Top 10 Places To Work For In IT [2011]

Great people make great companies. There has been no bigger proponent of the same then the author of Good To Great – Jim Collins. A line from his book says “leaders of companies that go from good to great start not with “where” but with “who”. According to him, getting the right people on board is critical to a company’s growth. I am sure all of us experience the same in our day to day professional lives.
While the need for great employees is absolutely critical, employers also need to ensure that they offer employees everything in their power to ensure that not only can they meet company’s expectations but also
feel happy at the workplace. With the kind of competition that exists today, employers need to leave no stone unturned to project an image of being a great employer.
The need is heightened in the IT sector where the competition is probably more fierce than any other sector. Talent is the driving force that drives innovation at technology companies and it is no surprise that the sector faces one of the highest attrition rate.
Wonder which are the best companies to work for in the IT sector? Computerworld has recently published the results of its 100 Best Places To Work For In IT 2011 which analyses over 500 companies across various parameters to determine the company’s positioning for being a much sought after employer.

Top 10 Places To Work For in IT

Personally speaking I am a little surprised seeing the Top 10. I am not sure what all went into determining the survey sample and whether the likes of Google etc. were considered for the survey. Also, even thought there is no mention that the survey was conducted in a specific region but I found the region coverage a little dicey.
Here are some key insights from the same survey
USAA seems to have taken the top spot in the best place to work in IT second year in row. USAA who, right? Well, the company is not your traditional IT company and is rather a financial services company (insurance). The 2000 odd IT employees seem to love the company and apart from generous payouts they take a liking to the overall work environment in the company. Apart from other things, the company ranked no.1 on Retention parameters. Well, a 4% employee turnover (IT employees) is something other companies would die for…
Salesforce seems to be the only pure play IT company which made to the Top 10 employer. The SaaS based solution provider is a front runner in leading the cloud revolution and is not scared to compete with the likes of SAP and Oracle for its product offering. No surprise then that the company values it employees on which it depends to consistently innovate and leap forward.The company has in place extensive training programs to help its employees stay ahead of the curve
University Of Pennsylvania at No. 6 was a strange candidate for me. No doubt the university is well known in the field of technology and also houses almost 300 employees in IT department, but the company seems to have secured No.2 ranking in terms of benefits offered. In addition to the pay packages, there are additional perks for the employees like flex timings, discounted services etc. Good to see an university also emerging as a top employer

Interesting trends worth noticing in the Top 10 Places To Work For in IT

• The top 10 and even the top 100 list for that matter is diverse. Diverse in the sense that the list is represented by companies operating in different sectors. From financial services to FMCG companies to pure play IT companies, the list has it all
• Financial services companies seem to attach a lot of value in hiring and maintaining their IT staff. IT is a critical component for companies in the financial services sector and the companies are making themselves appealing for prospective employees
• The parameters might be specific to the Computerworld survey but the critical evaluation parameters seem to extend beyond compensation and monetary benefits. Training is fast becoming a critical parameter as employees want their company to empower them with additional skills
• Employee turnover is an obvious but critical parameter for companies. A company which manages to keep the attrition of IT staff low is definitely seen in positive light by prospective employers

Like every other survey, there is obvious element of doubt in the validity and usefulness of the results. However, the survey does give a glimpse of great places to work in IT for those looking for their dream employer.
The relative rankings might change based on the survey sample but the company specific initiatives for keeping IT employees happy can be extremely helpful. So, even as the Google’s or the Microsoft’s don’t feature in the list here there are other companies where you want to make your career in IT you never thought before.
What are your thoughts on the list of Top 10 companies to work for in IT? Does the list have any merit as it includes a wide range of companies and the traditional IT leaders don’t feature?