By: Deborah Johnson Wood
Since January, Warner Norcross & Judd LLP has hired 2 paralegals, 2 legal secretaries, a switchboard operator, and filled a newly created communications specialist position. Five of the new hires work for the Grand Rapids office at 900 Fifth Third Center; the sixth reports to the Southfield office.
Cheryl Coutchie, director of human resources, hires support (non-attorney) staff for all four of the firm’s offices (the other two are in Muskegon and Holland). She expects to hire additional support staff this year, but doesn’t have exact numbers.
“We might add a secretary here and there for specific and new and specialized practice areas,” Coutchie said. “We want people who want to be engaged in their work; who look at it as a career, not a job.”
The firm has 395 employees, 205 of those are support staff in a variety of departments including accounting, information services, marketing, and human resources. The company promotes from within, which means there are people training in the wings to move up, Coutchie says. Turnover is very low—just 4 percent in 2006.
“We place a very high value on relationships and people,” Coutchie added.
This year marks the firm's fifth consecutive year as one of the 101 Best And Brightest Companies to Work For. They are also listed in Kimm Alayne Walton’s book, America's Greatest Places To Work With A Law Degree.
Source: Cheryl Coutchie, Warner Norcross & Judd LLP
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Deborah Johnson Wood is Development News Editor for Rapid Growth. She can be contacted at [email protected]
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