The IT department of Britannia Building Society has been
named overall winner of Computer Weekly's Best Places to Work in IT
for 2006, following this year's search for organisations that are
taking the lead in attracting, retaining and motivating their IT
staff.
Graham Gornall, IS service support manager at Britannia, said
the win was a "fantastic" fillip for the society, and reflected the
"huge amount of hard work" that went into ensuring its IT employees
were valued and their skills developed.
"We undertake a lot of benchmarking of staff, as well as seeking
out the views of IT's customers internally," said Gornall.
"Getting feedback from internal customers is crucial to ensuring
that IT is working for the business and getting the recognition it
deserves.
"Staff satisfaction is the other crucial measure, and in our
last independently conducted survey, 88% of Britannia's IT staff
said they felt that their job gave them a sense of personal
accomplishment."
Other winners included specialist retailer Past Times, which won
the retail, wholesale and distribution award category.
"It's a shock, because it is normally the big companies that
win," said Rashpal Gill, IT director of Past Times. "I think this
reflects the empowerment culture we have at Past Times, without
rules or bureaucracy. It is an organisation that encourages
entrepreneurial flair."
Phil Ives, IT director of award-winner Yell, said there was a
"culture of improvement" in the firm, and because technology was
crucial to the business, the motivation of its IT staff was
essential.
A key theme at this year's awards was how IT can improve its
standing within an organisation by engaging better with its
internal customers - and the rest of the organisation understanding
that IT can make a real difference.
Where IT is successful, it is also essential that users get to
hear about that success.
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