When I came out of college, I had worked with
both Ed Wilkin and Ed Guttenplan at another firm. I had left
that firm and started my family, but stayed in touch with
Ed Guttenplan. When I was ready to return to the workforce,
I contacted Ed Guttenplan and came to work here, primarily
because the firm was very open and flexible about my interest
in working part time. It seems like most accounting firms
are primarily interested in the production of "output"-reports,
audits, financial statements. That's what pays the bills.
But somehow, this firm has made it clear how much it values
and appreciates its staff without having to sacrifice anything
as far as quality or "production of output." People
talk about respect, informality, independence and flexibility.
These things are really what we're about, and I know management
is really committed to perpetuating this culture, which makes
our firm a very comfortable and nice place to be.
Every year as part of my annual review, I set my goals-both
personal and professional-and there's tremendous respect and
support for my own work/life choices. I can tell because I
have been able to advance my career at my own pace. I find
it really interesting that clients always seem to notice that
there's something different here. They always ask about life
at the firm; they sense our people are very happy and productive,
and I'm sure this translates into improved client service.
After all, how could our "culture of caring" not
motivate us to be more committed to our work?
It goes beyond the firmwide birthday celebrations. People
look forward to the annual staff outing, our after tax season
party; we get beautiful gifts after major service anniversaries.
On snowy days the firm will show appreciation to staff by
buying everyone pizza as a "thank you" for making
the effort to come to work. During tax season, we are often
given tokens of appreciation, by the firm; it might be movie
tickets, a bottle of wine, a Valentine's Day present or a
gift certificate for a massage-to make sure we don't get overloaded
on stress and anxiety.
I think the bottom line is this: Whatever your choice is
for your career, you can have it at Wilkin & Guttenplan.
You can add great value to client relationships, and have
a real variety of assignments. You'll get all the responsibility
you can handle. Our mentoring program has really helped people
develop and achieve longer-term goals. It also allows them
to broaden their interests. You can advance solely on your
merits and performance, and can expect to be treated like
a professional. And whatever it is that you choose to do,
you'll get all the help and guidance you need to accomplish
your goals. Why would you even think of working anywhere else?
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