We spend such a large proportion of our lives working. As such, it makes sense to work somewhere where not only are your talents appreciated but you are treated well. This is especially true in the tech industry where creativity, innovation and a can-do and relaxed culture is prized almost as much as the benefits that might be on offer.
It's not just free food in the canteen, a football table and boozy Friday afternoons that's important here, Indeed, the organisation in question must demonstrate trust and respect between employees and management, a dynamic working environment and camaraderie.
IT Pro has put together a list of 12 of the best places to work in IT. The list covers not just hard-core tech companies but also IT roles in cool companies known to treat employees well.
Company name: Facebook
Number of employees: 25,105 (December 2017)
Although one of the biggest tech companies out there (and it's had its fair share of negative news headlines of late), Facebook is also one of the most satisfying to work at according to employees.
Benefits include the option to work from home every Wednesday, six months paid maternity and four months paid paternity leave. You'll also get money towards transportation, gym allowance and free food.
From a fun point of view, Facebook offers its employees a whole range of games to play in their breaks, such as chess, ping-pong, arcades, and guitar hero.
The open-plan set up makes it more relaxed and if you're feeling a little sleepy, nap pods can offer a little bit of rest when you most need it.
Company name: Hubspot
Number of employees: 1,960
Hubspot is a pretty big company with a small business mentality. According to Glassdoor, it offers all of its employees' a voice, allowing them to contribute ideas to the company's growth.
You can take advantage of unlimited holidays - you can decide when to take time off and however you want to use it is fine. You're encouraged to work from home as much as you like, as long as you get the work done.
Every five years, you'll get a four-week sabbatical, with a $5,000 grant to do with whatever you wish. It could be used for training, a holiday or even improving your home.
Hubspot takes the health of its employees seriously and its Hub Care programme offers access to key health services, such as mental health advice, emotional support and access to doctors via online chat or over the phone. It will give you money towards your gym membership and offers free healthy snacks for employees.
Company name: Attenda
Number of employees: 284
A leading service and cloud platform provider, Attenda was founded in 1997 and is based in Staines-upon-Thames, Middlesex. They employ over 250 people.
Why is it a good place to work? Employees at Attenda get to enjoy the extensive charity work done by the company, as well as a good social life and focus on employee development. Trust in co-founder and chief executive Mark Fowle is also very high, with teamwork key to their strategy.
Interesting fact: Attenda co-sponsor the EMC Silicon Cup, with all money raised at the Isle of Wight sailing regatta going to charity.
Company name: Box
Number of employees: 900
Why is it a good place to work? Box doesn't do cubicles to allow for a collaborative and communicative workspace where teams can interact and share ideas.
What role does IT play here? According to box, IT is all about innovation and development. It says it is constantly striving to grow, build and disrupt the collaborative cloud space. As such, IT is central to day-to-day work.
Interesting fact: Aside from the giant slide in the US office, Box has a London taxi as a meeting room in the London office.
Other info: Box expanded its operations into Europe in 2012, with the opening of its first office in London.
Company name: Google UK
Number of employees: Approx. 2,250 in UK
Why is it a good place to work? It has three offices in London and one in Manchester. It's the company's second-largest engineering office in Europe and home to its global sales and marketing teams.
What role does IT play here? Engineers work on Voice Search, Local Search, Maps, Google TV, YouTube and core infrastructure.
Interesting fact: There are old-fashioned red telephone boxes so staff can make private phone calls. Meeting rooms can be found by looking at Underground-style maps.
Other info: Engineers voted to have their office designed to look like a sci-fi spaceship interior, and the company has just built a cinema in one of its offices.
