Procter & Gamble, winner of the manufacturing and
engineering category ofComputer Weekly's Best Places to Work in IT Awards
2007, has strengthened its hand in IT
professional development for this year's competition.
"In the past year we have concentrated on internationally
recognised certifications for the first time, in a conscious effort
to enable our IT professionals to benchmark themselves externally
across the IT industry," said Richard King, IT director at Procter
& Gamble.
Over and above Procter & Gamble's flexible working
arrangements, community events and business team relationships,
judges in last year's competition praised the company's investment
in training IT staff and for offering strong development
pathways.
"We consider continually growing people to maximise their
potential as critical to IT's success within Procter & Gamble
and see external certifications as taking that strategy to a higher
level because it helps improve skills and competencies in a way
that is universally understood," said King. "This makes it easier
for people to understand exactly what level they are at."
Winning the manufacturing and engineering category in last
year's Best Places to Work in IT Awards has provided another
important external benchmark within the manufacturing industry,
said King - and one that Procter & Gamble is working on
maintaining.
"We are passionate about what we do, but the award has
definitely boosted the IT department's credibility within the
company and given our IT professionals added confidence in their
place of work and in the way they engage with business partners,"
he said.
The award has also been useful in recruiting young talent for
Procter & Gamble's IT department, said King. "When we speak to
IT students, the award gives credibility to our key recruitment
message of offering excellent opportunities for personal
development," he said.