These 100 U.S. employers attract top tech talent with stellar benefits, challenging projects and plenty of opportunities for growth.
What makes an organization a good place for technology professionals to work?
For the 25th year in a row, Computerworld has surveyed large, midsize and small organizations across the U.S. to find out which ones are the Best Places to Work in IT.
Along the way, we’ve learned a lot about what the companies and other organizations that have made our 25 lists have in common. We’ve seen what goes into becoming a Best Place to Work.
Salaries, paid time off, health insurance and retirement plans all contribute. But the things that seem to really set organizations apart are benefits that reflect an attitude: We value our employees, we listen to our employees, we empower our employees, we want our employees to be challenged and grow professionally, and we want them to enjoy both their work and their personal lives.
Those are the things that the IT employees who responded to our survey have been most enthusiastic about, and it’s what all our list-toppers do most effectively.
Read this special report to see which companies are the Best Places to Work in IT and what it is that makes them such desirable places to work.
The value of soft benefits
With unemployment low, demand for technology workers today is high, giving tech pros plenty of career opportunities.Yet Judd Williams, CIO for the National Collegiate Athletic Association, hasn’t had turnover among his 35-member IT team during the past two years.
It’s not big paychecks that retain his workers, Williams says. Although the NCAA offers competitive compensation, Williams instead attributes his retention success to the myriad benefits offered by the Indianapolis-based nonprofit from free tickets for championship events to Star Wars movie outings.
His IT workers enjoy flexible hours in the summer, an option to work from home once a week, a week off at Christmas, and opportunities to learn new skills and advance in their careers.
They also get some unusual perks, such as afternoon trips to a nearby IMAX theater whenever there’s a new release in the Star Wars franchise, annual retreats for strategizing and socializing, and formal recognition programs that include the Penguin Award for risk-taking (named for the bird that dives into waters where predators could lurk).
Williams acknowledges that these benefits don’t cost a lot to implement or take much time to administer. But they have big returns by helping retain talent and keeping workers happy and engaged, factors that contributed to the NCAA’s placement as the No. 7 small organization on Computerworld’s 2018 Best Places to Work in IT list.
The NCAA is on to something. CIOs and executives at many companies that rank among the 2018 Best Places to Work in IT, as well as research and workplace experts, say competitive compensation is now a given, so workers seek out soft benefits that is, those perks and programs that can foster energetic, supportive cultures.
Moreover, CIOs such as Williams say offering these benefits helps them cultivate a strong workforce that in turn delivers better results.
Monika Dowal, senior director of strategic partnerships at Mondo, an IT and tech staffing firm, says she constantly sees the importance of these kinds of benefits.
“Soft benefits and benefits in general trump salaries when [candidates are] considering positions,” Dowal says.
His IT workers enjoy flexible hours in the summer, an option to work from home once a week, a week off at Christmas, and opportunities to learn new skills and advance in their careers.
They also get some unusual perks, such as afternoon trips to a nearby IMAX theater whenever there’s a new release in the Star Wars franchise, annual retreats for strategizing and socializing, and formal recognition programs that include the Penguin Award for risk-taking (named for the bird that dives into waters where predators could lurk).
Williams acknowledges that these benefits don’t cost a lot to implement or take much time to administer. But they have big returns by helping retain talent and keeping workers happy and engaged, factors that contributed to the NCAA’s placement as the No. 7 small organization on Computerworld’s 2018 Best Places to Work in IT list.
The NCAA is on to something. CIOs and executives at many companies that rank among the 2018 Best Places to Work in IT, as well as research and workplace experts, say competitive compensation is now a given, so workers seek out soft benefits that is, those perks and programs that can foster energetic, supportive cultures.
Moreover, CIOs such as Williams say offering these benefits helps them cultivate a strong workforce that in turn delivers better results.
Monika Dowal, senior director of strategic partnerships at Mondo, an IT and tech staffing firm, says she constantly sees the importance of these kinds of benefits.
“Soft benefits and benefits in general trump salaries when [candidates are] considering positions,” Dowal says.
She says job candidates are increasingly asking about and weighing such corporate offerings when deciding where to apply and which job offers to accept. In fact, one recent candidate decided to accept a position as an IT project manager with a company because that employer offered paid time off for workers to volunteer.
Dowal says tech workers today seem to value several specific benefits: professional development opportunities such as on-the-job training and financial support for advanced learning; assistance with paying off student loans; company-supported philanthropic programs such as mentoring and volunteering; and work-life balance policies such as flexible schedules, unlimited paid time off and telecommuting options.
Some other low-cost perks popular among tech workers include standing desks in the office, conferences and speaking opportunities, free food, on-site fitness classes and meditation lessons.