Top 6 Secrets to Success of the IT Companies

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The IT industry thrives as one overall organism, but it is no secret that a few companies stand far above the others in terms of size and notoriety. In an article for Business 2 Community, Barbara McKinney examines what behaviors distinguish businesses like Google, Microsoft, and Oracle from the others. Putting aside obvious factors like great management, she shares six actions these top businesses take:


1. Hire fast and fire slow
2. Take care of their people
3. Provide outstanding customer service
4. Take time to reinvent company infrastructure
5. Learn from their mistakes
6. Put principles before profit

The vetting process at these companies is pretty dense in the first place, so the candidates who even get selected for interview are probably up to par. Once hired, they will likely learn the ropes and adapt to the role that is expected. And if employees’ performance starts strong and drops over time, rather than look to terminate, it will make more sense to investigate why performance changed. It is better to re-tune the competent employees already held rather than to go looking for new ones.

Along those same lines, top businesses generally watch out for their employees. Google frequently tops lists of the best places to work, because (among other reasons) they provide myriad programs to promote physical and emotional wellness. On the other side of that equation, top businesses provide the same high-level service to their customers. There are plenty of things to complain about when it comes to Apple, but customer service is rarely one of them. And Sales-force, another known giant, is so transparent in its customer dealings that it will even let the public know when cloud services are down.

Another thing these top businesses dare to do is restructure. It is a bear of a task to realign people, technology, and services, but Microsoft was able to restructure into five operating segments in 2013. If someone their size can change to fit evolving needs, surely your organization can withstand a change as well.

About learning from mistakes, McKinney shares this:

If you happen to work for Google, Microsoft, or Apple and your CEO tells you after a major blunder that “It’s okay to make mistakes. But make sure that every time you make a mistake, it’s a new one.” and gives you a pat on the back, don’t freak out. It’s very likely to happen as these companies are one in the belief that the only real mistakes are the ones you don’t learn from.

Lastly, people appreciate a business that actually cares if it is making society better. IBM has received some positive buzz for its work ethics. And Amazon is well known for its various forward-thinking programs to improve life for employees and customers both.