sweet place to work, they seem to take care of their employees financially and personally. /doneadvertising

2/19/2009 8:31:09 PM

no raises this year

2/19/2009 8:40:55 PM

I did my undergraduate Senior Project for Dataflux. we got to spend a good bit of time with the founders. If they are anything the same as they were in 1999, I would work there in a heartbeat. Great people, great company philosophy, and the backing of SAS.

FYI, last I knew, they were a independent subsidiary of SAS. So SAS doesn't really have any control over them, they just have first rights to their products.

2/19/2009 8:43:49 PM

Awesome, thanks for all the info. Hopefully I don't get my hopes up too much now, it looks and sounds like a great place to be.

2/19/2009 10:41:34 PM

How is Evan 20 years old and an employee of SAS for 1+ years?

2/19/2009 10:43:08 PM

Quote :

"no raises this year "

bonuses though

Quote :

"How is Evan 20 years old and an employee of SAS for 1+ years?"

because i am

Quote :

"FYI, last I knew, they were a independent subsidiary of SAS. So SAS doesn't really have any control over them, they just have first rights to their products."

basically.

dataflux is like out in its own little world, i don't think i've ever interacted with anyone in that unit. at least the JMP people are on site.

2/19/2009 11:23:22 PM

SAS isn't anything like google, save maybe the benefits

[Edited on February 19, 2009 at 11:34 PM. Reason : it's a pretty good place to work for most]

2/19/2009 11:33:18 PM

yeah, i don't remember saying it was like google.

it's awfully nice, though, and i can genuinely say that i really enjoy my job and i love the place i work.

but, even still... google is cutting back on the extravagances

2/19/2009 11:36:36 PM

People probably compare SAS to Google because Google modeled themselves (culture-wise, benefits, etc.) after SAS's model... Per what I've heard about Google, they are more extravagant than SAS on various things, but still comparable.

Quote :

"I worked a summer camp once, not sure if that counts but I got to meet some people who worked there. The campus itself is fantastic. The pay is great. The job stability is supposed to be good. Long term outlook is good. They have a great child care program (free and on site). Their cafeteria is delish and it costs about 2.50 for a full meal. Its really a sweet place to work, they seem to take care of their employees financially and personally. /doneadvertising"

Just addressing for reality's sake, not to be critical... Job stability is pretty outstanding. The child care program is great but is definitely not free - Provided that you can get in, child care costs are substantially lower than what people typically have to pay elsewhere. The cafeterias are subsidized, but a meal will cost more than $2.50, unless you just get vegetables, soup, or something light like that.

Overall, a fantastic company - not just for its culture/benefits reputation, but for the solutions it offers.

[Edited on February 20, 2009 at 12:37 AM. Reason : I need to go to sleep.]

2/20/2009 12:17:11 AM

I was offered an internship once...but then I realized I hated being a stats major...the withdrew the offer when I changed my major

2/20/2009 12:19:33 AM

Quote :

"The cafeterias are subsidized, but a meal will cost more than $2.50, unless you just get vegetables, soup, or something light like that."

yup

i usually spend like $4-5, but look at what you get for that price, you couldn't eat that cheaply anywhere else, haha

i mean today in T i had flounder, steamed edamame, and roasted vegetables. pretty decent.

it's also taken via payroll deduction, so you just scan your badge at the checkout line. i never even notice that it's gone at the end of the month.

2/20/2009 2:03:20 PM

ibtevan

2/20/2009 2:06:31 PM

hey guise

i think that evan works there

2/20/2009 2:47:48 PM

FWIW, Google is nothing like SAS.

SAS is an amazing place to work because of it's culture.

Google is an amazing place to work in spite of it's culture.

At one company you have career progression and a management philosophy centered around growing your employees, taking care of their needs and helping them better themselves to better the company long term.

At the other company you have no career paths, and a philosophy centered around placating your employees to keep them working right at the ragged edge of a healthy balance, to keep them around as long as possible until they grow out of their role and then out of the company.

----------------

Quote :

"dataflux is like out in its own little world, i don't think i've ever interacted with anyone in that unit. at least the JMP people are on site."

The story the owners told of of how they became a SAS property:

They were two years out of NCSU, Dataflux was formed from a senior design project in CSC. They had JUST launched their first full commercial release and had a couple of medium enterprise customers. I think they said they were making about 60-80k a year as a company at this point. One day they are just plugging away and their receptionist tells them they have a visitor. James Goodnight walks in, talks to them for a half hour, and basically writes them a 9 figure check.

The next day they started hiring.

2/20/2009 3:14:43 PM

making shoes sounds kinda boring

2/20/2009 9:14:20 PM

it's not a shoe company, it's an airline

2/21/2009 5:43:07 AM

what the hell do they do?

2/21/2009 9:37:10 PM

play pool and eat m&m's apparently

2/21/2009 9:40:23 PM

that is indeed all we do

[Edited on February 21, 2009 at 10:27 PM. Reason : sometimes, however, we make shoes while piloting aircraft]

2/21/2009 10:26:46 PM