Rachel Atencio is the Attorney Recruiting Manager at Merchant & Gould, where she spearheads full-cycle attorney recruitment. She advances and implements professional development, performance management, recruitment strategies, and diversity initiatives.
Through her extensive leadership experience, recruitment expertise, and teamwork proficiency, Rachel effectively elevates the professional experience for the firm’s attorneys and potential candidates.
Dedicated to Building Exceptional Legal Teams
Rachel has been championing professional services and law firm talent acquisition management for over seven years. Her efforts are highly focused on developing successful relationships with candidates and placing them in positions where they can best realize their collaborative potential.
She discovers top talent and places them in their optimal professional roles through invested interest, pragmatic career coaching, and ongoing communication. Rachel’s ability to build dynamic professional relationships results in the formation of highly reputable legal teams.
Rachel’s passionate commitment to establishing excellent candidate experiences helps bring together some of the brightest legal minds. By getting to know candidates and developing hiring strategies that center on employee satisfaction and retention, Rachel is an active participant in transforming people’s lives.
Accomplished in Developing Well-Rounded Professional Experiences
Rachel’s professional values are centered on collaboration, inclusivity, and professional development. She has worked closely with executive committees and department heads to create a balanced and comprehensive professional experience for legal teams. She supports the attorneys at Merchant & Gould by designing, implementing, and directing:
- Attorney and talent acquisition, integration, and retention
- Professional advancement, training, career coaching, and mentoring programs
- Ongoing professional development, evaluation, and performance management
- Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives
Rachel believes everyone has something to bring to the table and greatly values diversity and inclusivity. By providing equitable recruitment strategies and ongoing mentoring programs, she maintains a company culture of team appreciation and collaboration.
Rachel places great importance on professional growth and is committed to providing professional development opportunities. These opportunities help teams develop their strengths and knowledge, and empower each team member to reach professional success.
Rachel loves the outdoors and is often found hiking and paddleboarding in her spare time. She has two beautiful children who accompany her on her traveling adventures. Rachel is also passionate about culinary arts and enjoys cooking and trying out the latest restaurants.