Computer Weekly'sBest Places to Work competitionis a
great way to get recognition for IT departments, says Mike Cope, IT
director atVirgin Atlantic Airlines.
The company won the travel category in
2008's competition, and the award has stepped up his team's
focus on how important it is to have a great place to work.
"Quite often, IT projects will get recognition because they have
achieved something for the business. This kind of thing does not
usually get the same level of recognition.
"The award helped us to recognise people's efforts, which is
very important. A lot of people work very hard on making it a great
place to work and it is good to have their work appreciated."
Judges were impressed by the company's commitment to
motivating its staff. It runs job shadowing and secondment
schemes, and all IT staff can experience working on the front line
at airports. Flexible working is normal for most staff, with some
who commute long distances working compressed hours for four days a
week, and others being able to work longer hours, then take time
off in lieu for family commitments.
Judges said these flexible working arrangements allowed staff to
balance work and life commitments with minimal disruption. Making
flexible working the norm, rather than an exception, showed the
airline's commitment to providing staff with a good work-life
balance, they said.
"We want to motivate people," said Cope. "We are trying to make
it a fun place to work, so that people come here because they
really want to come here, rather than just because it pays their
salary. That way, they are more likely to do a great job."
He added getting, and acting on, feedback from staff is
important for the department. "It is important to take feedback on
how we can improve things, we have a very open culture around
taking comments, suggestions and even criticisms."
The airline industry is likely to be one of the worst hit by the
recession, with the high price of oil and declining passenger
numbers hitting profits hard. But Cope said this will not stop his
company investing in staff training.
"We have a real
focus on training," he said. "The airline industry is very
difficult right now, profits are very thin. But we are still
investing in training, because we know that if we don't, staff will
not have the skills to do everything they need to do."
The culture of a department, which can be hard to pin down, is
what really makes somewhere a great place to work, said Cope. Every
month the IT team has departmental meetings, where staff talk about
what is happening at the moment, and are encouraged to communicate
and ask questions.
Individual parts of the IT department, such as the airport team,
or the team which oversees the website, go out for team meals once
a quarter, so they can get to know each other better in a more
social environment, said Cope.
Since winning, the department has redoubled its efforts to be a
great place to work. "We have not changed very much, but we have
given more attention to lots of things. People now appreciate more
how important it is to make a company a great place to work. The
team were all very honoured to win the award, and it has helped us
to give the issue even more focus."