Subprime auto finance provider Credit Acceptance headlined a total of five companies with heavy involvement in the used-vehicle industry included on the Best Places to Work in Information Technology — an annual ranking of the top 100 work environments for technology professionals by IDG’s Computerworld.

Credit Acceptance was ranked No. 1 among midsize companies, or firms that employ between 1,001 and 4,999 people.

Also included in the midsize category were Cars.com, which came in ranked No. 13, and DriveTime Automotive Group, which finished at No. 15.

Among the cluster of small companies with fewer than 1,000 employees, Edmunds.com ranked fifth, and Carvana ranked seven spots down at No. 12.

Officials explained the lists are compiled based on a comprehensive questionnaire regarding company offerings in categories such as benefits, career development, training and retention. In addition, Computerworld conducts extensive surveys of IT workers, and their responses factor heavily in determining the rankings.

“The organizations on this year's Best Places to Work in IT list excel at creating a dynamic and satisfying IT work environment,” said Scot Finnie, editor in chief of Computerworld.

“In a competitive market for tech talent, these outstanding employers are able to attract highly skilled IT pros by offering great benefits, new learning opportunities, access to cutting-edge technologies and challenging, business-critical projects,” Finnie continued when the publication released the lists on Monday.

Computerworld mentioned Credit Acceptance came in No. 2 for retention and No. 5 for training on its way to the overall top ranking in its category.

“This Southfield, Mich., auto financing company values not only what its IT professionals accomplish, but how they accomplish it,” Computerworld officials said. “Staffers are encouraged to be proactive and creative, and the IT team is proud of the positive relationships it has built with business users and leaders. A Credit Acceptance program called Workplace Heroes celebrates employees who inspire others with their achievements at work and in their personal lives. Team-building activities include an annual summer picnic, Ping-Pong tournaments, Super Bowl-related festivities and numerous community service opportunities."

When informed of the accolade, Credit Acceptance chief information officer John Soave said, “I want to thank all of our IT team members for their efforts every day to provide great service and software to our customers and for their efforts to make Credit Acceptance a great place to work.”

When discussing why IT professional would want to work at Cars.com, officials mentioned, “IT employees at Cars.com often lead the decision-making process when it comes to determining which technologies to adopt and deploy. Senior leaders at this Chicago-based online car-shopping exchange host regular lunches with groups of IT employees, giving them an opportunity to network in a casual environment. The company recognizes and rewards people for their achievements, and awards spot bonuses to employees who share their expertise with the public via speaking engagements. Other perks include happy hours, video games, table tennis, company parties, gym discounts, and flexible scheduling and work-from-home options.”

And when touching on why DriveTime is attractive, officials mentioned the company came in ranked No. 8 overall for career development. Here’s why: “IT is at the heart of everything this used-car retailer and financing company does — nearly 50 percent of the employees in its Tempe, Ariz., home office are IT professionals. The need to create advanced tools to help make the DriveTime experience better for the end customer has led to the development of a rich and innovative IT department that offers lucrative career paths and features an authentic team environment. In the past year alone, 34 percent of DriveTime's IT employees were promoted.”

Meanwhile, one of the most popular perks cited by Edmunds’ IT staff is the company’s Results-Only Work Environment (ROWE), which gives employees the freedom to set their own hours and take the time off they need, as long as they deliver results for the company. Developers are further attracted to Edmunds’ exciting and challenging projects that explore applications for artificial intelligence, chatbots and image recognition.

The company’s IT staffers also participate in Edmunds-sponsored hackathons — such as a recent blockchain hackathon — where thousands of dollars are awarded to the most innovative ideas and solutions.

“Edmunds.com has a world-class IT staff and this recognition is a testament to all of the group's hard work and dedication,” Edmunds.com chief people officer Julie Merges said. “Technology is the backbone of our operations at Edmunds, and we're committed to going above and beyond to make sure our IT teams have the resources, freedom and benefits they need to get the job done right.”

And finally, the boss of online retailer Carvana described what it’s like to be included among the honorees.

“We are thrilled to be recognized by Computerworld, and I credit every employee at Carvana whose consistent hard work and dedication contributed to our success in becoming one of the Best Places to Work in IT,” said Ernie Garcia, founder and chief executive of Carvana. “By leveraging technology, we have reinvented the car buying process. We’ve taken ownership over every piece of the equation and moved it online. Executing these processes in an online environment presents big and exciting challenges, and to pull it off, we’re constantly seeking great people.

“We are always looking for the best and brightest IT programmers and developers to add to our rapidly growing team, and by the end of the year, we plan on adding almost 20 new IT positions in Phoenix to keep up with our growth,” Garcia went on to say.

The full list of Computerworld's 100 Best Places to Work in IT for 2016 can be found here.