Microsoft: The Best Place to work
Microsoft ranks in the top lists for best places to work. In fact, some lists even put it at No. 1. With over 540 thousand applicants for just 7,000 job openings in 2011, other people must think so, too.
Software engineers command an average salary of $118,000 along with bonuses. Plus, you get numerous perks, including an organic spa. Microsoft allows its employees to telecommute and have a compressed workweek, which means that they can work longer hours on less days. This gives them the flexibility to spend time with their families. According to a study, 35% of Microsoft employees are minorities and 24% are women.
The focus with Microsoft is on the total employee. As they say on their website, they offer benefits to help you balance your life so you can enjoy time away from the office. As telecommuting becomes a bigger component of human resources in general and hiring virtual employees from around the world enables companies to find the best and brightest talent, working outside of the office will continue to grow.
For the IT person, Microsoft may not have always seemed like the best place to work. In the early days before there was a lot of competition, Microsoft seemed to have the leading edge. However, the company has spent the last few years seeming to re-invent itself and getting left behind along the way in a lot of areas. Nevertheless, that time seems to have paid off now that Microsoft is once again paving the way.
The Windows phone has not taken over the smartphone industry, but it has shown strength and with Microsoft leading the research, you can expect new innovations in the future. Then there is the Surface and now the new Xbox ONE and you're beginning to see new ideas in technology that could change the way we do things forever.
Microsoft has come a long way from being known as a software company. Today, it works with hardware, services, research, and so much more. Besides operating systems, there are software applications to be designed and updated and new products to be developed. Microsoft seems to be re-doing everything and not just updating the current models. Take Office for example. It's now been updated to utilize the cloud and offers many features the old versions never had.
It's the time for developers and designers to get on board and show their ideas. Salaries are competitive and while Microsoft may not offer all of the unusual and unexpected perks that Apple and Google do, they ensure that their employees have what they need to achieve their full potential.
Microsoft has not only made it on the lists of the best places to work in the U.S., other countries consider them a top employer. With the constant changing landscape of technology, Microsoft is truly a company to be considered now as an employer. With the money and resources at your disposal, you can truly make an impact in millions or even billions of people's lives.