Employers in the government and charity sectors can
rarely compete with the private sector on salaries. But when it
comes to offering flexible working, development opportunities, job
security and pension schemes, they can be hard to
beat.
One area where public organisations shortlisted in the Best
Places to Work Awards excel is ensuring a wide social diversity in
their IT departments. New Charter Housing Trust, for example, has a
male/female ratio of 25% in its IT department - way above the 18%
UK average. About 45% of the IT department are aged 40 or over, and
15% are members of ethnic minorities.
Barking and Dagenham Council's Women's Networking and Leadership
initiative has been so successful that it has spread out from IT
into the rest of the organisation. And Lancashire ICT Services has
helped overseas IT staff obtain work permits.
The shortlisted organisations went out of their way to help
staff fit their working life around their home commitments. British
Transport Police, for example, recognises that staff have to travel
long distances to its London IT department. It offers late and
early starts and four-day working patterns.
The City of London Corporation allows staff to work from home
during school holidays, providing them with PDAs, laptops and
broadband.
Training and development is another important aspect. The City
of London Corporation offers financial support for staff to attend
evening classes and paid time off to prepare for exams. It also
encourages staff to volunteer in schools for an hour a week to help
them develop their people skills.
Charity WWF ensures that every member of the IT department
attends a three-day, residential course where they can meet staff
from other areas of the organisation.
But for many IT staff, the key driver for working in the public
and charity sectors is knowing that they are making a difference.
As one Lancashire IT professional said, "There is an intangible
feel-good factor in helping people, rather than just making money
for someone else."
Organisations shortlisted for the best places to work in
IT 2007 awards
Banking
● Barclays Bank
● Birmingham Midshires
● Citigroup Technology
● HBOS Group Technology
Business and professional services
● Berwin Leighton Paisner
● Imprint
● KPMG
Central government
● British Army (Land - CBM AIS)
● Companies House
Construction, agriculture and mining
● Arup
● Atkins
● Smith Group UK
● WSP Group
Hospitality, entertainment and leisure
● American Institute for Foreign Study (UK)
● BBC Worldwide
● Betfair
● Expotel
Financial services
● Aviva
● Denplan
● Friends Provident
● Norwich & Peterborough Building Society
● Totemic
IT services suppliers (including outsourcing
providers)
● Cobweb
● Imerja
● ITRM
● Rhyme Systems
● The Internet Group
● TheCitySecret
IT software and hardware suppliers
● Citrix Systems (R&D)
● cScape Strategic Internet Services
● Data Connection
● Erudine
● Dell
● Microsoft
● Welcom Software
Manufacturing and engineering
● Procter & Gamble
● Whitman Laboratories
Local government
● City of London Corporation
● Kent County Council
● Lancashire ICT Services
● Liverpool Direct
● London Borough of Barking and Dagenham
● London Borough of Towerhamlets
Public services and non-profit sectors
● Audit Commission
● British Transport Police
● Crown Prosecution Service Business Information Systems
Directorate
● New Charter Housing Trust
● Opportunity Links
● Coal Authority
● WWF
Retail, wholesale and distribution
● Asda Stores
● South West Trains
● Carphone Warehouse
Utilities and telecommunications
● BT Group
● Cable & Wireless
● Kingston Communications
Book a table at the awards ceremony
The Best Places to Work in IT Awards 2007 will be presented on 2
March at the Grosvenor Marriott Square Hotel in London.
Now in its fifth year, the lunchtime ceremony will play host to
the UK's best UK IT employers.
With IT departments from leading companies of all sizes,
representing every sector of UK business life, the awards offer a
unique networking opportunity.
To guarantee your place, and secure your opportunity to network
with the UK's best IT employers, go online or contact Siobhan
Abbott - Tel: 020 8652 3887 E-mail:
siobhan.abbott@rbi.co.uk
www.computerweekly.com/bestplacestowork
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