You’ve crafted a great CV, made a stellar application, and you’ve been selected for interview. Congratulations! You can rest assured that your personal brand is working well if you’ve been selected for an interview. But don’t be complacent. Now the work to secure you your ideal role really begins.

Performing well at interview is not about being a legal genius, it’s about the small practical things you can do that will give you the best chance at success. View the interview as an opportunity to enhance your personal brand further – our interview checklist will help you prepare for the challenge and to secure the best outcome.

Here’s a brief overview of what you need to know.

Practicalities

First of all, arrange time off with your current employer. Don’t just go AWOL on the day, as you want to retain good relations with the firm that is currently employing you. Gather all of the relevant information from the recruiter – the who, what, when, where and format of the interview. Allow plenty of time to reach the destination and factor in time to find a parking space if the office is in a busy city centre location.

Research, research, research. The best way to ensure interview success is to be clear what the job involves, and what is being asked of the candidate. If it’s a multi-stage interview process, ensure you have plenty of examples to showcase your skills as repeating the same anecdote will risk you sounding like a one-trick pony. Breadth and depth of experience is much more impressive to partners and hiring managers than a solitary moment of high achievement.

The interview

While progress may be slower than in the business sector, the legal profession is becoming more diverse. From the number of solicitors working in-house in corporate roles to the ways in which law firms choose to structure their practice, the landscape is changing. That’s why it’s important to be flexible and open to different ways of working – and your interview is the ideal place to show those qualities off. Look the firm up online, take time to understand the role and prepare for questions you may be asked ahead of time. Just make sure that you answer the question you’re asked on the day, and you’re not just shoehorning what you want to say into the conversation.

If you have a phone interview initially, speak slowly and clearly. You may well be on a speaker phone in a meeting room – not favourable acoustics at the best of times – and you want to make sure that everyone in the room hears you.

Whatever interview stage you’re at, bear these tips in mind:

• Hone in on your skills and have the job spec in front of you – or at least review it before your interview. Relate your past experience to what the new firm is looking for.
• Be specific when talking about your experience. The STAR method helps you to answer questions fully while staying focused. It stands for Situation, Task, Action, Result. Explain the situation you were faced with, the task that needed to be done, what action you took, and the end result.
• Asking about development opportunities is fine, as this shows that you want to stick around, but do not ask about salary or benefits!
• Your reasons for leaving may be a question the interviewer asks, so have a professional answer prepared. It’s OK to be honest but do frame it in a positive light – saying that the firm was moving in a different direction to where you wanted to go, or that you feel you’ve achieved all that you can in the post will be sufficient.
• Don’t talk down your current employer. Following the previous point, this is absolutely vital. Any unprofessional or personal comments will not win you brownie points with the interviewer.
• Ask the interviewer questions, for example: the legal specialisms of the firm, how they plan to grow, or where the partners want to take the firm. It’s important you show an interest in the firm you may work for.

Popular interview questions still revolve around the topics of: teamwork, business development, planning and organisational skills, client focus, initiative, and motivation/drive for results. Consider these interview questions and how you might answer them. We’ve put some tips and tricks to give you a head start:

1. Tell me about one of the toughest groups you’ve had to work with. What made it difficult? – What did you do?

Talk about why the group was tough, without talking down other people. Was there a deadline, or a challenging area of the law you had to address, for instance? Focus on your actions, not other people’s.

2. Tell me a situation in which you were able to turn around a negative client? – What was the issue? – How did you accomplish the turnaround?

Again, don’t vent about the client. Explain how they came to be upset. Demonstrate that you took positive actions, like listening and being patient, to resolve the situation.

3. Give me an example of when a mistake you made provided you with a learning experience?

This isn’t a trick question – we all make mistakes, so don’t say you haven’t! Focus on how your rectifying the mistake resulted in a better way of working for you, the team or firm.

Celebrations and learnings

So, you excelled at the interview and have been offered a position – great news! However, if you didn’t receive an offer this time, don’t panic! You can still take a lot away from the experience. Ask the interviewer or your recruitment consultant for feedback – understanding areas where your interview performance could have been better gives you insight into what to change next time.

Our interview checklist for legal candidates is full of practical tips and information to help you make the best of an interview. From preparation to the actual interview, it has everything to help you land your dream legal job. Visit our website or call 01772 259 121 to request your free copy.

And if you enjoyed this blog, you may also like to read our blog top tips for your first few weeks. Don’t forget to have a look at our recent job vacancies too.

Finding a new job is tricky. Knowing where to look and assessing the opportunities that are available can be baffling. Yet that doesn’t stop many solicitors looking for their ideal job. The Law Society published extensive research in 2015 on how to develop legal careers and enhance the return on talent. The findings showed that 26% of solicitors planned to move jobs within a year, rising to 35% among millennials.

So how can solicitors navigate the choppy seas of recruitment to success? A clear plan and an experienced recruiter at your side make a lot of difference. Our two-stage guide gives you all you need to know.

Stage 1: Planning

Job search methods

The legal job search has undergone significant change in recent years; much like other professions, solicitors are looking to the internet more and more when searching for their dream role. Our 2018 Salary Survey shows that the use of the internet in legal recruitment continues to grow and includes channels such as social media. There’s still a place for more traditional methods of recruitment, however, you’ll need to be online to give yourself the best chance of success.

Don’t forget about the power of your network either! Word of mouth and personal referrals can be a powerful way to get in front of the right person. Alert contacts that you’re looking for a new role, attend seminars, events and put yourself out there. It could well be a case of who you know, not what you know.

Understanding the opportunities that are available

Be clear about what’s on offer out there. Assess which skills are in demand in your region or city. Are yours in surplus or high demand? Do you specialise in a particular area of the law, or do you have broader skills such as experience working abroad or in a coveted sector that could be an asset? There are opportunities out there, but it’s having the patience to figure out how they could work for you that will give you the greatest advantage when you put yourself in front of a prospective employer.

Consider your personal development and aspirations too, and what a new job means for your aims. Would you be willing to move for a job, commute, or learn something new? Balance your needs and expectations versus the demand and reality of what’s available.

Stage 2: Enlisting help

Recruiting the right recruiter

A recruiter is potentially the job seeker’s best friend – but to put your trust in them to find the right role, you’ll need to feel sure that they understand the job requirements. A specialist legal recruitment agency can be a real help here. Sixty-eight per cent of firms say that they prefer to use specialist legal recruiters to source candidates: partnering up with a recruiter who has industry contacts and a fine-tuned knowledge of the legal sector gives you the best chance at getting in front of the right people.

Clarity on skills: a two-way street

Make it really clear to the recruiter just how your skills and experience fit with what the firm is looking for. They will then be in a strong position when putting you forward for consideration. Equally, ensure that you’re comfortable with what’s being asked of the candidate by the firm. That way, when you reach the interview stage you’ll feel calm, prepared and confident and will make a good impression.

Landing your dream role isn’t easy. And when you’re eager to get stuck into something new the process of job hunting often feels endless. However, if you spend a little time doing your research and enlist the help of an experienced recruitment professional it makes a great difference. And when the recruiter knows the legal industry and the intricacies of your role the weight of job hunting is taken off your shoulders – and you’ll be in an exciting new post before you know it.

If you found this blog of interest you may like to read our other post on 5 Tips for handing in your notice.
Or if you’re looking for that perfect role, then check out all the vacancies we have available, and please do register your CV with us.

Looking for a new position is a big commitment. It takes time to research what is available and how that fits with your career plans. Then there’s the applications, interviews and time spent investigating your options. The decision to move is not taken lightly, so if you do decide to seek a new role you want to feel reassured that it’s the best fit for you. Our blog offers some important factors to consider, from small issues that add up, to weighty issues that influence your decision.

Monetary motivation

Cold hard cash is a major motivation factor when legal candidates consider a job move, and this is particularly true among fee earners. The temptation of earning more money with a new firm can prove too tempting to resist.

A North-South divide is something that’s often referred to in conversations around salary, and this is something that is borne out by Clayton Legal’s own research. We found that a solicitor with three years’ PQE could expect to earn a minimum of £50,567 in London. The equivalent salary in the North was £18,500 lighter at £31,979.

And it’s not just the money but the accompanying career opportunities that can be a powerful draw to London. Boasting international prominence and a diversity of work and firms available, solicitors’ decisions to continue their working lives in a new location can be swayed by the opportunities afforded by practising in the capital.

Gender pay gap

The gender pay gap has been a hot topic of discussion in the lead up to the April reporting deadline. This is particularly true in the legal sector, as the Financial Times reported that legal firms have largely opted not to follow the big four’s inclusion of partners in gender pay gap reporting and have instead decided to exclude partners from their reporting. While it’s early days to make any clear judgements as to how this might affect solicitors’ decisions to move jobs, it could lead to a shift in employees wanting to work somewhere where there is pay parity between genders or, at the very least, clarity on pay – including partners.

Non-monetary rewards

Salary can be a powerful reason to leave a job, yet non-monetary rewards can be just as motivational. Things such as contributions towards a gym membership, flexible or remote working, or medical cover for the employee plus dependents and a spouse can be sufficiently tempting.

Personal perks offered by a job or working in a certain location are often major considerations for many solicitors. While London offers a fast pace of life and a vast array of career opportunities, other locations may appeal to people in different circumstances.

Somewhere quieter might be preferable for parents with children, while a job close to extended family might suit someone who helps care for a relative. While money can prove tempting, personal circumstances are often a more powerful motivational force, and will likely continue to be so as our population ages and younger generations play a part in caring for elderly relations. Finding a firm that supports flexible working or considers part-time hours can be invaluable to the workforce and might be the push that prompts the decision for you to move firms.

Management in practice

Issues of management are often cited when candidates are looking for a new job. This can translate as anything from: how workloads are managed in the firm; whether there’s an opportunity to gain managerial experience or increase management responsibilities; how the practice as a whole is managed.

If you’re looking to further your career and feel that managerial training is not forthcoming it might be a signal to look elsewhere. Alternately, if you have ideas of your own and are looking to influence how the firm is run you might want to consider moving on if the possibility of a senior or partner position seems remote.

Stay or go: your own list of reasons

There are many factors that influence your decision to stay with or leave a legal firm. Sometimes a large issue such as a firm’s stance on gender pay gap reporting can feel too big to work around or adapt to and can only be resolved by moving. Equally, smaller issues that combine to make a larger picture can be just as compelling in the decision to seek a new position.

The most important factors to consider when looking for a new job are the ones that matter to you. Whether that’s money, work/life balance, a comprehensive benefits package or proximity to family, only you can decide. Think carefully about what’s on offer with your current firm and weigh that against what a different firm can offer – and how that sits with what you want.

If you found this blog interesting, why not have a look at our other post on how to get a promotion in 5 simple steps. Or if you’re looking for that perfect role, then check out all the vacancies we have available, and please do register your CV with us.

You may also like to download our guide on How to Develop Your Legal CV.

Legal talent; often it feels as though there isn’t any! And it’s not just a feeling either; Clayton Legal surveyed law firms nationwide and found that more than 70% of firms believe that a skills shortage is one of the biggest obstacles their firm faces in 2018. And while the statistics make for sobering reading, it’s not all doom and gloom. There are specific steps firms can take to give themselves a better chance of attracting, and retaining, the very best talent. A strong employer brand and a reliable recruitment partner could make the difference your firm needs.

Building a brand: need to know

If you were asked to name a famous brand, there’s probably half a dozen or more that you could name off the top of your head. We’ve all heard of consumer brands like Coca-Cola, but what about employer brands?

An employer brand should be to your potential employees what your market brand is to the people that buy your services. It should be appealing and should essentially portray your firm as somewhere desirable to work – as it is, no doubt. An employer brand might showcase the following aspects of your firm:

• Success stories – what have people achieved since working in your practice?
• Culture – is it work hard, play hard, or do you encourage staff to pursue a healthy work/life balance?
• Type of work – is the work varied, challenging and interesting?
• Training and development – what opportunities are there to enhance skills, and how might a solicitor grow their career with you?
• Benefits – apart from salary and financial reward, what are the benefits of working for your firm over and above another?

Reassurance

Post-recession and post-Brexit, solicitors want to know that the law firm they decide to work for is a solid investment of their time and professional training. Firms need to reassure potential candidates that their prospects are good and that they fit together in terms of values.

A strong employer brand shouldn’t just work to attract new talent, it should help to retain existing talent. In fact, one of the most effective ways to devise a strategy for creating an employer brand is to communicate with your existing staff. Find out what motivates them, what they would like to see more or less of, and how their experience could be improved upon and you’ll have a good idea of what potential employees are looking for.

Getting the right support for your brand

Having an employer brand is a valuable asset and should pay dividends in the long term. A great employer brand, however, takes time and dedication to create, establish and maintain. And all the while the war for the top legal talent rages on. The very best legal talent work hard and it’s hard work to attract them to your firm too!

Working with a recruitment partner alongside your own brand-building activity can be incredibly beneficial. An established recruitment agency will already have their own brand and a good reputation, which reflects well on you and provides reassurance to the candidate. What’s more, a recruitment agency, especially one that specialises in legal recruitment, will have their ear to the ground and be able to keep you informed of candidate feedback, motivations and other considerations to be aware of when establishing and maintaining an employer brand.

Not just a helping hand

Clayton Legal’s report on Employee Branding firmly establishes it’s a key driver in recruiting the best legal talent. It doesn’t appear that the skills shortage will be coming to an end any time soon. The advantage of working with a recruitment partner is that while you’re busy building up your employer brand, they can access their existing pool of talent to find you the best candidate.

An agency that understands the legal job market is key too. They can use their extensive knowledge of the sector to filter out the very best talent that matches up with your needs. And while the skills shortage isn’t likely to disappear overnight, it can take a weight off your shoulders knowing that a professional is handling your firm’s recruitment.

If you’re thinking of creating an employer brand or think that your existing brand needs re-developing, then why not get in touch with Clayton Legal? We’d be happy to chat about employer branding or help with finding the best legal talent for your firm.

If you’d like to find out more about the benefits of using a specialised recruitment company, have a look at our blog on how to get the best out of your recruitment company.

Job satisfaction is something that’s frequently held up as the pinnacle of working life. Yet more often than not developing a career offers the real satisfaction, not just having a job. Performing tasks because they have to be done feels a lot different to working towards a greater cause that’s leading your career somewhere. So, whether you’re just starting out or you have decades of post-qualified experience we’ve put together a list of factors to consider when looking for a firm that offers a career not just a job.

Junior level: getting off to a flying start

When you’re just starting out, the training that takes you over the line to become a qualified solicitor is so important. Whether you take the route through university as a law undergraduate, or you take another academic subject, you need to feel confident that a firm has the right processes in place to support you on your journey to professional practice.

Look out for firms that have established training programmes for graduates and, crucially, have a record of success. When you’ve invested time and money in education and training to develop your career, a firm that can confidently support the move from trainee to qualified practitioner is invaluable; if the foundation is shaky then everything built on top will be unstable too.

Life in the middle lane: taking it up a gear

With a few years’ experience solicitors are in a good position to make decisions about their career that can bring exciting new ventures and opportunities. At this point, adding strings to your bow is a good idea. This could be about increasing your value as a whole. For example, you could take a Law Society-approved management course and be able to supervise an office with three years’ PQE. This increases your responsibility and makes you more valuable as a whole. It gives you skills that aren’t just law-related, such as people management and other soft skills, broadening your skill set.

If you’re thinking of making a change or heading in a certain direction this point in your career would be a good time to do so. Look out for a firm that matches your interests and can offer training that deepens your knowledge as this will allow you to carve out a particular route for your career. On the flip side, firms that cover a lot of different areas of law may appeal. Although you may stick with one general area, being exposed to different aspects will keep things interesting. Being a generalist adds variety to working like, so if that appeals look out for firms that can support this. Secondments can be a good way to broaden your skills too, without committing wholeheartedly to a particular direction.

Don’t stop growing: senior career progression

For many solicitors, reaching the status of partner is the pinnacle of their career. And while industry figures suggest that the number of partners nationally is declining, partners constitute a significant proportion of solicitors making up nearly a third of the profession. If this is something that interests you then it can be a good idea to look out for firms that are growing. You may stand a better chance of reaching a senior level if there is room at the top. Keep an eye out for firms that have clear strategies in place for developing partners, have clear succession plans and have established processes for dealing with this.

Progressing to the level of partner is much more than evidence of ability, it offers some significant benefits. Being a partner brings with it the chance to make an impact on the profession and to take the firm in a certain direction that you envisage. It also enables you the chance to influence and offer help to those below you and shape the direction of their career, as yours was by your seniors.

Whatever stage of your professional life you’re at it’s important to keep thinking about the future and how the present builds towards that. Keep in mind that as you move up the career ladder what you want from a career may change and the firm that fitted your objectives may no longer do so. Of course, building a career entails having a job, but remember to keep thinking about how that job feeds into your overall career – if it doesn’t then maybe it’s time to look elsewhere.

If you found this blog interesting, please look at more of our blogs on how to get a promotion and the secret of success, or if you’re looking for that perfect role, send us your CV. Alternatively,  you can check out all the vacancies we have available.

It’s no secret that law firms want to recruit the best talent. The right combination of skills and experience is invaluable to a firm and a suitable candidate makes a big difference to the quality of work and the bottom line. Yet many firms struggle to recruit solicitors that have more than three years’ Post-Qualified Experience (PQE). Skills shortages, tough competition and an unstable political and economic climate combine to make the legal recruitment market extremely tough yet, with the right help, not impossible.

Why three years’ PQE is a watershed moment

In any profession, the more time someone has spent carrying out tasks successfully, the less supervision they will require and the more effective they will be. The legal profession is no different and solicitors that have three or more years’ PQE will typically need less support and will have more experience handling clients and caseloads. At three years’ PQE solicitors start to become more useful to a firm as they are able to supervise an office at this point, provided they have received appropriate management training.

Crucially, three years’ PQE marks a watershed moment in terms of profitability. The Law Society Gazette explains that as a solicitor starts to move beyond the junior stage of their career, all of their training and development costs begin to pay off. The Law Society Gazette cites the period of 4-6 years’ PQE as highly desirable for law firms – a kind of golden time at which the cost of employing someone with this level of experience versus the fees they can command weighs in the employer’s favour.

In fact, PwC’s Law Firms’ Survey 2017 found that solicitors with less than 5 years’ PQE accounted for the largest group of staff across the top firms. So why is it so difficult for firms to recruit solicitors with three-plus years’ experience when there are seemingly so many of them?

The three-year itch

Once a solicitor reaches this stage of professional maturity they become hot property, hence the reason why it’s so difficult for firms to recruit candidates at this stage of their career. The firm that trained the individual is faced with the prospect that they may jump ship, taking valuable knowledge and experience with them. It’s in the firm’s best interests to keep hold of those individuals and retain that fee-earning power. Simultaneously, if the firm is to grow they need to attract more solicitors at that stage of their career – and competition is high.

Not only do other firms pose a potential threat to whether a solicitor stays or leaves, there is also competition from the lure of in-house roles. The Law Society reports that the number of professionals working in an in-house role has grown rapidly, faster than private practice. Changing technology and an evolving political and economic climate have changed the skills demanded, and the promise for solicitors to become involved in commercial strategy and shaping the future of a business has prompted many solicitors to strongly consider an in-house role. If firms are to remain competitive it’s essential that they attract and retain employees that are highly desirable.

Globalisation

Working in an increasingly globalised world means work opportunities arise for law firms, and also for legal professionals who are tempted to move abroad. Post-Qualified Experience cannot be earned overseas. This represents a dilemma for law firms, as they may be faced with very experienced and able candidates on paper who simply do not have the required PQE. For instance, a solicitor who was newly qualified in 2006 and who moved abroad a year later would still only have one year’s PQE upon returning to the UK in 2017.

So, while solicitors who have worked overseas may offer certain unique skills there’s still no quick workaround for firms who are looking for candidates with junior-mid level experience.

How can firms beat the competition and recruit the best candidates?

Recruitment can be a stressful affair at the best of times and especially so in the midst of a skills shortage. Posting an ad on job boards or the firm’s website can feel like sifting through an awful lot of sand to find a small amount of gold. Often, firms simply don’t have the time or the capacity to put into recruitment, alongside running the business, winning new work, carrying out existing work and simultaneously ensuring the best outcomes for their clients. This is where a recruitment agency can really prove its worth.

A reputable, experienced agency will have an extensive network of contacts and a large database of potential candidates at their disposal which can save firms a lot of legwork. Any agency worth their salt will have developed good relationships with their candidates and will be able to act as an effective, trustworthy middleman between the two parties. This is especially true where the agency is a legal recruitment specialist, as they will be familiar with the industry and will understand the unique challenges faced by the legal sector.

While there is no magic solution, by being alert to the issues surrounding competition and retention law firms stand a better chance of attracting individuals with the right experience. A professional recruitment partner doesn’t just present the best candidates, they can advise how firms can hold onto their best talent: an investment that pays off now and in the future.

If you found this blog interesting, please check out our other blogs on Is there any Legal Talent left? and How to attract and retain millenials. Furthermore, contact our team to speak about your recruiting needs, call 01772 259 121.

As we all know, the legal profession has historically been male dominated, perhaps more so than almost any other. However, times are changing – not just in law, but across the board – and women are now getting the same opportunities that were once almost entirely reserved for men. Theresa May is Prime Minister, Cressida Dick is the head of the Metropolitan Police, and Angela Merkel has been heading up Europe for a number of years.

Within law, things are also changing. Baroness Hale, the Supreme Court Deputy President – is expected to replace the retiring Lord Neuberger who steps down at the end of next year. She has already become the UK’s first female Lord of Appeal in Ordinary and is currently the only female justice of the Supreme Court.

In addition, Lady Macur is lined up as the next Lord Chief Justice and will become England’s most senior judge when Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd also retires in 2017. And it’s likely that this won’t be the end of women being promoted to greater positions of power within the UK legal arena. We’ve written before about the rise of flexible working in law over recent years and the introduction of this way of working to the Supreme Court is likely to encourage more women to the posts. And the vacancies will be there to take, as a record six other senior judges are expected to stand down in the next two years as they approach retirement.

Flexible working

Flexible working doesn’t just appeal to women of course, but it should help to encourage more mothers of young children, for example, who may have stepped away from full time positions to care for their families. It can also help to improve diversity and therefore business performance if managed in the right way.

As well as the introduction of flexible working, equality law provisions will also come into play, specifically the clause known as ‘the tipping factor’, which allows employers to treat a candidate from an under-represented group more favourably if:

• Both candidates are “as qualified” as each other
• The employer selects on merit
• And taking the action is seen as a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim.

Women in the legal profession set to rise

All three are likely to apply to the Supreme Court so it’s highly likely that we’ll see even more female professionals join Lady Macur and Baroness Hale at the top table of the legal profession. It appears that it’s not just politics where women are making their mark, but also in law too. Here’s hoping this provides an inspiration to female professionals and the legal firms that embrace diversity and we begin to see greater numbers of women make partner over the coming years.

For more insights from the team take a look at our other blog posts.

After 2017’s climate of uncertainty, largely triggered by Brexit, UK law firms are understandably cautious going forward. However, on the whole, they are demonstrating their robustness by expressing a desire to continue with business as usual. In fact, our latest white paper, The Challenges and Opportunities Facing Legal firms in 2018, reveals that a significant majority (66%) of firms are looking to increase their headcount over the coming year. Of those businesses, 4% expect to increase staffing by 5% and 11% predict that it could be by as much as 30%. So, clearly there is considerable optimism about the opportunities for headcount growth in the coming year.

However, there appears to be challenges ahead surrounding the availability of labour. Around two-thirds (67%) of those surveyed say a skills shortage is their top concern for 2018 and 20% cited staff retention. And with business lobby group British Chambers of Commerce saying that skills shortages reached ‘critical levels’ in the last quarter of 2017, it is now vital for firms to retain the talent that they already have. So, which retention strategies can be used to incentivise existing staff to stay?

Flexible hours

The most important thing is to consider what your staff value the most. New research from HSBC reveals that 89% of employees view flexible working as a key motivator – more than the 77% who were influenced by financial incentives. Yet our survey found that only 33% of respondent firms offered flexible hours and fewer still provided part-time options. While it is encouraging to see that practices are increasingly aware of the demand for adaptable working patterns, those that don’t offer them to staff – and at all levels of seniority – risk losing them to businesses that do.

Remote working

Our survey revealed that 22% of firms offer staff the opportunity to work outside of the office. And, in a profession where long hours are the norm, there’s no doubt that many employees would welcome the opportunity to dispense with their commute on occasion. Does your firm make use of the technology available that facilitates this, such as cloud storage?

Training and development

In its recent Human Capital Trends report, Deloitte found 51% of companies rated ‘investing in talent’ as an urgent priority. Consequently, it is a surprise that none of our survey respondents cited training and development as a key retention offering at their firm. Millennials, in particular, will be hard to attract without excellent training and development programmes: a recent report by PwC found that 74% of the millennials it surveyed said that learning new skills to remain employable was something that they valued highly. And, over a quarter said this was the most important factor in making an organisation an attractive employer. Given that this generation will make up three-quarters of the UK workforce by 2025, firms cannot afford to overlook their needs: doing so will mean that they could fail to engage with a large share of skilled talent over the coming years.

Bonuses, sabbaticals and other offerings

Of course, while our research shows that flexible hours, remote working and training opportunities are important ways to invest in and retain staff, they aren’t an exhaustive list. Other benefits such as bonuses, sabbaticals, employee discounts, paid volunteering leave and a holiday allowance that increases over time, are just some of the other ways to incentivise staff. The best way to find out what your staff would value is to simply ask.

Not only are these methods excellent ways to keep staff engaged, they will also make your firm more attractive to potential recruits. At a time of significant skills shortages, are you doing all that you can, to attract and retain?

To request a full FREE copy of the report, click here.

​Furthermore, to speak to the team about your recruiting needs, call 01772 259 121

What characterises a millennial?

The defining characteristics of millennials – those born between 1980 – 1996, according to Pew Research – have been documented across a whole raft of research (notably from PwC and Deloitte), articles and books in recent years. The general consensus is that theirs, is a generation with a world view inevitably shaped by significant events such as financial recession, technological revolution and the rise of social media. As a result, they have less inclination to be motivated by money alone, a strong need for work / life balance, a commitment to their personal development, technological savviness, a preference for flexible working, an attraction to work which has social or charitable impact and a keen interest in diversity.

How millennials are changing the legal landscape

This crop of young lawyers is having a transformational impact on the workplace: according to legal services provider LOD, firms are moving from a ‘dormant, low-tech, individualistic system to a dynamic, high-tech, collaborative one.’ As In-House Lawyer magazine points out, over the first half of the 21st century, millennials will replace Boomers as the dominant demographic group throughout society: since law will be no exception, it is vital for employers to consider the ways in which they attract and retain millennial talent. Factors which have traditionally worked in the past, such as financial rewards, do not appear to inspire this generation in the same way.

Top tips for motivating millennials

With this in mind, here are our top tips for attracting and keeping our partners of the future.

1. Create an agile work environment.
   Millennials are used to wireless, mobile technology that gives them the flexibility to work wherever they need – or choose to. Offer remote working where possible and provide a secure means of access to the information needed to do their jobs when they aren’t in the office.
2. Dispense with rigid hierarchical career paths.
   Research shows that millennials are inclined to be peripatetic: they will move from place to place and are unlikely to want to follow a highly structured career path to partnership at one firm. Instead, build alternative career paths that still allow top talent to prosper.
3. Provide workload predictability.
   Of course there are times when work will inevitably ebb and flow but, where possible, try to ensure that workload can be anticipated in advance. The new generation of lawyers will graft hard but they value work / life balance so highly that if they can never make personal plans, they are unlikely to willingly remain in a role.
4. Develop an inclusive culture.
   A generation that has grown up with social media is one that understands the value of an open platform of interaction, collaboration and dialogue. Again, a hierarchy where voices are kept separate will not appeal. Instead, form project teams of various levels of seniority which encourage participation, mentoring and feedback between generations.
5. Utilise their tech savviness.
   It’s clearly a fallacy that every millennial is an innately skilled programmer, but they are certainly more likely to be aware of the technology available to them. Manually sifting through paperwork will appeal even less when they know that there are faster, more efficient methods, if only the firm would invest in business intelligence or data analytics. Use their understanding of technology to drive innovation.
6. Seriously consider diversity.
   Don’t just pay it lip service. The law firm of today should be fully committed to a culture of inclusivity. Set targets for diverse representation.
7. Promote charitable and community involvement.
   It is important for millennials to feel that their vocation is worthwhile: financial reward is rarely their sole motivator. Involve them in work with social meaning. As a firm, consider the ways in which money and time can be used to benefit good causes.

So, leaders of law firms should be mindful of the fact that today’s millennials will be the partners of tomorrow, Succession planning now is vital: firms must attract and retain the best millennial talent in order to ensure the longevity of their businesses.

To find out how Clayton Legal can help you plan for the future needs of your firm, contact us today.

Take a look at some of our other blogs to gain more insight into the legal sector.

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The relaxation afforded by the Christmas break gives many busy legal professionals an opportunity to reflect on their careers. And, of course, January is a time for fresh starts and resolutions about the direction you want to take in the New Year. So, if you plan to make a career move, here are our top tips for lining up the right job.

Assess

Firstly, assess your current role and responsibilities. What are the positive aspects and what do you find is lacking? Now think forward to the end of next year. What would you like to be doing career-wise at that point? Are you seeking a change of organisational culture? Also consider your current strengths and achievements: where have you added value? Which areas do you need to develop? Do you need more training or experience in order to compete with other candidates? Many jobseekers find it helpful to talk to a specialist recruitment consultant about the current market and the prospective options available to them.

Research

Once you know what you’ve got, what you want and why you want it, you can move onto the next step of identifying potential employers that will help you to achieve your future career goals. Research and create a list of firms that you would like to work for, as well as making notes on what they can offer you and what you can bring to them. Again, if you have a recruitment consultant, they can help you shortlist firms that could be the right fit for you based on their network.

Update

The end of a year is a good time to revisit the basics and make sure that your CV and online presence reflect your achievements. Take time to update your resume and ensure that your LinkedIn profile is complete: add new specialisms and adjust the key words in your profile so that they reflect the aspects you wish to be associated with going forward.

Develop

Before applying for a role, it makes sense to put yourself in the best position to compete. Think back to when you assessed the areas in which you could develop. Recognise and utilise training opportunities provided by your current employer, or find a local or online short course in a relevant area. Consider how you could gain additional exposure and opportunities to demonstrate your skills and knowledge, such as writing pieces for your company website or a professional publication, or by volunteering on a committee. Think about where you are active outside of work: now might be a great time to find professional associations or groups where you can attend meetings and network with people who are in the field. Attend seminars and thought leadership events to ensure you are at the forefront of your industry and able to take advantage of the opportunities that are available.

Initiate

The final step is to find that job. If you haven’t already, register with a good specialist recruitment agency and discuss precisely what you are looking for so that they can contact you as soon as an opportunity arises. Revisit your shortlist of potential employers and see who is posting jobs, or make speculative applications. Let your network know about your job search as this might reveal an opportunity which hasn’t yet been advertised. Dedicating just ten minutes a day to, say, emailing a contact who works in a field of interest, could be fruitful.

If you’re looking for a new challenge in the New Year, get in touch today to see what opportunities we have available.

You may also like to download our guide on How to Develop Your Legal CV.

Take a look at some of our other blogs to gain more insight into the legal sector.