Legal Personnel Employer of Choice Award

Supreme Winner: BlackmanSpargo Rural Law Ltd

Judith Eller, Director, Legal Personnel and Chris Spargo, Partner & Ian Blackman, Senior Partner, Blackman Spargo Rural Law Ltd

Loving your work, and your workplace

By Craig Sisterson

BlackmanSpargo Rural Law founders Ian Blackman and Chris Spargo got one of the biggest cheers of the 2009 New Zealand Law Awards™ when, during their acceptance speech for the Legal Personnel Employer of Choice Award, they said, “We love our staff, and we hope they love us”.

Going by comments that accompanied BlackmanSpargo Rural Law’s victory, their staff certainly do love working for the firm. One voter said, “I have worked for a number of different firms now, both in private practice and in-house, here and [overseas]. I’ve enjoyed working for BlackmanSpargo more than any other firm, and have found the quality of work we get to do, and the friendly working environment to be much better than I was expecting when I agreed to join the firm.” Another voter said, “This firm gave me my first taste for law as a summer clerk and has supported me ever since. I feel as if I have had one of the best starts possible to my career.”

It is the third year that BlackmanSpargo Rural Law, which has farming clients spread from the top of the North Island to the bottom of the South Island, has won its category (less than 50 staff) in Employer of Choice, but the first time the Rotorua-based firm had scooped the overall title. “It was a thrill to win … because we have as our philosophy understood that in order to operate a successful business you need good people around you,” says Blackman. “The foundation of having a good firm is good staff because the essence of giving good advice is relationships.”

Spargo says that one of the keys to being a great employer is “showing staff that you care for them, that you respect them, and that you’re here to help them as much as they’re here to help you”. At BlackmanSpargo Rural Law, the partners continually do a large number of things to foster that approach; supporting and paying for some of their legal executives to get law degrees (with no reciprocal bonding), being very flexible with hours and time off for staff with children or other outside-work obligations and passions, free life, health, and other insurances and immediate Kiwisaver matching, and “lots of other fun stuff we do outside the business”, amongst other things. “It’s about how we as team leaders and as owners can create an environment that’s better,” says Blackman.

Judging by their success at the New Zealand Law Awards™ the past few years, BlackmanSpargo Rural Law is already seen as a great place to work, however, Blackman and Spargo are both continuously looking to improve their firm’s working environment. “One of the things we’ve implemented recently as part of this continuous review is what we call the professional development programme, which provides for 360 degree review,” says Blackman. This involves monthly meetings between partners and staff, setting and reviewing goals. The partners also share their own personal goals with staff, who give them feedback too.

In the end, says Blackman, all of these measures are designed to create the best workplace possible, for everyone, because work needs to be about more than solely making money. “It’s all about having a passion for the industry, and having a passion to make a difference.”

NZLawyer, issue 126, 27 November 2009

Winning firm with less than 50 employees: BlackmanSpargo Rural Law

Winning firm with 51 to 100 employees: Lane Neave

Winning firm with more than 100 employees: Anderson Lloyd

FINALISTS:

Anderson Lloyd
BlackmanSpargo Rural Law Ltd
Dennis King Law
Duncan Cotterill Lawyers
James & Wells Intellectual Property
Lane Neave
Queen City Law
RSM Law
Wynn Williams & Co

Criteria:
The winning firm will:

possess a workplace culture that recognises the importance of work-life balance and a healthy working environment
ensure that its employees know that they are vital members of the team
facilitate the growth and development of all its employees

Award Sponsor:

The key to success is building a relationship and we're in the relationship business.

We understand that finding the right person for the job requires more than matching a job specification with a job seeker’s skill set.

It’s also about what we call 'people fit'.

Understanding the complex mix of business, professional, and career objectives that motivate the organisation and the individual is just as important.

Successful recruitment is all about relationships, we look forward to developing a successful one with you.

Legal Personnel - helping firms to be employers of choice.