The shortlist for Computer Weekly's Best Places to Work in IT 2008 Awards has been announced.
Judges sifted through the entries to find the IT departments doing the most to make their workplaces attractive to staff.
They picked firms that provide their staff with a positive working environment and plenty of opportunities for professional development. They also highlighted companies that enable staff to have a good work/life balance and that provide equal opportunities.
One company on the shortlist has built up a positive environment with an unusual corporate structure. There are no shareholders, and the firm is held in trust on behalf of its employees, who benefit from a profit-share scheme.
The same firm offers a variety of internal short courses, enabling employees to develop interpersonal, management and technical skills. It also has an independent employee assistance programme, which provides staff with advice on both personal and work issues.
Another organisation on the list takes a proactive stance on new technologies and business innovation. IT staff are encouraged to look for ways to improve the business, and, where possible, they are given ownership of the resulting projects.
To aid career development, the company allows staff members taking professional exams to take study days to prepare beforehand.
Another firm that made it onto the shortlist has a flexible working scheme for staff, allowing them to come in at 10am or leave at 4pm. If extra hours are worked, staff can accumulate an extra half day of holiday per month, in addition to their 27.5 basic days holiday a year.
IT staff with young children can also work flexibly, and a generous annual training budget of £5,000 per staff member means all staff have undergone ITIL awareness training and other programmes.
The award winners will be announced in March next year.
The Computer Weekly Best Places to Work in IT 2008 Awards ceremony will be held at the Intercontinental Hotel, Park Lane, London on 22 February 2008.
The lunchtime presentation includes a drinks reception, lunch and a guest speaker. To book a table, visit the Best Places to Work website.
Best places to work in it 2008: the shortlist
Banking
Britannia Building Society
Citi Technology Infrastructure EMEA
Egg & UK Citi Consumer
HBOS
Royal Bank of Scotland
Business and professional services
Berwin Leighton Paisner
Iris Nation
King Sturge
Mouchel Parkman
Sweet & Maxwell
Central government
Audit Commission
Nuclear Decommissioning Authority
The Coal Authority
The Scottish Government
Construction, agriculture and mining
Arup
Atkins
Avanti Architects
Willmott Dixon
WSP Group
Financial services
Lloyd's
Norwich Union
Picture Financial
Scottish Provident International
Emergency services
British Transport Police
North Yorkshire Police
West Yorkshire Police
Entertainment and leisure
Betfair
Channel 4
IT services suppliers
ADM Computing
Auros
Imerja
ITRM
RM Education
Royal Bank of Scotland
Synergy Integrated Systems
The Internet Group
IT software and hardware suppliers
3T Productions
Citrix Systems (R&D)
Data Connection
Erudine
Smart
Local government
Lancashire ICT Services
Leeds City Council
North Warwickshire Borough Council
Service Birmingham
Thanet District Council
Wychavon District Council
Manufacturing and engineering
Boehringer Ingelheim
Procter & Gamble
Selex Sensors and Airborne Systems
Non-profit sectors
Ashridge
Bournemouth University
CfBT Education Trust
Nominet
Skills for Care
University of Huddersfield
Retail, wholesale
Asda
Figleaves.com
L'Oreal
Sainsbury's
Travel (airlines, tour operators and agents)
Silverjet
Virgin Atlantic Airlines
Utilities and telecommunications
BP International
BT Group
E.ON IS UK
Yorkshire Water
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This was first published in November 2007
