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T W O - T I M E H O N O R E E
Postlethwaite
& Netterville
Employees at Postlethwaite & Netterville say
the public accounting firm’s extensive
training and development keeps them well
nurtured, and as a result staff members tend to
stay for a long time.
Joey Richard, New Orleans office director,
says the firm provides study materials for the
certified public accountant exam and at least
64 hours of paid learning time during summer
months.
“Employees can prepare for the CPA test on
us,” he said, and staff members who pass the
exam receive an immediate 4 percent raise
and a $2,000 bonus.
The company also rewards its employees
with annual bonuses based on monetary and
professional accomplishments. Workers can
also receive a $3,000 to $5,000 bonus for referring
a new employee to the firm.
Richard said the company’s clients are
diverse, from privately held and public companies
to nonprofits and individuals in the
Louisiana-Texas region and beyond.
Employees visiting clients have the chance to
travel throughout the United States, the United
Kingdom, the Netherlands and China for
audits and tax planning, he said.
The firm also conducts business-process
reviews and provides technology consulting
and litigation support.
Senior auditor Hayley Morgan said she likes
so many things about her job that she barely
knows where to begin.
“Our office is friendly, and I’ve developed
many personal relationships here, though we
know how to separate them from our professional
duties,” Morgan said. “I’ve learned a
great deal from our clients about the industries
they’re in, and am grateful for that exposure.”
Morgan said she enjoys participating in the
firm’s community projects, such as the annual
Odyssey Ball silent auction at the New Orleans
Museum of Art.
The firm contributes employee volunteers to
Nature of business: accounting and business advisory firm
Where based: Baton Rouge, with second-largest office in
Metairie
Employees: 77 in Metairie, 311 companywide
Average starting salary: $35,000 to $43,000 for administration,
$46,650 for professionals
Median salary: $42,500 for administration, $68,900 for professionals
Average employment time: three years
Benefits: health care with 90 percent coverage, dental, vision
and prescription plans, 401(k) with 25 percent match on first 4
percent contributed, continuing education program, telecommuting,
flexible hours, employee recognition program, subsidized
meals
Wait time for benefits: about one month
Paid days off: 30 to 40
Web site: www.pncpa.com
From back: Donald Maginnis, Brittany Fallon, Staci Ritchie and Savi Rengakrishan of Postlethwaite & Netterville race chairs through
the office. The company held a team-building event earlier this year in which employees competed in contests such as office chair
relay races, Wii Bowling and mind gymnastics.
more than 10 major charitable events a year,
including a Louisiana Children’s Museum
fundraiser and a walk for the American Lung
Association. It also sponsors food drives and
disaster-recovery initiatives.
Staci Ritchie, a senior auditor in Metairie,
said she appreciates the firm’s sense of teamwork
and the ability of colleagues to tackle
challenges together.
“We had an Office Olympics this year to see
who could make the longest paper-clip chain,
throw balled paper in small holes, run a course
with a ball on a spoon and pin a tail on a boss,”
she said. “We watched our co-workers do awkward,
funny things here in the office and our
directors take cues from the staff. And we got
to know each other even better.”
The company has many employees who
have stayed 25 to 30 years, marketing manager
Rachael Higginbotham said.
The Metairie office, she said, is like the city
of New Orleans — a melting pot of nearly 80
employees providing numerous services to
varied industries.
One nice perk, she said, is that the office works
half days on Friday in the steamy month of July.
“The (company) culture is very welcoming
and accommodating. It helps people make the
most of their careers,” Higginbotham said.
“They focus on people’s personal goals, and
they genuinely care about their employees.”•
— Susan Buchanan
34 2009 Best Places to Work