Letter: What it takes to be among the Best Places to Work in IT

Computerworld - I did a quick analysis comparing the 2003 vs. 2009 rankings of Computerworld's Best Places to Work in IT [June 8/June 15]. Here's what I found:

1. Only 27 employers from 2003 remain on list.
2. Biggest improvements in rank: Verizon (up 63 places, to No. 7); USAA (up 47); Principal Financial (up 46); General Mills (up 45); Marriott (up 39); American Fidelity (up 24); Aetna (up 20)
3. Biggest declines in rank: CDW Computer Centers (down 63 places); MasterCard (down 60); FedEx (down 40); Comerica (down 35); Cerner (down 30); Northern Trust (down 29); Discover Financial (down 22)
4. Of the 73 dropping off the list, manufacturing companies accounted for 20%, the largest single industry loss, by a good margin.
5. Only one company's ranking was unchanged: SoCal Edison.
6. Biggest surprises: Performance over time (for those appearing on both lists) appears to be industry-blind for both declining and improving companies: There is absolutely no advantage or disadvantage for any particular industry. However, the economic recession may have had an effect: 30% of those companies dropping off the list are in the manufacturing or financial industries; the figure is 43% if you include the insurance/real estate sector.

Bottom line: The "Best Places" distinction appears to be largely cultural: Either you have it or you don't. And it appears quite easy for employers to lose their bearings, i.e., stop doing what they were doing, and plummet in the rankings or fall off altogether. Or worse, fail to even apply to be considered year after year. A sign of corporate fatigue or even depression, perhaps?

The "best" seem to try harder than the rest to preserve their cultures and fortify their roots, no matter what. That's why they are the best.

Bill Reynolds
Analyst
Foote Partners LLC
Vero Beach, Fla.
billr@footepartners.com

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