Topic: Top 10 Tech companies to work for...

[toasty0]

1. Genentech: What Makes It So Great?
This fast-growing biotech knows how to say thanks. After launching three new drugs from June '03 to Feb. '04, it celebrated by throwing a lavish party for all employees and their guests, with Elton John as the entertainment.

2. Xilinx: What Makes It So Great?
Inventors rule at this supplier of programmable chips, where one of every five employees holds a patent and all employees receive stock options upon hire. Last year's profit-sharing bonus was 9.2% of salary.

3. Adobe Systems: What Makes It So Great?
Employees love the graphics-software outfit's new twin 12-story buildings, which include a fitness center with trainer, seasonal farmers' market, basketball and bocce courts—and a private office for nearly every worker.

4. SAS Institute: What Makes It So Great?
The gym at this software company includes a ten-lane pool, billiards, Ping-Pong tables, volleyball courts, outdoor soccer fields, three tennis courts, and a putting green. Another perk: free restringing for tennis racquets.

5. Qualcomm: What Makes It So Great?
Employee solidarity here is remarkable. After six workers lost their homes to forest fires, co-workers collected ten truckloads of donations and gave $60,000—matched by the tech company—to the Red Cross.

6. Cisco Systems: What Makes It So Great?
Cisco employees surveyed say they love the company's efforts to make the workplace fun, from "nerd lunches" in which experts lead a discussion of tech topics to movie-themed chow in Cisco's cafÈs on Oscar day.

7. National Instruments: What Makes It So Great?
How does a company full of engineers judge its talent show? With a specially built applause-o-meter, of course. This maker of measurement hardware and software says two of its core traits are innovation and a "playful spirit."

8. Symantec: What Makes It So Great?
This software maker (which recently agreed to acquire Veritas Software) has been on a roll, with the stock up 150% in two years. That's good news for employees. All are eligible for stock options and generous profit sharing.

9. Microsoft: What Makes It So Great?
Generosity toward employees extends to restricted stock grants, medical and dental benefits, and matches for charitable donations. Maybe that's why nearly 300,000 people applied for jobs here last year.

10. Intuit: What Makes It So Great?
Noticing that new call-center hires often gain weight ("the Intuit Ten"), execs at this software maker built an indoor walking path for them last year—and launched an incentive plan that gives $1 to charities for every pound lost.


Wow, 300,000 folks applied to work for Microsoft last year?!

[Nemesis]

9. Microsoft: What Makes It So Great?
Generosity toward employees extends to restricted stock grants, medical and dental benefits, and matches for charitable donations. Maybe that's why nearly 300,000 people applied for jobs here last year.

Wow, 300,000 folks applied to work for Microsoft last year?!

The other side of the coin

Survey says:

Nine out of ten Microsoft employees are disappointed with recently announced changes to the company's employee stock purchase programme, according to an informal poll.

Changes at Microsoft:

1/ They are cutting who is eligable for the stock purchase plan.

2/ They are cutting the amount those stocks are discounted

3/ Cutting the employee health benefits back

4/ Cutting vacation levels to new employees

5/ No more free soft drinks.

6/ Less parental leave

Microsoft wants to cut $1 billion dollars in expenses.  I would expect more cuts to come in the future.

As someone who once worked for a company listed on one of these top companies to work for lists all I can say is "it was B.S.".  The uniform opinion of the employees is that the top executives bought their way onto the list as a boasting point.   Obviously I can't say if that applies to this list.