IT PROS THRIVE in workplaces where projects arechallenging and the learning never ends.

27th

ANNUALREPORT

2020

Continuous learning is a hallmark of top employers 5 | Profiles of three Best Places companies 21 | Large, midsize + small organization rankings 26

Building aresilient future
For more than 100 years, Southern
Company has been building the futureof energy for the communities weserve. To do this, our nearly 30,000
employees have a technology organization that provides technology solutions
and services they can count on to keep
the energy flowing – no matter what.
This is just one reason why we havebeen recognized as a Best Place toWork in IT for the 14th consecutive year.

southerncompany.com/careers©2020 Southern Company

Contents

FROM IDGE D I TO R I A L
E D I TO R S

Dan Muse, Valerie Potter
A RT D I R E CTO R

April Montgomery
R E S E A RC H D I R E CTO R

Jen Garofalo
E X E C U T I V E E D I TO R

Ken Mingis
E D I TO R I N C H I E F

Eric Knorr
E D I TO R I A L D I R E CTO R
		Matt Egan[ PROFILES ]21	Booz Allen Hamilton

I D G CO M M U N I CAT I O N S, I N C.

Empowering talent
to solve complex problems

PRESIDENT

Kumaran Ramanathan

30	Zebra

US PRESIDENT

How a growing company
prioritizes work-life balanceCharles Lee

36	NCAA

FOUNDER

Patrick J. McGovern(1937-2014)

Teamwork is the nameof the IT game		Copyright © IDG Communications, Inc. All rights reserved.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium
without express written permission of IDG Communications is
prohibited. Insider Pro and Computerworld and the respective
logos are trademarks of International Data Group Inc.

[ RA N K I N G S ]26	Large
5,000 or more U.S. employees

34	Midsize
1,001-4,999 U.S. employees

40	Small
1,000 or fewer U.S. employees		[ M E T H O D O LO G Y ]42	How we picked
this year’s honorees[ COV E R S TO RY ]Best Places to Work in IT

F O L LOW U S O N …

Twitter | twitter.com/InsiderPro_IDG
LinkedIn | linkedin.com/company/insider-pro-idg

5 C ontinuous learning is a hallmark of top employers:
Investment in employee development is a common theme
among the outstanding organizations on this year's list.

CO N TACT U S

idginsiderpro.com/about/contactus.html

BY BETH STACKPOLE

M AT T J E ACO C K / G E RA N D E K L E R K / VC H A L / B ATA R E Y K I N / M U S TA F A H ACA LA K I / G E T T Y I M AG E S

S U M M E R 2020|

INSIDER PRO|COMPUTERWORLD

3

Pursue yourtomorrow, today.
At Liberty Mutual, no matter where we’re working,
we’re challenging the status quo to make things
better for our customers, employees andcommunity. We’re honored to be recognized as oneof the 2020 Best Places to Work in IT by Insider Pro
and Computerworld.

lmi.co/careers

B E S T P LA C E S T O W O R K I N I T|

COV E R S TO RY

27th

CONTINUOUS
LEARNING is a

ANNUALREPORT

hallmark of top
companies on
this year’s list.

A[ BY BETH STACKPOLE ]T CENTRAL MINNESOTA CREDIT UNION,
IT employees sounded the call to make training and career development part of their daily
routine when CIO Neal Kaderabek first took
the reins more than a year ago as part of anenterprise digital transformation push.

S U M M E R 2020|

INSIDER PRO|COMPUTERWORLD

5B E S T P LA C E S T O W O R K I N I T

What makes agreat IT employer?
Abundant benefits,
rewarding workand team spirit,
for starters.
Our annual Best
Places to Work in IT
listing showcasesorganizations
that invest in theiremployees throughtop-notch training andcareer development
programs.

CMCU|

COV E R S TO RY

The credit union, ranked the#2 small organization on the2020 Best Places to Work in IT
list, was cited No. 4 overall incareer development and No. 8
in training. CMCU offers reimbursement for college classes
and IT certifications, subscriptions to online technical training as well as shadowing opportunities to expose incoming IT
staffers to how other parts of thecredit union operate.
IT staff first made the casefor more time for training when
Kaderabek’s opening shot was
to ask them about what stood intheir way for staying motivated.
With the credit union about topower through a series of critical technology deployments,
including standing up a new callsystem and contact center androlling out CRM and data analytics, the time was ripe to beef up
training. However, Kaderabek
was committed to doing so with

one caveat: Employees needed
to self-direct their own training
and development as opposed torelying on managers to assign
specific courses or formalize
long-term career pathways.
“The opportunity for education is huge, but we’re letting
people run their own careers,”
he explains. “My job is to makesure to advance the organization
on its strategy, but in creatingtransparency, employees cansee where the opportunity is fortraining and education.”

Employee development
a common denominator

In creatingtransparency,
employees
can see where
the opportunity
is for training
and education.

Regardless of size, most of thehighest-ranked players on thisyear’s list are allocating substantial dollars to employee development and training. Some of thelarger players—for example,
Ultimate Software, this year’s No.
1 large company—are earmarking several-million-dollar bud-

— N E A L K A D E RA B E K,
C I O, C M C U

S U M M E R 2020|

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6B E S T P LA C E S T O W O R K I N I T|

COV E R S TO RY

architected career development
gets to their employees’ personal
and training program helps nurand professional development.
ture a positive IT culture built
The investments are far rangaround advancement and coning, from formal college reimtinuous learning—both essential
bursement and paid technicalfor success in today’s highly comcertifications to ready access topetitive, digital-driven markets.
self-service learning platforms,
While the workforce seems tospecialized innovation centers,
favor employers bullinternships, mentorish on training andships, and partnertalent development,
ships with universities.
dollars spent in theseAmong the comof employees said
areas are turning into
panies favored as top
they would staya sound investment forplaces to work in IT,
longer at a company
companies across all
the investment in deif it invested intheir careerindustry sectors. Withvelopment and trainSource: LinkedIn survey ontalent management, 2018
so much riding on digiing appears to be a wintal transformation,
win for employees andthe emphasis on career developtheir employers. IT staffers parment and employee enrichment
ticipating in the Best Places surhas become a crucial tool forvey said the ability to stay current
developing and retaining a solidon the latest technologies andtalent bench capable of meeting
fill in the gaps in their technical,
core business objectives, survey
leadership and soft skill profiles
participants said.
makes them more marketable
In a 2018 LinkedIn survey on
while greatly elevating job satistalent management, 94 percent
faction. At the same time, a well-

94%

FINRA

IT workers at FINRA: (front, left to right) Ian Clar, Daniel Monteiro, Shoby Varghese, Arun Loitongbam;(back, left to right) Akanksha Luthra, Rene Arellano, Apul Mishra and Samir Lipovaca.

of responding employees said
they would stay longer at a company if it invested in their career.
Moreover, the LinkedIn survey revealed employees don’t
maximize participation incontinuous learning programs
mostly because they aren’t af-

S U M M E R 2020|

forded the time or they are notreadily accessible. Employersthat carved out opportunity andprovided ready access to learning
initiatives were generally viewed
as preferred workplaces that arecommitted to their employees’
best interests.

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7B E S T P LA C E S T O W O R K I N I T|

T O P 10 L I S T

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[ BENEFITS ]»Best of the best
Highlighting organizations
that excel in five areas of human resources: benefits,
career development, diversity, retention and training.

1
2
3
4
5

Genentech
Ultimate Software
Mitre
Zimmer Biomet
VMware6 Humana
7	Blue Cross and Blue Shield

LEARN TO WORK

SMARTERof North Carolina

8
9
10

8

Navy Federal Credit Union
Owens Corning
Central Minnesota Credit Union (CMCU)

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B E S T P LA C E S T O W O R K I N I T

From the company perspective, training for soft skills andthe identification of industry
trends to prevent internal skill
gaps were the top priorities forbusinesses as they grapple withthe short shelf life of skills whileaiming to attract the best talent
to achieve core business objectives, the LinkedIn survey found.

Living on the edge

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA)’s mission
to monitor fraud among brokerage firms and exchange markets
is predicated on deep knowledgeof open source big data technologies and scalable cloud platforms,
which means IT employees must
consistently remain on the cutting edge. The private, self-regulatory organization, lauded on
this year’s list as the #1 best place
to work in IT among midsize companies, made a choice early on tobuild its own set of technologies,|

COV E R S TO RY

underscoring the need to nurture and develop its workforceof more than 1,200 IT employees
and contractors to be continuous learners and self-starters.
“We developed expertise andin-house training for hundredsof employees to be able to figure
this out themselves,” says Stevefirm’s vice president, technology operations and services, also
launched a number of initiatives
to raise FINRA’s technology profile so it could more easily attract
and retain high-caliber talent.
In addition to an online training platform, FINRA IT employees are encouraged to partici-

If you look at our technology
management team, it’sabsolutely grown fromwithin as opposed toacquiring from outside.
— S T E V E RA N D I C H, E X E C U T I V E V I C E P R E S I D E N T A N D C I O, F I N R A

Randich, FINRA’s executive
vice president and CIO. FINRA
tapped engineering expertiseat its partners, leading cloud
software providers like Hortonworks, Amazon and Cloudera,
to come in and train its IT staff.
Randich and Rubyna Zito, thepate in Createathon, an annual
two-and-a-half-day event
designed to promote crossdepartmental collaboration andinnovation via a set of specificchallenges. Still, the biggest
boon to promoting on-the-job
learning is continued exposure

S U M M E R 2020|

for IT staffers to novel and interesting projects, Randich says.
“Rather than spend millions ofdollars educating people with formal training to work on a portfolio of boring, traditional IT work,
we give them the tools, quality ofwork, and culture that promotes
learning on the job,” he explains.
The focus on internal upskillingand self-reliance has also createda pipeline of future leaders. “Ifyou look at our technology management team, it’s absolutely
grown from within as opposed toacquiring from outside,” Randichsays. “It is in keeping with our ‘doit yourself’ culture.”

Learning never ends

Sailaja Yellaturu considers
herself a lifelong learner. That’s
why she’s a huge proponent of
ZEN, an online collaborative
learning platform launched for
employees by her firm Zebra
Technologies.

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9B E S T P LA C E S T O W O R K I N I T|

COV E R S TO RY

motivate my team members as
Yellaturu takes advantage ofwell as display confidence in myZEN (Zebra Educational Netdecision-making and my ownwork) training whenever posself-confidence as a leader,” says
sible, expanding her manageYellaturu, who was recently proment and leadership credentials
moted to senior manager, IT. “Iwith courses like “Learning to betruly believe the skills I learned
assertive,” “Communicating withfrom the courses on ZEN played
empathy,” and “Body language
a role in earning my promotion.
for leaders.” She’s burnished her
The opportunities for personaltechnical chops through compadevelopment are really endless.”
ny-sponsored innovation workZebra Technologies’ focus onshops on emerging technologies
career development and training
like chatbots and robotic process
helped earn it the #3 spot amongautomation (RPA). She’s even exmidsize companies on the 2020
perimented with some of the nuBest Places to Work in IT list.
merous diversity and inclusion
Zebra, which manprograms Zebra offers,
ufacturers data capall with an eye towards
ture and automaticenriching her personal
identification soludevelopment and shaptions for businesses,
ing her IT career path.
maintains close to“Since taking these$325,000 for its traincourses, I have alreadying budget for 183 IT
noticed a difference
employees. “There isin many areas of mySailaja Yellaturu,
generally a belief at
leadership, including
senior manager, IT,
Zebra that an emphamy ability to lead andZebra Technologies

Z E B RA T E C H N O LO G I E S / J O H N S H O P K I N S A P P L I E D P H Y S I C S LA B / N I C K B R E ZZ E L L

Michaela Kerem, Anthony Talamantes and Mel Manela of Johns Hopkins University's Applied
Physics Lab collaborate in the Live data, Integration, Validation and Experimentation (LIVE)Lab, which features a suite of tools to help operators detect, understand and respond to
cyberattacks across many platforms and applications.

sis on training and development
will foster employee engagement and that engaged employees will drive company performance,” says Deepak Kaul,
Zebra’s CIO. “Investing in talentenhances our global brand.”S U M M E R 2020|

Continuous learning
cultures rule

Johns Hopkins University’s Applied Physics Laboratory (APL),
ranked No. 11 among large firms
and second overall for both training and career development, is

INSIDER PRO|COMPUTERWORLD10B E S T P LA C E S T O W O R K I N I T|

T O P 10 L I S T

Top 10
COMPANIES[ CAREER DEVELOPMENT ]»Best of the best
Highlighting organizations
that excel in five areas of human resources: benefits,
career development, diversity, retention and training.

1
2

Konstruktor Service

3
4
5

Owens Corning

6
7
8
9
10

University of Notre Dame

11J ohns Hopkins University
Applied Physics Laboratory
Central Minnesota Credit Union (CMCU)PPG
Holman Enterprises

MAKERS OF

SOLUTIONS& CONNECTIONS
From the manufacturing floor to the office, your technology expertise and passion
for innovation always keep us operating, transforming and advancing, but you’ve
stepped it up even further as we face new challenges brought on by COVID-19. From
creating low-touch technology solutions that keep our people safe, to enabling
better virtual connections – you truly are our makers of better solutions andconnections. And for that, we thank you. On behalf of all of our employees aroundthe globe, congratulations on this well-deserved honor!

Ultimate Software
Health Catalyst

WORTHINGTONINDUSTRIES.COM

Enova International

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B E S T P LA C E S T O W O R K I N I T

The culture ofmentoring has
been in APL’s
lifeblood since
the beginning.
— J U D I T H F R E N C H,
C H I E F I T S T R AT E G I S T, A P L

committed to the cause partly
because its work—solving someof the nation’s most critical challenges in security, military readiness, and space exploration—
demands a culture dedicated tocontinuous learning and cuttingedge technologies, according toCatherine Colangelo, IT communications and project manager
for the lab’s innovation program.
The lab’s $1.4 million training
budget, which fuels development and enrichment for 398 IT

ERICKSON LIVING|

COV E R S TO RY

employees, includes opportunities to take and teach classes at
Johns Hopkins University as wellas participation in programs totrain the next generation of IT
professionals. To the latter point,
APL’s IT staff actively take part inmentoring high school students
and volunteering in outreachefforts like “Girls Who Code” andthe FIRST Robotics leagues.
“The culture of mentoring has
been in APL’s lifeblood since thebeginning,” says Judith French,chief IT strategist working directly for the CIO. “Employees havelots of opportunity to work withothers to build their career, andstaff members and supervisors
help them find the right mentors.”
One of the more importantways APL encourages lifelong
learning and discovery isthrough a program that lets
workers continue their formal
education through part-time
study at JHU at no cost to theMembers of Erickson Living’s technology team: (front row, left to right) Shhalu Mittal, SedricBoddie, Andy Lee, Danielle Junker and Jeremy Bair; (standing in back, left to right) Nicole
Rites, Charmaine Nokuri and Adam McMillen.

employees. Once approved bya manager, employees can takegraduate-level coursework inareas like AI and cybersecurity.
“Training and development is notconsidered a benefit here—it’spart of the culture and ingrained
from the very beginning,” Col-S U M M E R 2020|angelo says. “It’s not necessarily
something we contemplate adding, because it’s there every day
for every staff member.”
For its part, Erickson Living,the #13 large company on thisyear’s Best Places to Work in IT
list, is taking a three-pronged

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12B E S T P LA C E S T O W O R K I N I T

approach to develop and train
IT employees not on any specific
set of technologies, but rather tobe versatile enough to pivot andlearn any new competency, says
Hans Keller, CIO at the company,
which manages senior living
communities.
The employee transformation
initiative, backed by a $365,000
training budget, focuses on three
key areas: Curiosity, competence, and community. The curiosity component encourages the
145 IT team members to spend
two hours a month on flexible
learning, targeted personal development (such as coaching or
mentorship), and team-directed
learning. There is also unlimited access provided for Udemy
for Business, an online learning
platform with courses on job
skills along with more personalenrichment like stress management skills and nutrition. The
competency pillar stresses the

GENENTECH|COV E R S TO RY

creation of an individual development plan, and the community portion emphasizes teambuilding and engagement withthe broader populace.
Erickson’s philosophy is
keyed to developing the employee, not on building a portfolio ofenterprise IT skills. The reason
for this strategy is that while jobs
are safe, roles are not, Keller explains. Consider what happens
when employees on a server
team, trained and developedwith knowledge of server technology, are suddenly directed toshift work focus to running external applications in the cloud.
“From a readiness perspective,
everyone needs to be in a mindset to be able to morph,” Keller
says. “It’s about how to position
everyone to be change ready. IT
has historically loved being theimplementors of change for otherpeople. They haven’t been open tosaying how we change ourselves.”

Tactics andtraining initiatives

Many larger companies ranked
on the Insider Pro and Computerworld Best Places to Work in
IT list are leveraging their sizeable training budgets to fund asimilar multi-pronged approachto employee development. Consider Genentech, a biotech company now a subsidiary of RocheGroup, which landed the #3
large-company spot on this year’slist. Genentech allocates over
$5,000 per IT employee (there
are 454) annually on training andcareer development in addition
to up to $10,000 for college reimbursement and continuing education, while offering 10 training
days per year. Driven by the new
era of personalized medicine,
there is an expanded remit for
the IT organization, which inturn necessitates a focus on continuous learning so employees
are adequately prepared for new

Part of my roleas IT head is tosupport andstrengthena talented
workforce.
— M A RT I N S PA E N E,
V I C E P R E S I D E N T,
U.S. I N F O R M AT I C S,
GENENTECHS U M M E R 2020|

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13B E S T P LA C E S T O W O R K I N I T|

T O P 10 L I S TAre YOU
a PSIer?

Top 10
COMPANIES[ DIVERSITY ]»Best of the best
Highlighting organizations
that excel in five areas of human resources: benefits,
career development, diversity, retention and training.

1 Erickson Living
2 Axxess
3 Cedars-Sinai
4 Kaiser Permanente
5 Jet Propulsion Laboratory
6	Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
7 Fannie Mae
8 Planned Systems International
9 Sharp HealthCare
10 Ultimate Software

Congratulations to our IT EMPLOYEES!
Computerworld has named Planned Systems International as one of the top 100 Best Places to Work in IT
for ﬁve years in a row. We would like to thank our employees for bringing passion and dedication to work
every day. Your focus on our customers and partners has resulted in the successful implementation ofcountless award‐winning solutions. You, the PSI Team, are our most valuable asset.

14

Join the PSI Team!
Visit us at www.plan‐sys.com/careers
INSIDER PRO|COMPUTERWORLD|S U M M E R 2020

B E S T P LA C E S T O W O R K I N I T

career pathways, says Martin
Spaene, Genentech’s vice president, U.S. Informatics and SouthSan Francisco site IT head.
“Part of my role as IT head
is to support and strengthen atalented workforce and ensure
they have access to career devel-|

COV E R S TO RY

erate IT, a development program
created and run in partnershipwith Carnegie Mellon University. Twice a year, 30 applicants
are selected to participate in
the four-month program where
they work as part of cross-functional teams to solve real busi-

Technology expertise isa given. Where we want
employees to advance is
how to apply technology to
specific use cases instead of startingwith the technology.
— M A RT I N S PA E N E, V I C E P R E S I D E N T, U.S. I N F O R M AT I C S, G E N E N T E C H

opment opportunity in different
areas,” says Spaene. “We need toprovide the educational training, experience, and exposure sothey have opportunity to be partof the bigger picture.”
A signature plank in Genentech’s learning strategy is Accel-

ACC E L I RAT E

ness problems. The work, someof which takes place on-site at
CMU, requires an additional 20
percent to 30 percent commitment beyond an employee’s normal workload, Spaene says.
In addition, Genentech’s
Personal Excellence Program

we want employees
concentrates on develto advance is how to
opment of the whole inapply technology todividual, including soft
specific use cases inskills and teaching emstead of starting withployees self-awarenessthe technology.”
and emotional intelliAt Accelirate, agence. For one-on-one
business process anddevelopment, the One
IT consultancy speIT Mentoring initiaGabriela Enriquez, chief
cializing in robotics
tive takes advantage of
HR officer, Accelirate
process automation
the company’s global(RPA), ongoing IT training andnetwork to connect employees
development is essential given
from different teams, sites, andthat business strategy is tied tobackgrounds.
an emerging technology with a
Throughout each leg of therelatively limited pool of talenttraining and development inito draw from. Ranked as the #12
tiatives, the focal point is not
small company on the 2020 Besttechnology, but rather on how
Places to Work in IT list, Accelito apply technology to tackle
rate has constructed a learning
specific business problems.
initiative that allows workers to“It’s not only about the way, it’sdevelop at their own pace—anabout the how—how we deliver
approach consistent with its
at the end of the day for our
culture built around self-direccustomers and patients andtion, not micromanagement,
how we engage to do our daily
explains Gabriela Enriquez, Acwork,” Spaene says. “Technolcelirate’s chief HR officer.
ogy expertise is a given. WhereS U M M E R 2020|

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15B E S T P LA C E S T O W O R K I N I T

Given that most incoming employees lack in-depth knowledgeof automation technology, Accelirate ramps people up througha comprehensive program Enriquez likens to bootcamp training. “The seniors from the outside in [automation] are juniors in
our realm,” she claims, explaining that participants run throughreal-world case study examples
designed to test their foundational knowledge. “By not micromanaging and instead assigning tasks
and having employees deliver, we
ensure they are self-driven andhave the passion and drive to dowhat we do,” she maintains.
The training doesn’t stop after
the initial bootcamp. Accelirate’s
135 IT employees are encouraged
to regularly make use of the firm’s
learning management system,
where courses can be assigned
covering areas such as machinelearning, agile methodologies,
and Six Sigma. “We are constant-

I N T E R N AT I O N A L PA P E R|

COV E R S TO RY

International Paper IT employees collaborate via telepresence: (foreground, left to right)
Kris Hartmann, Deepa Nair, Raghu Singh, Amy Leung, Charles Holt, Lynne Bethel;(on the screen, left to right) Don Harris, Lyndsey Fryoux and Katie Richmer.

ly looking at what the requirements are for each role and continuously challenging employees
and adding knowledge,” she says.
A multi-year rotational program, Collegiate Onboarding
and Rotational Experience(CORE), is central to the skills

training and development program at International Paper,ranked #10 large company on
the Best Places list. Employees
participating in the program go
through rotational assignments
every 18 to 24 months for theirfirst five years, the key differen-

S U M M E R 2020|

tiator being they get an immersive experience in the business,
not a glorified tour of different
departments before they embark work on real projects, notes
Eric Weber, business HR manager at International Paper.
In addition to CORE, the firm
has an IT university, a virtual
curriculum of university-levelcourses, and a Talent Development Council, which offers management training and helps midlevel IT employees identify andachieve actionable career goals.
The overarching theme of thefirm’s programs is to instill selfmotivation and cultivate continuous development so the IT teamis well equipped to deal with thecurrent challenge, whether that’s
digital transformation or navigating business in the face of a global
pandemic, says Bob Wenker, thefirm’s vice president and CIO.
“Our talent development
programs are practical, useful,

INSIDER PRO|COMPUTERWORLD

16B E S T P LA C E S T O W O R K I N I T|

T O P 10 L I S T

Top 10
COMPANIESINTRODUCING THE NEW REALITY: A GLOBAL EVENT SERIES

Explore What’s Next

[ RETENTION ]»Best of the best
Highlighting organizations
that excel in five areas of human resources: benefits,
career development, diversity, retention and training.

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

Konstruktor Service
OneStream Software

The global pandemic has turned nice-to-have IT
transformation into must-have imperatives for business
continuity and resilience. There’s no IT playbook for what
we’re experiencing — so we’re bringing together theleaders and doers who can help develop one. This virtual
event series combines IDG’s technology and content
expertise, along with peer insights, within an engaging
online experience.

Accelirate
Health Catalyst

Attend an upcoming event

Ultimate Software

New Digital Workplace The
June 23, 24, 29 and 30

Cloud for Good
Central Minnesota Credit Union (CMCU)
Axon
Owens Corning

New Risk and Security Landscape The
July 21, 22, 28 and 29
New Business Process Mandate: The
AI & Automation

Plante Moran

August 18, 19, 25 and 26
For more information, and to register, visit events.idg.com
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B E S T P LA C E S T O W O R K I N I T

Dataprise president Scott Gordon
values the energy of new hires whocome in to the company throughits internship program.

and they’re inclined towards
moving the ball forward,” Wenker says. “That’s what works for
our IT team.”
What works for Dataprise,the #14-ranked small company
on the Best Places to Work in IT
list, is relying on internships toschool the next generation of IT

DATA P R I S E|

COV E R S TO RY

professionals, as well as prioritizing the development of soft
skills and leadership credentials over a focus on technicalcapabilities. The combinationof the IT service managementcompany’s internship programand formal job shadow program
has been successful in creating acomposite IT professional withstrong technical chops, but who
is also able to forge a connection
to the clients through a keen
understanding of the business.
“You can always train the technical piece, but you can’t train the
personalities,” says Scott Gordon, Dataprise president.
Since creating its internshipprogram, which relies on a local
community college as a feeder,
Dataprise has brought on 100
percent of the interns coming
through as full-time employees.
“We find the energy level of people coming in through the program is fresh, and they have an

open mind, which makes it easier to teach and coach,” he says.
At Zebra, the talent management and career development
strategy is also predicated on
finding and keeping IT professionals who are versatile andavid learners. Five years ago, thefirm made a point to hire IT staff-

skills, the high potential workers will walk out the door,” Kaulsays. With Zebra’s approach,employees are sticking aroundand the work of IT is never better, he claims. “These programs
have benefitted us in terms of
quality of delivery,” he says. “Of150 recent projects, we didn’t

Our talent development
programs are practical, useful,and they’re inclined towards
moving the ball forward.
— B O B W E N K E R, V I C E P R E S I D E N T A N D C I O, I N T E R N AT I O N A L PA P E R

ers who were experts in a particular skill or fluent on a certain
platform, but today the mission is
to hire, nurture, and retain people who are poised to pivot andjump into multiple initiatives.
“In IT, more relevant skills
have a short shelf life so if you
focus on an obsolete list of

S U M M E R 2020|

have one that was a big failureor blew a budget. That’s because
our skills are current and people really care.” uBETH STACKPOLE is a veteran re-porter who has covered the intersection of business and technology
issues for more than 20 years.

INSIDER PRO|COMPUTERWORLD18

B E S T P LA C E S T O W O R K I N I T|

T O P 10 L I S T

Top 10
COMPANIES[ TRAINING ]»Best of the best
Highlighting organizations
that excel in five areas of human resources: benefits,
career development, diversity, retention and training.

1 BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York
2	Johns Hopkins University
Applied Physics Laboratory

3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

19

NCAA
Planned Systems International
Cloud for Good
University of Notre Dame
MetroStar Systems
Central Minnesota Credit Union (CMCU)
KnowBe4•••

OneStream Software

INSIDER PRO|COMPUTERWORLD|S U M M E R 2020

Calling all innovators
Impactful work, supportive
colleagues, and a collaborative
culture help Fannie Mae innovatorsbuild rewarding tech careers.
Our third consecutive Computerworld win
as a Best Place to Work in IT is an honor
and highlights our commitment to the futureof housing — and to those who want to help
us create it.

Build your future with us.
careers.fanniemae.com© 2020 Fannie Mae. Fannie Mae is an equal opportunity employer.

B E S T P LA C E S T O W O R K I N I T|

B O O Z A L L E N H A M I LT O N

Empowering talent to solve
complex problems
Booz Allen Hamilton
combines industry-leading
learning and developmentwith a close-knit culture tobuild a team that’s risen tomeet the COVID-19 challenge.

»

PROFILENO. 4 | LARGE
Among organizations
with 5,000 or more
U.S. employees

BY SHARON GOLDMAN

M

ANAGEMENTand IT consulting firm Booz
Allen Hamilton,
based in McLean, Virginia,
has more than 26,000 em-

BoozAllen
Hamilton
M AT T J E ACO C K / M U S TA F A H ACA LA K I / G E T T Y I M AG E S / G DTO G RA P H Y

S U M M E R 2020|

INSIDER PRO|COMPUTERWORLD

21

B E S T P LA C E S T O W O R K I N I T

NO. 4 | LARGE
Booz Allen Hamilton
McLean, Va.
boozallen.com
No. of employees: 26,000+
No. of IT employees: ~500

11%

IT employee
promotion rate, 2019

$10K$15K(per year)

Reimbursement for college
tuition / tech certs / exec ed

17 / 25(days)

PTO after one year / 10 years|

B O O Z A L L E N H A M I LT O N

ployees who work in 129
global offices. A phrase often
repeated across the company
is that it “empowers people tochange the world.” It comesas no surprise, then, that the#4 large company on the Best
Places to Work in IT list thisyear (with more than 15 years
on the list), boasts a strong
tradition of recruiting thebest and brightest, offeringcountless opportunities togrow, develop and learn—
combined with a culture thatis both client-focused andhighly collaborative.
The company’s 500-strong
IT organization is broken into
four groups: Cloud Services,
IT Service Management, Application Operational Support(Devops and DBA) and Business Operations. It serves as a
mission-essential partner thatdrives the collective successof the entire business, focused

B O O Z A L L E N H A M I LT O N / M A T T J E A C O C K / M U S T A F A H A C A LA K I / G E T T Y I M A G E S / G D T O G R A P H Y

Booz Allen Hamilton has nearly 27,000 employees, with 107 U.S. offices
from Honolulu to New York City and 22 others around the world.

S U M M E R 2020|

INSIDER PRO|COMPUTERWORLD

22B E S T P LA C E S T O W O R K I N I T|

B O O Z A L L E N H A M I LT O N

Several of Booz Allen Hamilton’s largest offices are locatedin Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.

on providing robust and secure technology solutions thatthe company can use to deliver
results for clients across critical engagements in defense,
civil, commercial and international markets. Its leadershiphas forged strong relationships across the company andB O O Z A L L E N H A M I LT O N

works to infuse technology as
early as possible in firm-widebusiness decisions.

Attracting top talent

Booz Allen Hamilton tends toattract those who enjoy working to solve difficult problems
leveraging complex IT tools

and solutions, according to
Amy Costa, a talent acquisition lead and market strategist
at the company who supports
several Washington, D.C.,
metro-area teams. “For manyin IT, that is a huge appeal,” shesays. “In this very competitive
talent environment, we need to
attract the right talent against
hard-to-find skills, such as
digital, cyber and analytics, so
we work hard to offer the rightopportunities and employee
value proposition that resonates with candidates.”That includes focusing on
providing a good work-life balance and promoting a closeknit culture in which employees lift each other up. Marcello
DiClemente, director of IT
Service Delivery in Booz Allen
Hamilton’s Information Services group, says he appreciates
how the company’s IT organization manages to foster a close-

S U M M E R 2020|

ness among its teams that belies
its large size. “I found a groupof people who are not only employees, they are part of a family,” he says.
One of the company’s golden
rules of success reflects theIT department’s unique bond:Always help when someone isin need and always ask for help
when you need it. That simple
yet essential focus, says DiClemente, keeps him driven, focused and motivated even after
two decades at the firm. With 16
years of experience on delivery
teams across several market
segments of the firm, in 2016 hehad the opportunity to take theproficiencies developed acrossthose client engagements andbring them to the internal IT
organization. “I found very
quickly that this group had
embraced the company culture
but also forged a unique bondover mission,” he says.

INSIDER PRO|COMPUTERWORLD

23

B E S T P LA C E S T O W O R K I N I T|

B O O Z A L L E N H A M I LT O N

Booz Allen Hamilton attracts workers who enjoy using technology
to solve complex problems.

That is true of the IT leadership as well: Rebecca McHale,
Booz Allen Hamilton’s CIO, says
the firm’s culture of investing in
employees and its value proposition of “bringing the best ofB O O Z A L L E N H A M I LT O N

yourself to work” is what drew
her into the company in thefirst place. “The company supports building at scale, providing access to opportunities andshowing appreciation,” she says.

“Within my team, we absolutely
work to uphold that proposition,with a critical mission to serve
our internal clients who, in turn,have clients. What we do really
does make a difference and wehave to be operating as one big
team with clear goals that enable
the business.”
To accomplish those goals,
building the best possible ITteam is a must. “That means I
spend a lot of time talking about
what it means to have healthy
conflicts, to hold each other accountable, to trust each otherand grow together as a team,”she says. Investing in training
offerings is part of that equation, with flexible education
reimbursements, vendor partnerships and conference opportunities. “We plan our financials within the IT organization
every year with a renewed commitment to investment in ourpeople,” she says.

S U M M E R 2020|

INSIDER PRO

The company
supports
building at scale,providing accessto opportunities
and showing
appreciation.
— R E B E CCA M C H A L E,
C I O, B O O Z A L L E N H A M I LTO N|COMPUTERWORLD24

B E S T P LA C E S T O W O R K I N I T|

B O O Z A L L E N H A M I LT O N

Listening to the IT teamIT employee feedback is also essential, to discover areas where
the organization is strong andhow it can improve how teams
work or what new technologies
can help. Recently, a series offocus groups led to the development of a new Technology
Strategy team, made up of IT
team members, to define acustomer-centric, data-driven
vision that supports the entire
company’s multi-year plans
and creates an optimal technology experience for employees,
leaders and customers. “A lotof our folks are on client sites
most of the time, so they aretrying to balance the needs oftheir clients,” says McHale. “We
are always looking at ways tomake our employees effectivein every aspect of their role.”
Thoughtful planning andhard work by the IT organization
also led to a seamless transitionB O O Z A L L E N H A M I LT O N

to full-time remote delivery during the COVID-19 crisis. In the 18
or so months prior to this unprecedented event, Booz Allen
Hamilton had made several large
investments in remote connectivity and collaboration tools andcompleted several key initiatives
to streamline the user experience
with mobile solutions and tightly
integrated identity platforms.
That has led to a productive
and collaborative remote workforce that has also rallied to build
morale and make connections,says McHale. “One of the coolest
things to see is the amount of creativity that has emerged as people
find ways to get to know eachother and make each other laugh,”she says. “I just feel tremendously
proud of my team right now—thisis an IT organization that had toenable everyone to operate remotely during this time while also
hitting very large milestones in IT
projects and not missing a beat.” uA Booz Allen Hamilton Innovation Lab in Washington, D.C.; these spaces are meant
to encourage creative thinking and provide access to cutting-edge technology.

S U M M E R 2020|

INSIDER PRO|COMPUTERWORLD

25

B E S T P LA C E S T O W O R K I N I T|

LA R G E C O M PA N I E S

4Booz Allen
Hamilton
McLean, Va.

5 orthington
W
Industries
Columbus, Ohio

6V anguard7

 ortonN
Healthcare

Wayne, Pa.

Louisville, Ky.

LARGE

COMPANY RANKINGS

9 avy FederalN
Credit Union

10

Los AngelesI nternational
Paper
Memphis, Tenn.

 ltimate
U
Software*11

Weston, Fla.

No. 1
Overall for
BenefitsC edars-Sinai

Vienna, Va.

Among organizations
with 5,000 or more
U.S. employees

1

8

2

Owens Corning

3

Genentech

Toledo, Ohio

South San Francisco, Calif.

J ohns Hopkins
University
Applied Physics
Laboratory
Laurel, Md.

12You’re not ordinary.
A job with Aﬂac isn’t either

At Aflac, there are no typical 9 to 5 jobs. We offer careers that allow you to reach your goals whileknowing you’re helping support people through some of life’s most challenging moments. As amember of Aflac’s Digital Services team, you’ll be backed by a company that prioritizes making ourworld a better place. Isn’t it time to get to know Aflac?

DHL Express
Plantation, Fla.

* Ultimate Software is merging

Learn more at aflac.com/careerswith Kronos (No. 2 Midsize).

Aflac | Aflac NY. WWHQ | 1932 Wynnton Road | Columbus, GA 31999.

26

INSIDER PRO|COMPUTERWORLD|S U M M E R 2020
Z190526BR

Exp 5/21

B E S T P LA C E S T O W O R K I N I T|

LA R G E C O M PA N I E SJORDAN ZIOLKOWSKIYour perspectives
shape ours.

Discover Financial Services IT employees, from the left: Kishore Kota,
Danny Lopez, Molly Hammond, Deana Qiao, and Phylesha Bullard.

No. 1
Overall for
Diversity

13

18Erickson
LivingBaltimore

14Riverwoods, Ill.

 immerZ
Biomet19

Humana niversity ofU
Notre Dame

20

A
 trium Health21

Total Quality
Logistics

Warsaw, Ind.

15

Notre Dame, Ind.

16

VMware17

A flac27

 iscoverD
Financial
Services

Palo Alto, Calif.

Experience the power of being you.
Apply today at rsmus.com/careers.

Charlotte, N.C.

Cincinnati

22

Columbus, Ga.

INSIDER PROLouisville, Ky.

Everyone who works at RSM has aninteresting and unique outlook thathelps power our understanding of
the middle market. That’s just oneof the many reasons we support
diversity, inclusion and everything thatmakes you, uniquely you. Different
perspectives enhance how we develop
global leadership and exceed the
expectations of our clients. Your talents
and experiences make you one of akind and a true value to the RSM team.
Because when your insights combinewith ours, there’s no limit to what we
can achieve together.

|

COMPUTERWORLDAsurion

Nashville, Tenn.

|

S U M M E R 2020

RSM US LLP is the U.S. member firm of RSM International, a global network of independent audit, tax and consulting firms. Visit rsmus.com /aboutus for more information regarding RSM US LLP and RSM International.

B E S T P LA C E S T O W O R K I N I T|

LA R G E C O M PA N I E S

J E T P RO P U L S I O N LA B O RATO RY

Innovation
driven by diversity
Raytheon Technologies fosters an inclusive
culture that harnesses the power of diﬀerent ideas
and experiences to deliver the innovative solutions
our customers depend on.

Working remotely is the new normal for the
Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s IT team members.

23

J et Propulsion
Laboratory29

 aiserK
Permanente

30

RSM US31

Pasadena, Calif.

24

Monett, Mo.

Oakland, Calif.

25
26

32	Principal

Financial Group

Portland, Ore.

28

Raytheon

 otorola
M
Solutions
ChicagoPortland State
University
CDW ppliedA
Materials

Santa Clara, Calif.

Chicago27

Jack Henry
and Associates

Des Moines, Iowa

33	Memorial Sloan

Lincolnshire, Ill.

Kettering Cancer
CenterWaltham, Mass.

New York

RTX.com
28

INSIDER PRO|COMPUTERWORLD|S U M M E R 2020

© 2020 Raytheon Technologies Corporation. All rights reserved.

B E S T P LA C E S T O W O R K I N I T

34	H. Lee Moffitt|

LA R G E C O M PA N I E S

43	AdventHealthCancer Center
and ResearchInstitute

Altamonte Springs, Fla.

44	Liberty Mutual
Insurance

Tampa, Fla.

Boston35	MSC Industrial

45	PPG

SupplyMelville, N.Y.

Pittsburgh

36	Children’s Hospitalof Philadelphia
Philadelphia

46	FedEx

Memphis, Tenn.

47	Fannie Mae

37	Johns Hopkins

Washington, D.C.

Medicine48	Banner Health

Baltimore

Phoenix

38	Southern Co.

49	Memorial

Atlanta

Healthcare
System39	Nationwide

Mutual Insurance
Columbus, Ohio

Hollywood, Fla.

50	Spectrum Health40	Holman

Grand Rapids, Mich.

Enterprises

51	Kroger

Mount Laurel, N.J.

Cincinnati

41	Mitre52	Children’s

McLean, Va.

42	Sharp HealthCare
San Diego

29

INSIDER PRO|COMPUTERWORLD

Healthcareof Atlanta
Atlanta|

S U M M E R 2020

Our Focus
We are focused on hiring and retaining
the best IT talent.
Our Culture
We employ a diverse group of IT professionals
in 10 states who are millennials, Gen Xers andBoomers. Most IT employees have been with
Banner more than five years.
Our Strategy
Our IT work impacts the patient experience.
We support the IT needs of 28 hospitals, 48
urgent care facilities, nearly 300 ambulatory
clinics, 51,000 employees, and a health planacross six states.

In Appreciation

We thank our Banner Health IT
team! During the pandemic, they
have risen to the challenges insupporting our patients, front line
workers, and employees.

B E S T P LA C E S T O W O R K I N I T|

Z E B R A T E C H O LO G I E S

How a growing company
prioritizes work-lifebalance
Zebra
Technologies values flexibility
and respect and strives
to create an intellectuallystimulating environment.

»

PROFILENO. 3 | MIDSIZE
Among organizations
with 1,001 to 4,999
U.S. employees

BY SHARON GOLDMANI

LLINOIS-BASED Zebra
Technologies is a growing
company of nearly 8,000
employees that continues
to meet Wall Street expectations, even in the face of the
COVID-19 disruption. The
260-strong global IT organization (not counting managed

Zebra
G E RA N D E K L E R K / M U S TA F A H ACA LA K I / G E T T Y I M AG E S / G DTO G RA P H Y

S U M M E R 2020|

INSIDER PRO|COMPUTERWORLD30

B E S T P LA C E S T O W O R K I N I T

NO. 3 | MIDSIZE
Zebra Technologies
Lincolnshire, Ill.
zebra.com
No. of employees: 4,200+
No. of IT employees: ~185

13%

IT employee
promotion rate, 2019

$1,771
Training budget
per IT employee

20 / 25(days)

PTO after one year / 10 years|

Z E B R A T E C H O LO G I E S

services) enables that success,serving as a “strategic lever” forthe company’s core business ofenterprise-level data capture
and automatic identification
solutions that provide businesses with operational visibility, through everything frombarcode scanners and RFID
solutions to wearable computers and interactive kiosks.
This growth-oriented, intellectually stimulating environment,
combined with a strong focus
on work-life balance, led to a low
2019 voluntary turnover rate of
only 3.78 percent in an extremelycompetitive market for IT talent—and contributed to Zebra’s
ranking as the #3 midsize company on this year’s Best Places
to Work in IT list. Its leadershipsays that Zebra provides the bestof both worlds: the opportunity
to pursue intellectual challenges
and advancement opportunities
often reserved for consulting,

Z E B RA / G E RA N D E K L E R K / M U S TA F A H ACA LA K I / G E T T Y I M AG E S / G DTO G RA P H Y

Zebra designs and builds enterprise-level data capture and automatic identification solutions thatprovide operational visibility—RFOD scanners and readers, specialized printers for barcode labeling andidentification—as well as WLAN products, location systems, related supplies and software.

yet the work-life balance of astable job, a flex-work policy andgenerous vacation time.
“The IT department at Zebra
has never had a dull moment,”
says CIO Deepak Kaul, whojoined the organization 12 years
ago when it was an $800 million
company—now it is approaching

S U M M E R 2020|

$5 billion. “Zebra Technologies
has always been growing, moving, changing and evolving, witha sense of purpose and accomplishment,” he says. “Employees
get a lot of ownership in the work
they do here and the company
has a lot of respect for its people.”
Last year, the company rolled

INSIDER PRO|COMPUTERWORLD

31B E S T P LA C E S T O W O R K I N I T

out and deployed multiple
cloud-based systems, developed
customer-facing digital apps,
created technical strategies tosupport corporate initiatives,
and worked on IT modernization projects. The IT team is also
learning to use agile methodology and lean concepts to bringhigh-quality capabilities to customers faster while improving
its own work-life balance.
At the center of Zebra’s strategy for IT success is talent, Kaul
explains. “Our mission is to create a high-performing team andfuture leaders,” he says. “Our IT
employees are empowered to live
their best lives with challenging,stimulating work but also a flexible work environment.”

Zebra’s culture
retains key workers

The company’s strategic growthis what brought Diana Resendez
to Zebra, as part of the acquisi-

ZEBRA

|

Z E B R A T E C H O LO G I E Stion of Motorola Solutions’ Enterprise business unit in 2014.
She serves as an IT enterprisearchitect and she is responsible
for managing IT architecture,
standards, design and implementation approaches for thecompany’s application systems

erans Inclusion Network (VETZ)
and a Women’s Inclusion Network (WIN).
“I appreciate the ability toalways participate in challenging
projects and the opportunities
that are available for me to pursue ongoing personal develop-

ing, advanced analytics, lowcode application development
and I am working on a third-party machine learning platform weare implementing for the sales
team,” she says.
In addition to offsite development opportunities, Zebra also

The IT department at Zebra
has never had a dull moment.
Zebra Technologies has always
been growing, moving, changing
and evolving, with a sense of purpose
and accomplishment.
— D E E PA K K A U L, C I O, Z E B R A

and infrastructure.
But it was the company’s culture that has led her to stay—she
felt she quickly fit into its cultureof learning and development
and its strong support for diversity and inclusion, including the
Zebra Equality Alliance LGBTQ+
Inclusion Network (ZEAL), a Vet-

ment,” she says. In 2019, Resendez was sponsored to obtain her
Microsoft Data Science Program
Certification; the company has
also sponsored her participationin business analytics summits
for the past three years.
“Currently, I am taking advantage of cloud application train-

S U M M E R 2020|

has its own collaborative, online
learning platform that launchedat the end of 2018. It featurescontent on emerging technologies, business process analysis
skills, IT methodologies andleadership concepts. A support
team drives continued content
creation, from technical learning

INSIDER PRO|COMPUTERWORLD32

B E S T P LA C E S T O W O R K I N I T

circles to innovation workshops.
There are also opportunities tostrengthen soft skills throughthe company’s Leadership Development Program and People
Manager Learning Circles, providing a safe space for IT leaders
to express their challenges.

|

Z E B R A T E C H O LO G I E S

can then redeem their GEMs fora variety of products and experiences. “IT employees get somuch appreciation, whether it isfor helping others in the company with simple problems such as
resetting a password or for longterm projects that have been suc-and flexible work environmentthat the company offered alongwith the great work-life balance,” she says.
Communication is also frontand center at Zebra. Each quarter, Zebra hosts town hall meetings during which members of

One of the things I noticed rightaway was the positive andflexible work environmentthat the company offered alongwith the great work-life balance.
— S A I LA J A Y E L LAT U R U, S E N I O R M A N A G E R, I T, Z E B R A

Giving back to employees

There are also many ways that
Zebra thanks its employees,
including its Going the Extra
Mile (GEM) employee appreciation platform. Each manager
receives a quarterly budget toreward GEM points for positive
employee behaviors. Employees

ZEBRA

cessful and take a lot of effort to
get to the finish line,” says Kaul.
For Sailaja Yellaturu, senior
manager, IT, the generous 401(k)plan, health plans and flexible
work hours are appreciatedperks—as is the office fitness
facility. “One of the things I noticed right away was the positive

the executive team come in totalk to all employees about how
the company is doing and new
initiatives. “I appreciate that ourcompany keeps us informed andgathers us together on a regularbasis to improve communicationand collaboration,” says Yellaturu. “I’ve also noticed since join-

S U M M E R 2020|

ing the company how approachable management and our CIO
are by keeping open door policies and encouraging us to reachout to them to voice our opinions
and concerns.”
Zebra’s recipe for IT success
was visible during the moveto enable all 8,000 worldwide
employees to work from homeduring the COVID-19 crisis. “We
did it very quickly, in just a few
days,” says Kaul. “We had to deal
with a surge in requests because
many people were not used to it,
but we had the technology infrastructure, from collaboration
tools to remote desktops.” Buteven as Zebra’s IT team continues to tackle challenging projects, they are still taking the time
to remind employees to take careof themselves and their families.
“This is the time to be empathetic, even while we drive results,”
says Kaul. “At Zebra, we strive tooffer a balanced life.” u

INSIDER PRO|COMPUTERWORLD33

B E S T P LA C E S T O W O R K I N I T|

M I D S I Z E C O M PA N I E S

3	Zebra

Technologies
Lincolnshire, Ill.

4	Plante Moran
Southfield, Mich.

5	AxonScottsdale, Ariz.

6	Blue Cross

and Blue Shieldof North Carolina
Durham, N.C.

MIDSIZE

7	Avanade
Seattle8	National

COMPANY RANKINGS

Information
Solutions
Cooperative(NISC)

Among organizations
with 1,001 to 4,999
U.S. employees

Lake St. Louis, Mo.

1	FINRA

9	DriveTime(Financial
Industry
Regulatory
Authority)

Tempe, Ariz.

10	Suddath

THANK
,

YOU

NATIONWIDE TECHNOLOGY
Here’s to an exceptional group of associates who help
make Nationwide a great place to work.
Thanks for everything you do to make sure we protect
people, businesses and futureswith extraordinary care.

Jacksonville, Fla.

Washington, D.C.

11	Enova

2	Kronos*International

Lowell, Mass.

Chicago* Kronos is merging with Ultimate
Software (No. 1 Large).

34

INSIDER PRO|COMPUTERWORLD|S U M M E R 2020
Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company and affiliates, Columbus Ohio. Nationwide, the Nationwide N and Eagle and Nationwide is on your side are service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. © 2020 Nationwide CPR-0293AO.1 (05/20)

ERIN MYERSB E S T P LA C E S T O W O R K I N I T

IT team members at Credit Acceptance,from the left: Mercedes Dallas, Petey
LeFever, Arielle Hinojosa, Ashley Taylor,
Ping Los, Scott McIver, Melanie Plair,
Sam Downey and Jason Ledgerwood.

No. 1
Overall forTraining|

M I D S I Z E C O M PA N I E S

17	CME Group
Chicago18	Credit

AcceptanceSouthfield, Mich.

19	Align

Technology
San Jose, Calif.

20	Power Home

12	BlueCross
BlueShieldof Western
New York

Remodeling

Chester, Pa.

21	Informatica

Buffalo, N.Y.

Redwood City, Calif.

13	VyStar

22	Workiva

Credit Union

Ames, Iowa

Jacksonville, Fla.

23	Veeam

14	Robert W.

Columbus, Ohio

Baird and Co.

24	Genesis

Milwaukee

HealthCare
System15	Tokyo Electron
U.S. Holdings

Austin, Texas

Zanesville, Ohio

25	American

16	JanneyFidelity
Assurance
CompanyMontgomery
Scott
Philadelphia

35

INSIDER PRO

Oklahoma City|COMPUTERWORLD|S U M M E R 2020

B E S T P LA C E S T O W O R K I N I T|

N AT I O N A L C O L L E G I AT E AT H L E T I C A S S O C I AT I O NTeamwork is the nameof the IT game at NCAA
Collaboration and caring—plus access to covetedchampionship tickets—are big draws at this small
shop. BY SHARON GOLDMAN»PROFILENO. 4 | SMALL
Among organizations
with 1,000 or fewer
U.S. employeesAS A SPORTS FANATIC,
Josh Smith had nointention of turning
down the opportunity to interview for a job assystems engineer with the infrastructure team at the NCAA(National Collegiate Athletic
Association), which is most
famous for its March MadnessNCAA
VC H A L / B ATA R E Y K I N / M U S TA F A H ACA LA K I / G E T T Y I M AG E S / G DTO G RA P H Y

S U M M E R 2020|

INSIDER PRO|COMPUTERWORLD36B E S T P LA C E S T O W O R K I N I T

NO. 4 | SMALLNCAA
Indianapolisncaa.org
No. of employees: 535
No. of IT employees: ~40

2%

IT employee
turnover rate, 2019

$3,125Training budget
per IT employee

28 / 33(days)

PTO after one year / 10 years|

N AT I O N A L C O L L E G I AT E AT H L E T I C A S S O C I AT I O N

basketball tournament—eventhough he wasn’t looking for a
new gig.
But during the interview
process, the organization’s teamoriented dynamic was clear,which made Smith realize it
was the right move. “I could tellit was about ‘I’ve got your backand you’ve got my back,’” he says.
“I couldn’t wait to get started.”
Now, he enjoys both being closeto sports as well as the culture ofcollaboration and innovation at
the NCAA’s IT organization. Going to events like the Men’s Final
Four is a perk, he explains, but
the real reward is seeing whatgoes into the event and behindthe scenes. “We help student athletes create memories that last
the rest of their lives,” he says.
The NCAA’s IT staff is a smallshop, with about 40 full-time
employees. Its main charge is
supporting a staff of about 500
employees who run the business

N CA A / VC H A L / B ATA R E Y K I N / M U S TA F A H ACA LA K I / G E T T Y I M AG E S / G DTO G RA P H Y

Based in Indianapolis, the NCAA supports student athletes, organizes 89 national championships annually,
provides educational services to coaches and athletics administrators, manages financial systems for themembership and conducts research into the experiences of those involved in college sports.

of the membership organizationof 1,200 schools and universities,
which, in turn, represent a halfmillion student athletes and 89
championships.

CIO turns to ITIL

When CIO Judd Williams firstjoined the organization in 2012,
the IT department still needed
to mature in terms of its technol-

S U M M E R 2020|

ogy and governance, so his priority was to transition to the cloudand implement ITIL best practices. Now that those goals havebeen achieved, Williams says his
teams work to push the NCAA’s
digital transformation further.
That includes “cool new projects” such as the NCAA Transfer
Portal. It was created in 2018 asa compliance tool to add trans-

INSIDER PRO|COMPUTERWORLD37B E S T P LA C E S T O W O R K I N I T

parency to the student athletetransfer process but has gotten
significant recognition frommedia and sports fans. News ofstudent athlete transfers fills
hours on sports talk shows andruns on tickers at the bottomof screens. “It’s great to get thatrecognition,” says Williams.
Innovation is also not simply
valued but has become a requirement within the IT organization.
“I want 10 percent of IT employee
time spent on innovation, whether it’s [technology] someone isinterested in exploring or something I’m looking for volunteers
to look into,” says Williams. In
addition, IT staffers are regularly
sent to national conferences tolearn about new technologies. “Iwant them exposed to the latest
and greatest,” he says. “It costs
more, but I think that investment
is really paying off.”
Smith, for example, has developed a strong focus in the

NCAA

|

N AT I O N A L C O L L E G I AT E AT H L E T I C A S S O C I AT I O N

Microsoft Office 365 environment over the past five years,
and he has felt lucky to attend
Microsoft Ignite conferences.
The results have been highly
valuable: For instance, he wasan important part of rolling out
Microsoft Teams in the middle

Williams makes sure new hires
have the right soft skills, interpersonal abilities and all-aroundgood attitudes. According toKristi Kennedy, director of the
IT Project Management Office,the NCAA attracts a certain typeof person with a “servant-type”

Yet there is a great deal ofautonomy as well, thanks to thetrust Williams and Kennedy
have in their IT employees. “Wehave structure, but the leadership is there to support andenable success, not to dictate,”says Kennedy.

We have an amazing teamof sharp, intelligent people
who are passionate about what
we do and who are empowered
to make the right decisions.
— K R I S T I K E N N E DY, D I R E C TO R, I T P RO J E C T M A N A G E M E N T, N C A Aof February. It turned out to be
excellent timing, as the entire
Indianapolis-based headquarters moved to remote work during the COVID-19 crisis.

No place to sit and hide

As teamwork is valued so highly
at the NCAA, it’s no surprise that

attitude. “You don’t go into a
nonprofit organization if you
don’t fit that student culture,”
she says. “There’s a lot of collaboration and teamwork, so if you’relooking to be a part of an IT team
where you can just sit at yourdesk and hide, the NCAA is not aplace for you.”

S U M M E R 2020|

The NCAA’s flat organizational chart may mean there
isn’t a lot of opportunity toclimb a vertical career ladder,but Kennedy points out that
autonomy means team members can make their roles as
broad and robust as they want
and need to be successful. “WeINSIDER PRO|COMPUTERWORLD38B E S T P LA C E S T O W O R K I N I T

offer professional development and learning to expand
their knowledge, but we also
encourage and enable themwith creativity and innovation
to find new ways to do things
better,” she says. “We wantthem to broaden and expand
their role.”
The small size of the organization, as well as its unique
mission, also add to the importance of teamwork. “We
don’t do projects because
stock prices increase or makeshareholders happy,” Kennedy explains. “We have to bethoughtful about resources tomeet stakeholder needs, because as a nonprofit we can’t
just go and expand a team by
five people.” That means trust
and respect are even more important, with leadership thatprovides guidance from a strategic perspective: “We have anamazing team of sharp, intelli-

NCAA

|

N AT I O N A L C O L L E G I AT E AT H L E T I C A S S O C I AT I O N

gent people who are passionate
about what we do and who areempowered to make the rightdecisions,” she says.

A March without madness

It was difficult for the entire
NCAA organization when thisyear’s March Madness tournament was cancelled. “It’s sortof like our Super Bowl,” says
Kennedy. “We have many otherchampionships, but losing the
big party was hard to emotionally wrap our minds around.”Yet, with another academic year
coming up quickly in the fall, theIT organization has come together to keep its systems runningand help student athletes acrossthe country continue towards
academic success.
With low turnover within
IT, Williams points out that heknows each of his team members well, with each enjoying agreat deal of built-in, inherent

NCAA staff gathering for the daily stand-up with the project management office in pre-pandemic times.

trust. Since the entire organization has moved to remote work,
staffers miss each other but havebeen busier than ever and kept
upbeat attitudes. “We still have a
lot of fun, with plenty of virtual
coffees and lunches that keep
this culture strong,” he says. “In
a way, I’d say we are almost bet-

S U M M E R 2020|

ter off as a team, because we’vereached out with such genuine
caring for each other.” u
SHARON GOLDMAN is a B2B technol-

ogy writer who has been covering
the space for over a decade, fromIT and cybersecurity to martech,
insurtech, fintech and retail.

INSIDER PRO|COMPUTERWORLD

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S M A L L C O M PA N I E S

3	Axxess
Dallas4	NCAA

Indianapolis

5	OneStream
Software

Rochester, Mich.

6	Health Catalyst
Salt Lake City

7	KnowBe4
Clearwater, Fla.

SMALL

8	ExtraHop
SeattleCOMPANY RANKINGS

9	MetroStar
Systems

Among organizations
with 1,000 or fewer
U.S. employees

Reston, Va.

10	Connectria
St. Louis

1	Cloudfor Good

11	Secure-242	Central

12	Accelirate

Asheville, N.C.

Southfield, Mich.

Minnesota
Credit Union(CMCU)

Sunrise, Fla.

13	Avaap USA

Melrose, Minn.

40

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EPIC.

Edison, N.J.

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COMPUTERWORLD|S U M M E R 2020

metrostarsystems.com

|S M A L L C O M PA N I E S

7X
PARAMOUNT SOFTWARE SOLUTIONSB E S T P LA C E S T O W O R K I N I T

Staffers at Paramount Software Solutions’ Alpharetta, Ga. headquarters, from theleft: Gauri Sharma, Shane Neighbors, Parul Sharma and Rohit Davey (at table),with Mallika Ghosh and Kadir Abdi in the offices in back.

7X

BEST PLACESTO WORK IN IT
2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020

At Connectria, we all work for the same boss: The Customer. As The Jerk Free Company ®, we’ve

14	Dataprise

19	Planned Systems
International

Rockville, Md.

15	Paramount
Software Solutions
Alpharetta, Ga.

20	CarGurus

Cambridge, Mass.

16	OCLC

21	Nitel

17	NRECA (National

22	Sprinklr

Dublin, Ohio

No. 1
Overall for
CareerDevelopment
and Retention

Arlington, Va.

Chicago

Rural Electric
Cooperative
Association)

23	IT Convergence

Arlington, Va.

Irving, Texas

18	Konstruktor
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B E S T P LA C E S T O W O R K I N I T

I

NSIDER PRO and Computerworld conducted
the 27th annual survey
from IDG to identify the
100 best places to workfor IT professionals. In November 2019 Insider Pro and Computerworld started accepting
nominations from U.S.-basedorganizations and from nonU.S.- based employers that
met the following criteria:
Nominated organizations wererequired to have a minimumof 300 total employees at a U.S.
headquarters and a minimumof 30 IT employees in the U.S.,
with at least 50 percent of IT
employees based in the U.S.
Participants were asked toprovide contact information
for the person at their organization who is familiar with or hasaccess to employment statistics
and financial data, as well as
benefits policies and programsfor the IT department and the|

M E T H O D O LO G Y

27thentire organization.
In January 2020 the contacts
at the nominated organizations
received a 52-question company
survey asking about averagesalary and bonus increases,
percentage of IT staffers promoted, IT staff turnover rates,
training and development, andthe percentage of women andminorities in IT staff and management positions. In addition,
information was collected on
the employer’s retention programs, methods of rewarding
outstanding performances,and benefits ranging from eldercare and child care to flextime
and reimbursement for college
tuition and the costs of earningtechnology certifications.
Upon completion of the company survey, participants were
instructed to select a random
sample of employees from their
U.S.-based full- and part-time
IT staffs for participation in an

ANNUALREPORT

How We Chose theBest Places to Work
The methodology behind our selectionof the 100 organizations on the2020 Best Places to Work in IT list. BY DAN MUSES U M M E R 2020|

INSIDER PRO|COMPUTERWORLD

42B E S T P LA C E S T O W O R K I N I T

employee survey. All participating companies were emailed
instructions regarding sample
selection as well as a unique survey link to share with employees.
Topics covered in the employee
survey included satisfaction
with compensation and benefits,
training and development programs, and work/life balance. In
addition, employees were asked
to rate employee morale in the
IT department, the importanceof various benefits, and theirlevel of agreement with a variety
of statements on topics ranging
from career growth to management’s fair and equal treatmentof employees.
A total of 21,301 IT employees responded to the employee
survey from the final 100 organizations selected as best places to work for IT professionals.
The nomination survey, company survey and employee survey were all conducted online.

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M E T H O D O LO G Y

The responses to the company
and employee surveys were collected and tabulated by a thirdparty research vendor. The company portion of the research wasclosed in February 2020, and theemployee survey portion wasclosed in March 2020.
In scoring the responses
from the company and employee surveys, company results
were weighted based on theimportance ratings provided byrespondents to the employee
survey. Approximately half ofthe total scoring was based on
employee responses, with theremaining half based on thesurvey of the company’s benefits and other programs.

Top 10 Lists

Our top 10 lists show the bestof the best—the organizations
that excel in these five areasof human resources: benefits,
career development, diversity,

retention and training. To determine those lists, we considered the following factors:
Benefits: The range ofbenefits offered, including
sabbaticals, elder care andchildcare, and health andvision plans; employee
satisfaction with the rangeof benefits.
n Career development:
Mentoring programs;
tuition reimbursement
for college classes andtechnical certifications;promotions within IT;
employee satisfaction withtuition reimbursement,
opportunities for career
growth and management’s
involvement in careerdevelopment.
n Diversity: Percentage ofwomen and minorities in staff
and managerial positions;employee perceptions thatn

S U M M E R 2020|

management treats everyone
fairly regardless of raceor gender.
n Retention: Frequencyof employee satisfaction
surveys; turnover rate;
promotions; morale;
employee satisfaction
with work/life balance,sabbaticals, job-sharing andtelecommuting programs.
n Training: Number of training
days; training budget;
employee satisfaction
with training and accessto training; satisfaction
with reimbursement forcertification training;satisfaction with continuing
education programs.
The survey process was managed by Jen Garofalo, research
director in IDG’s Insights andPerformance Marketing group,working with independent firm
Research Results. u

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