IT for Hire

Computerworld - What was a Washington-based applications analyst like Ruth Diaz doing in Beijing this past March?

Training end users, for one thing. But Diaz, who works at Hogan & Hartson LLP (No. 94), a Washington-based law firm with 21 offices worldwide, says there was a lot more to it than that.

"I was really able to connect with the other [IT] people there," she says. "Since I came back to headquarters, there's been a tighter link there. They know what we're doing, and we know what they're doing."

Last year, after a period of cuts, outsourcing and general hibernation, 49% of the IT organizations at our Best Places to Work began to add staff, bulking up by an average of 8%. That trend has accelerated this year, with 61% saying they will boost their workforces by an average of 9%.

We wondered how these leading IT groups are addressing the challenges brought on by this encouraging, if modest, buildup. There's still a big pile of resumes to choose from -- how do you make sure you're getting the best? How do you plan for controlled staffing growth to prevent layoffs the next time the economy falters?

The Grapevine
Best Places use a variety of strategies to hire the best possible candidates. Many rely heavily on employee referrals. That's the case at Mount Laurel, N.J.-based Automotive Resources International (No. 11).

"Just looking at the resumes we get is the least successful [method]," says Tony Candeloro, the company's manager of systems and programming. "We prefer to use referrals from people on staff -- they know what the job requirements are, so there's a sort of prescreening built in."

While the Automotive Resources referral program is informal, many top employers have structured programs that may include tempting bonuses. Booz Allen Hamilton Inc., a McLean, Va.-based consulting firm that ranks No. 36 on the Best Places list, has a referral program that's extensive enough to require a full-time manager, according to Sheryl Jones, manager of Booz Allen's support services. "HR will broadcast an e-mail saying, 'We're looking to fill such-and-such positions,' " Jones says. Bonuses for referrals that lead to permanent hires range up to $3,000.

One intriguing feature of Booz Allen's referral program, perhaps borrowed from retailers that know it's easier to recapture a former customer than it is to start from scratch, is dubbed Comeback Kids.

The feature "segregates all people who already have [Booz Allen] experience," Jones says. "It's extremely successful because it allows us to understand what we're buying. We can look at [a former employee's] history with the company and assessments." She adds that the history is invaluable because "anyone can 'pass' an interview if they're prepared."