As companies begin to reshape the traditional workplace model and innovate their approach to employee gratification, many are turning to benefits outside the office to attract and retain top talent. According to IDG’s Insider Pro, what’s key to being an attractive company is “remuneration and benefits”—and some do it better than their competitors.

Insider Pro delivers IT research, analysis, reviews and more for IT professionals. It believes factors like job progression, training, diversity, sustainability, and opportunities for development are becoming ever more important to offering a great place to work. That’s perpetually true in a post-pandemic world.

That’s why, for the 28th rendition of its Best Places to Work in IT report, the team decided to evaluate what IT professionals want from their job now that the world of work has changed, and “which employers are investing in their futures.”

Three local companies made the list

Axxess, IT Convergence, and Armor were the only North Texas companies recognized in the new list, all in the small organization (1,000 or fewer U.S. employees) category. 

Axxess places high in three categories

Dallas-based Axxess placed No. 5 in the small organization ranking—the seventh consecutive year it has received this award. Axxess was especially called out in the report for two other achievements: topping the list at No. 1 for diversity and snagging No. 2 for retention overall.

“At Axxess, we have a culture of openness and collaboration, and everyone is empowered to bring their authentic self to work every day,” Axxess Founder and CEO John Olajide said in a statement. “The Axxess Way is our commitment to treat every Axxessian as an individual, respect their dignity, recognize their merit and provide a sense of security and fair compensation. I am proud that Axxess has once again earned this award.” 

The company, which offers solutions that help improve care at home for more than two million patients worldwide, emphasizes “excellence, transparency, diversity, equity and inclusion” in its ‘Axxess Way’ culture.

IT Convergence “sees leaders”

That’s holds true for Irving-based IT Convergence as well. Coming in at No. 14 on the list, the company says it doesn’t “see gender, race, or creed,” it sees leaders. IT Convergence offers cloud solutions and migration strategies that meet customers’ business needs, drive cloud adoption, and enable digital transformation. IT Convergance also ranked No. 10 overall for diversity. 

Armor celebrates each employee’s perspectives

Armor, ranked at No. 17, celebrates “the individual attributes, characteristics, and perspectives that make each person who they are.” The company, headquartered in Richardson, delivers security and compliance services that are simple, achievable, and manageable across any environment.

The value of being nimble, flexible, and more

“Attracting and retaining top IT talent to research, deploy and maintain technology has never been more critical,” Kate Hoy, editor of IDG’s Insider Pro, said. “Companies that have earned a spot on the Insider Pro and Computerworld 2021 Best Places to Work in IT list have been able to foster nimble and flexible work environments—while continuing to keep competitive compensation and benefits steady. Additionally, they foster a spirit of diversity, social responsibility, training, and innovation.” 

For IT pros, a challenging, yet enjoyable environment will always hold value, even in a work-from-home situation.

Over the past tumultuous year, some companies have successfully adapted to keep employees happy and maintain a strong culture, according to Insider Pro.

Marc Ambasna-Jones and the Insider Pro staff explains that they wanted to gauge reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic when compiling their annual ranking, but didn’t want to dwell on it too much. “After all,” they say, IT pros “have been at the forefront in delivering and supporting remote working tools.”

Overall, they found that IT professionals are most concerned about how organizations will meet the demands of a permanent hybrid work environment.

Also important for IT pros: Having the opportunity to further their career, salary, access to training and skills development, additional benefits offered, and diversity and inclusion.

“Of course, all businesses can claim to instill ideals, create policies and throw money at tools and services but when it comes down to it, it has to mean something to those doing the actual work,” Ambasna-Jones writes. “While not every business gets it right all of the time, there is never any harm in putting the workforce first. That’s the long-term game. Anything else will just be found wanting.”

Compiling the Best Places to Work in IT

The Insider Pro and Computerworld analysts found 100 standout organizations to recognize based on the results of a comprehensive 52-question survey based on a company’s offerings. Categories like benefits, career development, training and retention, and of course, COVID-19 response, were covered.

They also asked about average salary, percentage of IT staffers promoted, IT staff turnover rates, and the percentage of women and minorities in IT staff and management positions.

From there, companies selected a random sample of employees from their U.S.-based full- and part-time IT staffs to answer an employee survey. They rated their employer on morale in the IT department, work/life balance, and overall satisfaction.

According to Insider Pro, 21,820 IT employees responded from the final 100 organizations selected.

The results were “weighted based on the importance ratings provided by respondents to the employee survey,” Insider Pro says. “Approximately half of the total scoring was based on employee responses, with the remaining half based on the survey of the company’s benefits and other programs.”

David Seeley and Quincy Preston contributed to this report. 

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