Although it took weeks of shuffling through surveys, talking with HR managers, and attempting to pin down exactly what techies are after when it comes to a working environment, we finally have a winner. At the same time, some interesting market trends which are having an impact on the IT jobs landscape in Australia were unearthed.
And the winners are:
|
Companies |
Staff |
Location |
Score |
|
10 |
Carlton North, VIC. |
10/10 |
|
|
40 |
Sydney, NSW. |
9/10 |
|
|
70 |
Sydney, NSW |
9/10 |
|
|
Over 600 |
North Ryde, NSW |
9/10 |
|
|
3165 |
Sydney, NSW |
9/10 |
|
|
1400 |
Gold Coast, OLD |
8.5 |
|
|
430 in Australia |
North Ryde, NSW |
8.4 |
|
|
1341 in Australia |
North Ryde, NSW |
8 |
Although Dimension Data and Coles Myer initially made it on to the list of finalists, the companies decided not to participate in the wake of mass layoffs they experienced during the week the surveys were being conducted.
Riding the pendulum
In an industry known for high salaries and short-term contracts, working environments have traditionally played second fiddle in IT recruitment circles. However, as IT settles down and gradually matures into "just another sector" status within the economy, tech employees are beginning to take a more long-term view of their working environments and requirements.
Employers, on the other hand, are finding themselves gaining the upper hand in negotiating employment terms and conditions. Nonetheless, given the costs associated with empty seats and recruitment procedures, it remains in their interest to retain highly skilled or promising staff.
When ZDNet Australia asked its readers to nominate Australia's best IT employer, we received suggestions from all manner, size and shape of companies. As we worked out way through the list, the trends became clear: IT employees want open, flexible, informal workplaces they want to be paid fairly, and they don't want to get bored.
According to Bal Gill, managing director of IT recruitment specialists SoftWork People, these requirements are increasingly the norm, despite the current downturn in the tech sector.
Gill said the last 12 months have witnessed the almost total demise of the once lucrative contract market--and with it, the astronomical hourly wages paid to contractors. He also described a distinct shift towards university-educated professionals with diverse experience.
"These days the employers want to start with the best, and make sure they stay," Gill said.
Gill believes this renewed emphasis on staff retention has led to an increased awareness of the need to maintain a competitive working environment.
"Employers are now far more aware of the need to create an overall package, and foster the right kind of climate to keep people interested and keep morale high," Gill said.
While some of the changes he attributed to the dot-com boom, he believes others have emerged from across the industry.
"To attract and keep good people these days companies need to foster a culture which is team oriented, they have to excel when it comes to communicating the company's overall direction, and they need to maintain high morale generally," Gill said. "They also finally realised that techies are driven by learning, and making sure they keep up with this need."
Tim Fleming, CIO of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, which tied for second place, says the industry is changing from one which sought ready-made talent, into one which focuses on a more developmental culture.
"There are some positions which call for specialist skills and a person who can essentially hit the ground running," Fleming said. "However, we are more interested in finding people who can work across the company, so we are focussing on recruiting people with good potential and encouraging them to develop a diverse range of skills internally."
Second-runner up in the ZDNet Australia award, Yambay establishes a flat hierarchy in an office without walls, and instigates regular employee reviews to ensure people within the company are able to steer their career in appropriate directions.
Yambay corporate services consultant, Ellen Dodd, believes that as the contract work has gradually been replaced by permanent positions the industry has struggled to provide the right kind of climate for highly skilled and energetic employees.
"We put our employees through a particularly arduous initial recruitment process, but once they become part of the company we make sure they are aware that they are key assets in the company's operations," Dodd said. "Remuneration is important, but at the end of the day it goes way beyond that. You have to provide a workspace that is cutting edge in terms of technology, team work and flexibility."
Dodd also points out that while many employees in the sector are contracted for their initiative, poor communications and a lack of opportunities can lead to the same people becoming disillusioned with their day-to-day working environment.
According to Gill mid-size IT organisations in Australia have been the most adept at creating the right kind of atmosphere.
"The bigger the company the more difficult it is to change, generally techies are looking for opportunities in mid sized companies because they have access to their team leader, and can see how their role relates to the overall successes of the company," Gill said. "They feel they can instigate change."
These ideas have certainly been borne out in the results of the ZDNet Australia survey. The award for Australia's best IT work place was received by a small software developer, eClinic, which attributes its success to a workplace without walls, and regular interactive gaming sessions between staff.
And who was the worst? If you published that, the worst companies might actually be so embarrassed they might lift their game.