Building a Unique Environment

By

BR Building a Unique Environment Michael Saylor has not stopped at pouring all of his company's energy and earnings into the development of technology. He has approached the creation of a corporate culture with the notion that providing a fulfilling environment is equally important to providing a quality product. As a result, employees are offered stock options (the company is 100 percent employee-owned but is planning an initial public offering sometime this

BR>

Building a Unique Environment

Michael Saylor has not stopped at pouring all of his company's energy and earnings into the development of technology. He has approached the creation of a corporate culture with the notion that providing a fulfilling environment is equally important to providing a quality product.

As a result, employees are offered stock options (the company is 100 percent employee-owned but is planning an initial public offering sometime this year), intercompany cross training and other special activities.

How special? The entire staff leaves for a one-week cruise to the Caribbean this week. The trip will give MicroStrategy's 250 employees a chance to have a series of quarterly meetings and bond in the fun and sun.

"We only hire winners, people in the top 5 to 10 percent of their class from the nation's top universities and other people who have had some relation to winning," said Saylor. He mentioned that candidates who had experienced great success in other fields such as athletic competition would also meet this criteria. "We want to be a multibillion dollar software company working in decision support."

MicroStrategy's devotion to recruiting the best and brightest has paid off. Charles Veley, director of corporate development, estimates that 75 percent of the recruits choose to come aboard. The recruits come from Ivy League schools and the likes of M.I.T.

Veley predicts the company will double in size again this year.

Another facet of the MicroStrategy corporate culture that sets it apart from its peers allows employees to relocate after completing corporate training at the company headquarters in Virginia. Employees can choose among a handful of MicroStrategy offices in the United States and Europe as part of the International Program.

-Matt Hines

NEXT STORY: Washington Technology Online LETTERS