Organisations have increasingly started to treat IT like a commodity that can be used on demand.

But while the past 15 years might have seen IT become a commodity, the skills to harness technology’s potential have definitely not.

Last year’s Computing Awards for Excellence looked to answer the crucial question: “What makes a good IT employer?”

The newspaper sought to recognise the top IT employers in the UK and to reward the best company with a prize at the awards ceremony at Battersea Park Events Arena on 7 November 2007.

The award was coupled with an exercise to profile the best firm to work for in the UK and the results were made available in a specially commissioned book. Top IT Employers in the UK was published in February 2008 by the Corporate Research Foundation (CRF) in association with Computing.

The IT Employer of the Year Award is presented to the organisation that provides the best employment and career opportunities for technology professionals.

The 2007 award was won by financial services provider Abbey an organisation that CRF research suggests values both the role of IT and the staff who provide and support technology. Other companies in the top 10 included RM Education, NCC, IBM and Ericsson.

But what exactly makes a top IT employer? Are the best firms really any different from any other company?

CRF research shows that a great employer recognises the value of IT professionals to the business, and the role that technology plays in achieving effective and efficient business processes.

The choices a firm makes about IT deployment and management are a good indication of its view on technology.

Companies that decide to use outsourcing, for example, are sometimes showing that they view IT as a cost. Firms that run their own technology facilities, on the other hand, demonstrate that they view IT as fundamentally important and seek to develop their capability and capacity.

What differentiates in-house IT departments is their awareness of the rate at which business models are changing, and the ability they give the technology organisation to develop technical skills in response to market needs.

For anyone working in IT, the best employer is a firm that is serious about its employees’ future professional and personal development.

Key distinguishing factors in the best companies are a varied and challenging workload, a structured development scheme, a high level of investment in training, and a corporate culture that supports professionalism, professional status and professional standards.

CRF has been dedicated to recognising excellence in a number of fields, including IT, for many years.

But computer technology has come to seem rather like another utility service ­ something out of a tap on demand.

More and more companies have access to web-based services and corporate applications that are specifically designed for the business.

As a result, it is all too easy for senior executives to forget about the IT professionals whose effort and imagination make ease of use genuinely simple.
Providing appropriate rewards and nurturing talent is, in many ways, what the CRF research is all about ­ and to this extent IT employers are no different from any other employer.

Essentially, a good employer will motivate and reward their people, giving them the opportunity to grow and develop within their role in the organisation.

If Computing and CRF can together play a part in recognising best practice from employers who encourage and develop the IT profession, it is a positive move forward in the industry’s development.

Research suggests that 75 per cent of IT workers believe technology has the
potential to become an established profession, comparable in stature to law
or medicine.

But talk of professionalism is one thing ­ employment practice is another issue entirely. The panel of experts advising CRF about which companies to include in the publication singled out a number of specifics on which to assess each firm.

If you are looking for a solid career in IT, it is important to look not only at the reputation of the company but also at that of its IT function.

Balance such ratings against an analysis of potential growth ­ and prioritise firms that are recruiting to create a larger workforce, rather than to constantly replace a high staff turnover.

A multi-layered analysis will not only tell you about a firm’s retention rates but also about its overall corporate prospects. And that, in the end, means everything to an IT professional.

Dominic Knight is regional director at the Corporate Research Foundation UK.

For more about the research visit: www.crf.com