What’s the key to a winning workplace? Top leader says it starts with hiring

Editor’s note: 麻豆官网 recently named over 300 companies as Top Workplaces聽in the D.C. region. Individuals making a difference in their organizations were also recognized with awards. This report highlights one of those individuals.聽

WilmerHale is riding a 13-year win streak.

The prestigious law firm has made the Top Workplaces Awards list for more than a decade now and David Bowker has led the way.

As the partner in charge of the D.C. office, Bowker oversees almost 600 employees. And this year, he鈥檚 won a special Trusted Leadership Award.

鈥淚 think it starts with great people,鈥� Bowker said. 鈥淲e really focus on bringing great people into the firm, developing them professionally and giving them a terrific mission, where we focus on our clients first, delivering great legal services, but we also focus on teamwork, on collaboration and giving them reasons to come into the office.鈥�

The firm expects employees to work in the office four days a week. But Bowker said many work five.

In an age of TikTok videos, social media posts and text alerts, distractions arrive frequently on mobile phones. But Bowker manages to keep his team focused.

鈥淚 think it starts with the mission, giving people interesting, meaningful work,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e’re in an industry of providing legal services to clients where the mission is clear: it’s clients first. We represent and advise clients and put their interests before our own, and people we bring into the firm believe in that mission.”

“They’re committed to it and we try to make work enjoyable, interesting and meaningful. We bring people who have achieved excellence in the field, bring them together, give them a mission and give them the support they need to do the work.鈥�

At WilmerHale, Bowker said he regularly gets his team together to talk about their mission.

鈥淲e talk about our firm history,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e talk about our culture and we try to recognize and show appreciation for those people who are doing great work, who are committed to the mission, committed to clients. So we make a point of talking about it, demonstrating it in how we work and then really recognizing it and rewarding it when we see people living those values and working that way.鈥�

Bowker is also a fan of getting people together as much as possible, for breakfast, lunch, panel discussions and special moments.

鈥淲e have what we call business professionals luncheon, where we recognize our business professionals who support the lawyers at the firm,” he said. “We try to do a lot to keep people social and give people reasons to be together in the office.鈥�

At the end of the day, building a successful workplace starts with hiring the right people. A 25-year veteran at the firm, Bowker looks for team players.

鈥淲e prioritize certain kinds of people in our recruitment,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e look for people who are who show excellence in their qualifications, who are committed to the mission that we serve people who want to be together, collaborate and engage in teamwork as they do the work, so we’re looking for people who are collegial, collaborative, team-oriented,

Bowker said the office looks for people who are collegial, collaborative and team-oriented.

“By bringing those kinds of people together on a mission that counts, where the work is meaningful, the problems of the day solve themselves,” Bowker said.

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