The war for talent has businesstransforming their corporate
campusesintocountry clubs--offering everything from five-star lunchesto concierges willing toarrange employees' lawn mowing and haircuts. But long before the words "labor crunch" put employee perks in vogue, SAS Institute Inc. founder James Goodnight was lavishingmoney on programmers msteadofheadhunters.lr worked:
SAS turnover is 4 percent in an indusrryfor which 20 percent
i~ typical. The Cary (North Carolina)-based company
maycompete against PeopleSoft Inc. and Oracle
Corp., hut SAS employees aren't asked to mimic their SilIcon
Valley brethren's sleep-starved lifestyle. Goodnight, a
shyhtllionaire who until recently drove a Buick Roadmastcr
wagon, believes in leaving the office at 5 P.M. sharp.
Dinner, he says, .,hould be spent with your family, not at
your de k.