Wildlife charity the WWF shows that you do not need a huge budget
to give IT staff the job satisfaction they require.
For David Southern, head of IT at the WWF, the key to being a best
place to work is to turn the problems of running IT for a charity
into an opportunity to provide a high degree of job satisfaction
for his staff.
The problems Southern faces in running the IT department for the
conservation charity are considerable. He has 10 IT staff for 350
users and bonuses are scarce - all the department's costs are
covered by fundraising, meaning no fancy IT systems or
salaries.
But it is the sense of responsibility to spend IT money wisely that
creates job satisfaction for Southern and his team.
"We have a great sense of bonding as a team. We do not go on
specific team-building activities such as white-water rafting, but
we feel we certainly want to be the best - and to be the best
without throwing money at IT," Southern said.
"It is a personal challenge for all of us. We know we need to be
creative and innovative to find solutions."
Although the department is small, the IT staff know they work in a
highly professional environment. "We are very structured, not
chaotic," said Southern. "We have service level agreements with our
users to measure our performance and we have clear processes in
place. We demonstrate that we are professional, despite our size.
The WWF trusts us to do the best job for it."
Job satisfaction also comes from caring about the charity's work.
"I used to work at Citibank, but I wanted a work/life balance and
to work for something I believed in. I probably work harder and
longer here than anywhere I have worked in my life, but it does not
feel like it," he said.
"People do not come to work for the WWF for big company salaries,
so they have to feel engaged with the WWF's cause. We encourage IT
staff to go to the WWF talks and to go on conservation work trips,
such as clearing ponds and lopping trees."
The siting of the department - overlooking a tree-lined river in
green surroundings - also reinforces the staff's commitment to
environmental conservation.
The low number of staff increases job satisfaction because people
get a high level of responsibility earlier, said Southern. "For
example, less than five years ago my network manager was on the
helpdesk. He gained his experience on the job and he showed great
aptitude for management, so we brought him on."
Low staff numbers also mean a lot of job variety. "We are stretched
very thinly and cover a wide spectrum of IT, from desktops and
databases to networks and security," said Southern.
"It is a big advantage because we can nurture people's careers
around their strengths and interests, but we also share some of the
more onerous work."
For example, because there is only one person on the helpdesk,
everyone has to cover the post over lunchbreaks. And despite the
small numbers, flexible working and home working are also
supported, which contributes to job satisfaction.
Southern's strategy must be working - only one person has left the
department in four years.
The WWF won the Computer Weekly Best Places to Work in IT 2003
award in the not-for profit companies category