What makes a corporation a fantastic place for expertise professionals to work? Top salaries, advantages, and different perks are vital, however so are alternatives to be taught new expertise, a versatile work setting, and a company tradition that values variety and teamwork.Computerworld writer Foundry surveyed massive, midsize, and small organizations to find the highest employers for our 29th annual Best Places to Work in IT report. While in previous years the survey has been supplied solely to US-based firms, this yr we welcomed participation by organizations worldwide.Read this particular report back to see which firms are the Best Places to Work in IT and what it’s that makes them such fascinating locations to work. To learn the report in PDF format, obtain it beneath. obtain
Our 29th annual report highlights employers who supply IT professionals prime advantages, versatile work assist, in depth coaching choices, and way more. Computerworld
Tech expertise’s time to shineCareer alternatives for IT professionals have been unprecedented over the previous yr amid robust demand for prime expertise and new expertise. Recent financial pressures and rising layoffs have softened the market considerably, however many firms proceed to hunt much-needed expertise in knowledge science, software program growth, cybersecurity, and different IT areas. Whether it’s by way of compensation, coaching, profession development, or versatile work choices, organizations which have doubled down on efforts to domesticate a extremely expert IT workforce to assist advance digital enterprise shall be effectively positioned to trip out a sustained financial downturn or different disruptions which will lie forward.In specific, hybrid work preparations are serving to align the wants of firms and employees, opening alternatives for a extra numerous and productive workforce. Companies have a geographically broader pool of expertise from which to attract, and potential hires have extra freedom to hunt employment alternatives past the place they stay.This shift is vital, given how very important IT’s function in enterprise has turn into. Across industries, pandemic-era pressures have accelerated digital transformation, fast-tracking expertise investments and casting IT as a key enterprise enabler. This has put strain on management groups to maintain prime performers extremely motivated and engaged. “IT can no longer be viewed as just a function or department. We’re really the backbone and the operating system of the enterprise,” says Jo Abernathy, CIO at Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina, which earned the No. 1 large-company spot on Computerworld’s 2023 Best Places to Work in IT listing. “Technology isn’t used just to run the business but to reimagine it.” Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina has launched a number of initiatives to extend racial and gender variety in IT.
As firms turn into extra digitally pushed, there’s higher urge for food for IT creativity — one other plus for profession paths in tech. “IT is an amazing melting pot of many skill sets coming together in new ways and is constantly being reinvented,” says Debbie Peterson, senior vice chairman of People & Culture with MetroStar, a digital providers and options firm specializing in authorities that earned the No. 1 spot amongst small firms this yr. “I think that leads to a lot more autonomy. You can be more creative. And because of that, inside of IT, you tend to see folks take on many more types of roles than they would in a different sector.” With expertise now being the epicenter of recent enterprise, IT jobs and salaries are on the rise, in keeping with this yr’s Best Places to Work in IT survey. The variety of IT staff is up 8% over the earlier yr general and is notably increased at midsize firms, at 17%. Across the board, firms are including full-time IT staff: Almost three-quarters (72%) of the respondents have expanded their IT ranks over the previous three years, by 41% on common. The yr forward seems to be on an analogous trajectory, with 72% of the respondents indicating that they plan to develop their IT group, by 16% on common.
Top 10: IT Growth
Large Companies
Midsize Companies
Small Companies
1
ADM
Guardant Health
Cloud for Good
2
Baptist Health
Tokyo Electron US Holdings, Inc.
Resultant
3
IT@Johns Hopkins
Janney Montgomery Scott LLC
Axxess
4
Align Technology
Credit Acceptance
Complete Technology Services
5
Fiege Logistik Stifung GmbH
Plante Moran, PLLC
Edafio Technology Partners
6
Navy Federal Credit Union
KnowBe4
TMNA Services, LLC (TMNAS)
7
Cedars-Sinai
FINRA
Nethouse Sverige AB
8
Corewell Health
DriveTime
MetroStar
9
Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Planned Systems International, Inc.
Nitel
10
Zebra Technologies Corporation
Miami University
Dataprise
Raises for IT positions are the norm: On common, 92% of IT staff obtained a wage bump in 2022, with wage cuts and freezes practically nonexistent.
Top 10: Benefits
Large Companies
Midsize Companies
Small Companies
1
Johnson & Johnson
Avanade
MetroStar
2
VMware
Tokyo Electron US Holdings, Inc.
Amerisure Mutual Insurance Company
3
Genentech
OCLC, Inc.
Dataprise
4
Zimmer Biomet
Guardant Health
Avaap
5
Oshkosh Corporation
Extreme Networks
TMNA Services, LLC (TMNAS)
6
CDW
Janney Montgomery Scott LLC
T-Rex Solutions, LLC
7
Navy Federal Credit Union
CME Group
Resultant
8
RSM US LLP
FINRA
Nethouse Sverige AB
9
Ceridian HCM Inc.
VyStar Credit Union
Cloud for Good
10
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina
Plante Moran, PLLC
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota
Workplace flexibility is right here to stayMost of the survey respondents mentioned the pandemic interval has established versatile work as a reputable possibility that doesn’t diminish enterprise productiveness. As workplaces have reopened, many firms are embracing the hybrid work mannequin: On common, 90% of IT professionals at responding organizations are working offsite at the least a part of the time, and most firms (83%) have established a proper coverage on versatile work. More than half of the employers (57%) mentioned they provide people the power to decide on their work location (with approval from administration or inside sure parameters), and 42% mentioned their staff have the liberty to decide on the place they need to work on any given day.Many companies had already supported distant work choices, giving them a head begin on implementing collaboration instruments and new work patterns when the pandemic started. That was the case at Cedars-Sinai, ranked No. 2 amongst massive organizations for hybrid work. IT staff had been working a few days per week at dwelling for a while, however as soon as the hospital formalized its telework coverage, in 2021, it furnished all hybrid and distant employees with laptops, desktops, a number of screens, docking stations, and digital desktop software program so functions had been readily accessible remotely. Box and OneDrive assist promote file sharing and collaboration, and there are instruments for mission monitoring and reporting in addition to for receiving calls from staff’ work cellphone extensions. An IT onboarding committee was established to assist new staff really feel welcome and to assist within the transition to a digital setting. “Since we implemented the formal policy, IT employee engagement scores and comments have continued to positively reflect that employees are happy and productive working from home,” says Craig Kwiatkowski, senior vice chairman and CIO at Cedars-Sinai.Some organizations are discovering that hybrid fashions present a greater steadiness and higher benefits for skilled growth than totally distant fashions. Employees at regional broker-dealer Janney Montgomery Scott, the No. 5 midsize firm, spend two or three days per week within the workplace, with a type of days serving as a collective “team day” for IT staff. CIO Robert Thielmann believes that vital information switch is misplaced when staff go totally distant, and having staff work together in particular person with Janney’s veteran IT managers and friends is vital to the corporate’s success.People be taught by observing, Thielmann says — issues just like the artwork of negotiation, collaborative design, and management habits in varied climates. “Our managers operate like player-coaches. They impart a lot of knowledge and skills, but most importantly they impart work ethic,” he provides, likening Janney’s mentoring mannequin to that of a educating hospital.
Top 10: Hybrid Work
Large Companies
Midsize Companies
Small Companies
1
VMware
Plante Moran, PLLC
Resultant
2
Cedars-Sinai
Avanade
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota
3
Oshkosh Corporation
FINRA
MetroStar
4
Atrium Health
Extreme Networks
TMNA Services, LLC (TMNAS)
5
Corewell Health
KnowBe4
Ostfriesische Tee Gesellschaft GmbH
6
Fannie Mae
DriveTime
T-Rex Solutions, LLC
7
Informatica
Janney Montgomery Scott LLC
Dataprise
8
RSM US LLP
Genesis HealthCare System
Nethouse Sverige AB
9
University of Notre Dame
Tokyo Electron US Holdings, Inc.
Edafio
10
Aflac
OCLC, Inc.
Amerisure
To assist a hybrid office, firms usually are not simply amping up use of collaboration platforms and gear to make it simpler for workers to work higher remotely. They are additionally investing in on-site facility enhancements to make in-office work extra engaging and to carry parity to the hybrid work expertise. At biotechnology agency Genentech, for instance, convention rooms have been redesigned to supply higher visibility throughout video calls and encourage fairness throughout hybrid conferences. Neighborhood work environments, designed for teams, can be found all through its campus. The firm has additionally made enhancements to reservation methods for extra environment friendly administration of demand for on-site providers and convention rooms, and it has put in IT merchandising machines to make it straightforward to accumulate expertise on the fly.“We offer a hybrid work model but also believe in the importance of a vibrant campus life,” says Charles Castano, vice chairman, US Informatics, at Genentech, which earned the No. 2 large-company spot. Creative ideas akin to “tech-free Tuesdays” and “whiteboard Wednesdays,” together with on-site occasions designed to drive connection and celebration, are among the many firm’s initiatives geared toward encouraging IT employees to return to the workplace with out having a set agenda.“They have an opportunity to collaborate, sit down, have lunch, and walk the campus,” he explains. “It’s those one-, five-, or 10-minute interactions that spur ideas and discussion about how IT can collaborate with the business.”Nurturing and upskilling the workforceFacing a expertise hole in lots of vital expertise areas, firms are making a push to nurture current staff. This yr’s Best Places to Work in IT survey outcomes present that 38% of IT vacancies had been crammed internally in 2021, and firms are actively pursuing a wide range of paths to spice up worker engagement. In addition to internet hosting worker appreciation occasions and providing bonuses and different high-value objects to prime performers, firms put a major concentrate on coaching and profession growth, together with “stay interviews” with current staff to assist set up belief amongst group members and proactively resolve conflicts.IT coaching budgets had been flush this previous yr, with 62% of the survey respondents reporting will increase in {dollars} spent, an indicator that upskilling staff and filling key expertise gaps stay prime priorities. The common IT worker is eligible for six days of in-person or distant coaching, the survey discovered, however three-quarters of the respondents mentioned there is no such thing as a set most. Popular coaching choices embrace technical certifications, skilled and profession growth, administration and comfortable expertise coaching, and enterprise expertise growth. Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab
The Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab affords a vibrant campus ambiance together with what CIO Michael Misumi calls “a culture of lifelong learning and discovery.”
The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), the No. 1 massive group for profession growth, affords a big selection of choices to upskill its IT workforce, budgeting roughly $1.5 million yearly for IT workers coaching. Employees can reap the benefits of instructional help applications, which cowl as much as 24 credit per tutorial yr for employees members incomes a level at any college. IT staffers pursuing a doctorate are eligible for as much as 200 hours of annual training depart (along with their common depart), which offers time for analysis and work on their dissertation. There are additionally rotational assignments, mentoring applications, and in-person and on-line coaching lessons, amongst different choices.“One of the most important elements for the long-term health of APL is to create and sustain a culture of lifelong learning and discovery,” says Michael Misumi, APL’s CIO. “Our training programs build trust and engagement within the department, two tenets that are very important to the IT culture.”At Avanade, a digital enterprise and expertise consultancy fashioned by Accenture and Microsoft, Microsoft certifications take priority for all staff, not simply these in IT. The No. 2 midsize agency on the Best Places listing trains staff on primary technical expertise in addition to find out how to apply these expertise particularly to advance the corporate’s inside enterprise processes and agenda. “Investing in your employee base by reskilling is mission-critical, both for the employee and the company’s ability to support areas that are a priority where we’ve had trouble getting outside talent,” says Ron White, Avanade’s international CIO.
Top 10: Career Development
Large Companies
Midsize Companies
Small Companies
1
Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Plante Moran, PLLC
TMNA Services, LLC (TMNAS)
2
Genentech
VyStar Credit Union
Amerisure Mutual Insurance Company
3
Zebra Technologies Corporation
FINRA
Ostfriesische Tee Gesellschaft GmbH
4
Red Hat
KnowBe4
Nethouse Sverige AB
5
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
National Information Solutions Cooperative
MetroStar
6
RSM US LLP
Extreme Networks
Edafio Technology Partners
7
Navy Federal Credit Union
Planned Systems International, Inc.
Dataprise
8
University of Notre Dame
Tokyo Electron US Holdings, Inc.
Avaap
9
Baptist Health
Avanade
T-Rex Solutions, LLC
10
The Hartford
American Fidelity
Axon Active Vietnam Co., Ltd.
In addition to offering technical coaching, Avanade promotes IT management growth by way of initiatives akin to The Leader Within, a six-month digital program geared toward girls in tech, and Coaching@Avanade, which makes use of the BetterUp cellular platform to develop worker management and confidence.Offering mentoring applications has turn into a preferred method to upskill the prevailing IT workforce with sensible enterprise expertise, a technique cited by practically three-quarters (71%) of the survey respondents. Blue Cross NC, for instance, has instituted Blue Xchange, a six-month program that matches mentees searching for particular expertise to an acceptable mentor; every pair participates in boards in addition to particular person classes to spice up information within the areas of management, profession growth, enterprise acumen, and communication. A second mentoring initiative, the Leadership and Diversity Development Experience Rotation (LADDER), connects minority IT leaders with IT professionals who’re early of their careers to assist nurture and develop a culturally numerous office.Outside of coaching and profession growth, prime employers have embraced quite a few measures to maintain IT staff related and engaged. There are companywide hackathons and tech summits to spice up creativity and innovation. Speaker occasions, hearth chats, and extra intimate roundtables present a venue for extra conversational info sharing and problem-solving throughout skilled in addition to private areas of curiosity. There are in-person leisure occasions designed to carry colleagues collectively to advertise camaraderie and group constructing, in addition to a wide range of recognition applications to assist IT employees really feel appreciated.
Top 10: Employee Engagement
Large Companies
Midsize Companies
Small Companies
1
Total Quality Logistics
KnowBe4
Nethouse Sverige AB
2
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina
DriveTime
Cloud for Good
3
The Kroger Co.
Genesis HealthCare System
Ostfriesische Tee Gesellschaft GmbH
4
Baptist Health
FINRA
Resultant
5
VMware
Plante Moran, PLLC
TMNA Services, LLC (TMNAS)
6
UKG (Ultimate Kronos Group)
National Information Solutions Cooperative
Avaap
7
Oshkosh Corporation
Avanade
Dataprise
8
University of Notre Dame
American Fidelity
Complete Technology Services
9
Erickson Senior Living
Enova
Amerisure Mutual Insurance Company
10
Genentech
Tokyo Electron US Holdings, Inc.
IT Convergence
A powerful dedication to DEI initiativesWith variety, fairness, and inclusion (DEI) now thought of foundational to enterprise success, IT departments are actively attempting to domesticate new expertise pipelines to carry extra variety into what has remained a stubbornly white and male-dominated subject. The lion’s share (92%) of firms on the 2023 Best Places to Work in IT listing mentioned they’ve a documented DEI technique, and 96% have established some sort of DEI champion, by way of a proper function (61%), a group of staff devoted to selling office variety (82%), or each.Blue Cross NC, which tops this yr’s listing of huge organizations within the variety class, has taken a number of steps to extend racial and gender variety, by way of initiatives akin to its LADDER program; its involvement with Road to Hire, which focuses on serving to underrepresented youth enter the tech subject; and a partnership with the North Carolina Governor’s HBCU Internship Program. It has additionally established TechNOW (Network of Women), an worker community for ladies working in expertise at Blue Cross NC that features a mentoring program.“Deliberate nurturing of talent is important,” says Abernathy. “It’s not just about creating mentors but what can be done to get more minorities in IT and, even more importantly, in leadership roles.”
Top 10: Diversity
Large Companies
Midsize Companies
Small Companies
1
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina
OCLC, Inc.
Nethouse Sverige AB
2
MITRE
VyStar Credit Union
Amerisure Mutual Insurance Company
3
Baptist Health
Avanade
Axxess
4
Corewell Health
American Fidelity
Cloud for Good
5
Erickson Senior Living
Janney Montgomery Scott LLC
MetroStar
6
RSM US LLP
KnowBe4
TMNA Services, LLC (TMNAS)
7
UKG (Ultimate Kronos Group)
Tokyo Electron US Holdings, Inc.
Edafio Technology Partners
8
Cedars-Sinai
Miami University
Dataprise
9
Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Plante Moran, PLLC
Ostfriesische Tee Gesellschaft GmbH
10
Liberty Mutual Insurance
Curity, a ChenMed firm
Axon Active Vietnam Co., Ltd.
This yr’s winners are taking a wide range of steps to advertise DEI. Nearly all (98%) have created particular recruitment methods to draw numerous staff by way of ways akin to leveraging numerous job boards or rewarding staff for numerous candidate referrals. Other widespread efforts embrace celebrating worker variations (96%), providing variety and inclusion coaching (93%), and creating worker useful resource teams primarily based on frequent pursuits and targets (85%).At Janney, a proper variety and inclusion technique contains workforce ways akin to blind recruiting, numerous candidate slates, and increasing geographic search areas, amongst different approaches. The efforts to develop the expertise pool are paying off: Over 40% of Janney’s IT workers includes girls and minorities.“Skills, motivation, and fit are the primary factors during recruitment,” says Thielmann. “By placing skills and experience as the paramount focus, diversity naturally follows and has been a huge benefit to our technology department.” Janney Montgomery Scott
At Janney Montgomery Scott, over 40% of the IT workers includes girls and minorities, thanks partly to a proper DEI technique.
Despite such efforts, there’s extra work to be accomplished throughout the trade. Computerworld’s survey discovered that, on common, 28% of IT employees and 28% of IT managers are girls. Although these numbers present progress, they’re nonetheless shy of many firms’ acknowledged DEI targets. “The bottom line for employers is that you have to have more candidates in the pool in order to hire more women in the organization, and that’s not happening at a fast enough rate,” Abernathy says.Genentech, with a mission to ship higher well being outcomes for all sufferers, sees DEI as central to its constitution. The firm has created a chief variety workplace; appointed a chief variety officer reporting on to the CEO; and set forth particular commitments, which embrace doubling the variety of Black and Latinx staff amongst its management ranks and in its general workforce. There are additionally extra tactical efforts to assist numerous hiring, akin to searching for candidates from nontraditional expertise swimming pools and creating more-diverse interview panels.“Cultivating an environment where all employees are actively included, feel comfortable showing up, and thrive as their authentic selves is essential to delivering groundbreaking science and innovation to all patients,” Castano says.Building a constructive and nurturing IT tradition is just not about making a singular division higher. In right this moment’s digital local weather, a happier and simpler IT group interprets instantly into extra revolutionary and aggressive enterprise. As our Best Places to Work in IT winners show, organizations which can be proactive in making a supportive, partaking, and rewarding setting for IT groups shall be effectively positioned to succeed, now and sooner or later. — Beth StackpoleNEXT PAGE: 2023 Best Places to Work in IT rankings and extra