WorkForce Software can be counted on for adding a handful of jobs to Ann Arbor’s talent pool each year.
The Livonia-based software firm opened its local office about three years ago as a way to leverage more talent coming out of the University of Michigan and other local colleges. It has since grown its Ann Arbor staff to 20 employees and three interns after hiring three software developers in 2014-15.
"It was a huge success," says Ken Olson, vice president of product development for
WorkForce Software. "We are firmly rooted here now with the office in Ann Arbor. We will continue to grow and grab local talent."
Internships have become a significant part of that talent retention strategy. Two of the company's three recent hires were former interns promoted into full-time positions. Those hires work out of both the downtown Ann Arbor and WorkForce Software headquarters in Livonia.
"We have done a very good job of integrating the Ann Arbor office with the Livonia headquarters," Olson says.
WorkForce Software makes management software for large-scale employers. It has grown significantly over recent years, expanding its revenue by about 20 percent each year. It now employs 500 people.
"Ann Arbor is a key piece of that growth," Olson says.
Source: Ken Olson, vice president of product development
Writer: Jon Zemke
Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.
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