The hiring market is changing.

With employment at an all-time high, many law firms are finding it hard to locate the right legal talent they need to help them reach their business goals.

As specialist legal recruiters, we have seen an increase in the number of candidates enquiring about locum work and this is echoed in the UK as a whole, with locum work being one of the fastest growing areas of recruitment.

However, many law firms are still reluctant to take on locum professionals, and quite often view it as a ‘last resort’. In doing this, law firms are missing out on a vast array of talented legal employees who are looking for less-permanent positions.

If you are not fully utilising locum professionals in your law firm yet, and are unsure as to why you should start, here are the five reasons that employers should take on more locum professionals this year.

1. A Clever Staffing Solution

We work with organisations of many different sizes, serving a range of legal specialisms. And what we find more and more often is that they cannot locate the talent they need to help them achieve their business goals.

Many law firms will persist with and repeat their recruitment process with the view to finding a permanent member of staff to fill a position. Many law firms would not consider a locum professional: because the role is permanent, they want a permanent member of staff.

But in doing this, they struggle on with a vacant position, or worse; they employ the ‘wrong’ permanent employee in haste. The cost of rehiring for permanent employees can become very costly indeed.

This is the perfect opportunity to utilise an employee on a locum contract – to solve an ongoing recruitment issue.

2. For Flexibility

In an ever-changing economy, and especially during the Brexit transition period, many employers are finding that their staffing needs are fluctuating.

Sometimes it is not feasible for employers to take on staff with permanent contracts when they know that they cannot predict how long they will be needed.

Locum professionals are perfect for the changing demands of your business. Many employees are looking for short-term and locum work. You can work with a recruiter to outline your businesses needs, and they can find you staff who fit into exactly what you’re looking for, skills and contract-wise.

3. When Your Team Needs a Lift

On the flip side, there are times when businesses are booming, and they need all the help they can get. It’s great when you see an increase in custom, but this can have negative repercussions on your team.

Continuing with the same size of team and expecting them to take on extra duties when you need them to can cause stress and anxiety among your employees and will eventually lead to a drop in productivity.

If your team needs a morale boost in the form of some extra help to see them through unexpected busy times, bringing in some fresh faces for a limited period is a smart solution.

4. Access to Untapped Talent

Is your law firms going through a period of change? Are you changing your services or processes? Are you expanding?

You might already have an excellent team in place, but sometimes you need access to new talent to help you through a transition period.
There is a wealth of talent considering locum work for a variety of reasons, such as alongside part-time studying, new parents looking for employment to fit around raising their family, and those looking to change sectors. All of these employees can add real value to your business in the time you need them most.

5. With a View to a Permanent Hire

Finally, probably the most significant benefit that employers can get out of locum hires is temp-to-perm positions.

Organisations can work with recruiters to find employees looking for temp-to-perm contracts to ‘try before they buy’. This is a great way to find out if the employee fits into your organisation – if they are the ‘right’ person for the job before you sign on the dotted line.

And it’s a two-way street, too. Many locum professionals prefer these type of contracts (when they are looking for permanent work eventually) as they can see if they like the role and the company without being tied down.

Finally

Do you currently employ locums in your organisation? Perhaps you have used them in the past, or only use them at specific points in the year, such as over the Christmas period. Consider taking on locum professionals in your organisation at different times to enjoy the benefits that I have outlined here.

There are plenty of legal candidates looking for locum contracts who are waiting to hear from your organisation right now – get in touch with us to find out more.

Specialist legal recruiters, Clayton Legal, conduct an annual salary survey of over 4000 law firms across the UK. This gives us insight into the challenges law firms face and enables us to provide a comprehensive, streamlined and relevant service to our candidates and clients in the legal sector.

Salary surveys capture the detail of the legal marketplace in terms of remuneration offered by law firms of diverse sizes and disciplines. These surveys also highlight the current challenges faced by many firms – from small family-run solicitors to major household legal names.

In a time of political turmoil, with Brexit uncertainty, a skills shortage and a candidate-driven legal marketplace, the information available from such a report offers value and insight that can positively impact your hiring strategies, as well as provide advice on successful methods of ensuring retention of the very best legal talent in your firm.

Whether your law firm is a small family business on the high street or one of the legal 500, this information is critical to your firm’s success and will keep you ahead of the curve.

In this article, I will address the main challenges illuminated by the recent Clayton Legal salary survey that I hope you will find useful when planning your strategies for 2020.

Challenges Overview

The overall challenges for law firms as we enter 2020 lie around recruitment and retention of employees. Sourcing, attracting, hiring and retaining your legal team in a competitive sector and against a skills shortage background remain the priorities for most law firms.

A key challenge for law firms is that legal candidates are seeking higher salaries, and are often attracted by larger firms who can provide higher levels of remuneration. Consequently, many smaller firms are finding the retention of their top professionals challenging. The impact is not just in the loss of a star performer, but an inevitable increase in workload and mounting stress for the remaining team members.

Additionally, for many firms, there is a desire to expand and scale while balancing staff numbers, continuing to provide excellent service and keeping a cap on overheads. Not an easy task.

With these facts in mind, let’s take a look at the challenges exposed by our recent survey, and offer solutions to manage them successfully.

Skills Shortage

One of the main issues the survey highlighted was the current skills shortage in the legal sector.

Across all disciplines, law firms nationwide are finding it problematic to recruit to specialist areas; property, in particular, is still experiencing significant skill shortages.

Although there is a sufficient number of law graduates per se, not many have any previous experience, and there is a specific gap in the market for candidates with more than three years of PQE.

In addition, a drop in the level of general background education of candidates is reported. Firms describe inferior standards of written and verbal communication skills, including grammar, spelling and vocabulary.

With many disciplines struggling to recruit in specialist areas, law firms need to review their strategy for hiring to be able to combat this situation. So, what is the best way to attract the top legal professionals to your firm?

Attracting Talent

Securing the right legal professionals for your firm is a challenge many currently face. In a candidate led marketplace, how can you stand out above the others as a preferred employer?

Even though competition for candidates with talent and specialist experience is fierce, there are ways to attract top talent to your firm.

Although salary remains a critical factor for legal job seekers, benefits packages add value to your firm. In addition to the traditional pension contributions, flexible working and staff will-writing schemes, there has been a rise in recent years of firms looking to attract candidates by thinking ‘outside the box’.

Hence, many firms are adding additional offers to their benefits package, including duvet days, free fruit or other healthy snacks, enhanced maternity pay, and sabbaticals to attract and retain legal professionals.

Which leads me on to the third challenge.

Skills Retention

High staff turnover, a mobile workforce and increased competition from other firms are factors that you can’t ignore. So, here are three suggestions for ensuring your critical talent want to stay and grow their career with you.

Wellbeing

We know it’s not just about salary. Wellbeing is cited as a growing area which can attract and retain talent by offering a supportive environment, excellent workplace culture and better work-life balance.

Also, with recent emphasis placed on mental health in the workplace, by cultivating a culture of wellbeing and inclusion, you will gain happier employees and consequently, higher retention rates.

It’s worth noting that a wellness programme not only builds camaraderie, but research has shown the significant benefits of regular exercise in helping to increase happiness levels and lower stress.

Learning Opportunities 

 Creating a supportive environment means actively seeking to support and nurture your legal talent throughout their career. Feedback, mentoring, recognition of achievements and a focus on lifelong learning opportunities will demonstrate investment in your employees.

LinkedIn’s 2018 Workforce Learning Report showed a huge 93% of employees would stay with their employer longer if an investment were made in their careers.

Offering the opportunity to develop additional skills and qualifications will demonstrate your commitment to your legal team, resulting in higher productivity and establishing your firm as an inclusive and invested employer.

Diversity

Workplace diversity was one of the critical trends last year – with no signs of stopping as we head into 2020.

Proactively hiring for difference in gender, race, age, ethnicity and outlook will contribute to making your law firm diverse and encourage your legal talent to stay.

Diversity also brings in more clients, spurring economic growth as well as leading to increased innovation. Creating an excellent company culture that embraces diversity will result in a dynamic workplace that helps sow the seeds of creative ideas. Your legal team will feel valued and more likely to want to grow their career with your firm.

Implementing these benefits will improve employee engagement and heighten your chances of holding on to top performers, even against the lure of bigger salaries from the competition.

Conclusion

Despite the recent election win, the stark reality is that there is still a considerable number of unanswered questions in relation to the UK’s economic future, the impact of which are likely to be felt by law firms up and down the country as we go forward in 2020.

In the face of continual changes, the pressure to exploit growth opportunities while remaining agile is high – but for those law firms that can adapt and hone their attraction, hiring and retention rates, 2020 could prove the most successful year yet.

Next Steps

If you’re reading this article because you are looking to develop your legal team, or you would like a copy of our Salary Survey 2020, please call one of the Clayton Legal team on 01772 259 121.

About Clayton Legal

Clayton Legal has been partnering with law firms across the country since 1999 and during that time has built up an enviable reputation for trust and reliability. We have made over 5,000 placements from Partners to Legal Executives, Solicitors to Paralegals and Legal IT personnel to Practice Managers.

If you are building your legal team or looking for your next career move, we can help. Call us on 01772 259 121 or email us here.

If you would like to know more about recruiting trends in the legal sector this year, download our latest guide here.

Attrition rates in UK law firms increase by 34%

Law firms up and down the country are fighting to keep hold of their legal talent according to specialist recruitment agency Clayton Legal’s 2020 salary survey. The most comprehensive of its kind in the UK involving over 4000 law firms, Clayton’s survey offers a unique insight into the challenges facing law firm in the country across every region. Significantly, these results come after an optimistic 2018 survey when 78% of firms reported decreased attrition rates from the previous year. So why the sudden reverse?

According to Clayton Legal’s latest report, the lure of bigger salaries from larger firms is enticing candidates away, placing greater economic pressure on smaller firms forced to compete. Yet financial remuneration isn’t the only factor at play. According to Lynn Sedgwick, Managing Director of Clayton Legal, “candidates are looking for a better work-life balance and workplace culture, and they’re prepared to move firms in order to get it. We’re increasingly seeing a real parallel with those firms that are offering attractive workplace benefits, and those that are able to hold onto their top talent”. The survey reports that flexible working is the second joint most popular benefit offered by firms in the salary survey with private health insurance, additional holidays and professional study support as other popular draws. As Lynn highlights “employee expectations are high and law firms know that in order to keep hold of their talent they need to be offering something beyond a competitive salary – those that don’t adapt to the current candidate-driven market are finding themselves at real risk of losing their legal talent”.

Of course, the challenges faced by law firms in 2020 aren’t just around retaining candidates. Clayton’s survey discovered that finding and recruiting them in the first place is just as important a factor; a task that’s easier said than done when you’re operating in the midst of a nationwide talent shortage. According to the salary survey, 54% of firms are experiencing a reduction in the availability of legal skills across the board, and in particular a gap in the market was reported of candidates with more than 3 years PQE. “We’re seeing plenty of graduates coming through to sustain the breadth of entry level roles in the industry”, explains Lynn. “However, those with experience – and in particular specialist experience – are lacking, and it’s independent firms that are feeling the brunt of it”. For legal firms in the UK, the economically unpredictable year ahead is far from reassuring and with Brexit ever looming, firms have to look at ways to expand and promote growth while keeping overheads to a minimum. It’s a tough game to play when you’re under pressure to retain your key talent. The uncertainty of Brexit will no doubt remain a key challenge for firms in 2020, and the impact this will have on profit performance remains to be seen.

Clayton Legals salary survey shows that it’s not all doom and gloom though. Thinking outside the box when it comes to benefits can really pay off with the report citing duvet days, free fruit and healthy snacks, and enhanced maternity pay as benefits with strong appeal. As Lynn explains, “added benefits that offer something different to the traditional can really set firms apart from the competition, and act as a useful leverage tool when higher financial offers aren’t an option”. Increasingly too it’s been reported that firms are starting to address health and wellbeing initiatives within the workplace, with inclusion and diversity now at the forefront of employee engagement.

Despite the challenges of the year ahead, effective talent attraction strategies remain the key to combatting recruitment issues. Firms overwhelmingly reported that professional legal recruiters were the single most effective source of recruitment within the industry. Specialist recruitment partners that have an in-depth knowledge of the market as well as an extensive network of candidates can play a major part in enabling firms to not only recruit carefully, but to retain that talent for the long term; a strategy that will no doubt be the key to success for any law firm in 2020.

With over twenty years’ experience helping law firms recruit and retain their talent, Clayton Legal can provide expert recruitment advice and support to help build and grow your talent pipeline. Specialising in all areas of law, and with unique and expansive access to exclusive candidate databases, get in touch today to find out what they can do for your law firm. To start a conversation or to request a copy of the latest 2020 legal salary report, please visit their website, or contact them directly at enquiries@clayton-legal.co.uk or call 01772 259 121.

Challenging workplace conversations are an inevitable part of the role of senior legal professionals.

Whether it’s a case of letting your Solicitor know they are not going to be considered for promotion this year, or a disciplinary meeting with a Fee Earner whose attitude has slipped recently, sometimes you will need to have a difficult conversation with a colleague.

In this article, we look at the steps you can take to ensure you are well prepared for challenging conversations, so that you can handle them in a calm and considered manner to achieve positive results.

Tackle the Issue

Nobody likes conflict.

It’s tempting to steer away from awkward discussions – but if you don’t deal with a situation, it can soon escalate into something much more severe. And that can damage your team and even your law firm.

Moreover, difficult conversations must be handled with competence. This ensures that the individual can learn from the experience and take away insights into their behaviour or the reasons behind a decision.

Set Aside Time

If you need to have a challenging conversation, it’s wise not to be tempted to catch them for a quick chat in the corridor. That can appear unprofessional, and it doesn’t show commitment to your team.

Instead, give the individual your undivided attention. Arrange a private meeting and make sure you allow yourself plenty of time to discuss the issue.

Plan What You Want to Say

Firstly, when planning your conversation, it’s crucial to nail down precisely what you want to say.

Consider the main points you want to make in the meeting and the key issues you need to address. Additionally, make sure you have all the facts and relevant documentation to hand.

Base your conversation on behaviour, NOT your judgements about an individual’s actions too.

When you are sure of what you want to say, you then need to think about how you’re going to say it.

Choose How You Will Address the Issue

It’s crucial to choose your words carefully; they will make all the difference as to how your comments are received.

For example, if you need to reprimand one of your Legal Secretaries for their weak team performance, you could explain how it affects everyone else in the team by holding up the information they need; and how that then impacts on productivity across the law firm as a whole.

Explain how by playing a more collaborative role, they can ensure that procedures are timely, creating more positivity across the whole team and creating stronger bonds.

Stick to the Facts

This is an important meeting, so there’s little point in spending time skirting around the main issue with small talk. Getting straight to the point is critical – and the chances are the person you are talking to already knows the fundamental premise for this meeting and will also want to deal with the issue.

If you are referring to behaviour, it’s vital you stick to the facts. So, give specific examples so the person can recognise where they went wrong, or why something is or is not going to happen.

Stay Professional

Resorting to accusations, or becoming emotional, will not help you handle a challenging conversation well.

So, it’s vital to remain professional and keep on track. Be direct and aim to deal with the matter using impersonal and positive language wherever possible.

Removing personality from the conversation will enable you to stay focused and able to bring the discussion to a favourable outcome. This will allow you and your team member to move forward positively, without becoming emotional.

Show Empathy

Of course, while remaining professional is paramount, that doesn’t mean you’re not human. A good leader shows empathy – it demonstrates you are an understanding and compassionate leader who wants the best for your team.

Whether you are dealing with a disappointed legal executive who hasn’t made the grade to senior level, or a disruptive colleague, your conversation should demonstrate understanding and empathy.

For example, your disengaged litigation solicitor may have problems outside of the office, or be suffering from stress with a large caseload – and while that may not excuse their behaviour, it’s essential to give them the chance to tell you their side of the story.

Be Willing to Listen

In addition to showing empathy, active listening is a critical part of leadership. So, be prepared to allow time for the individual to respond to what you are saying and listen to their comments.

If someone is disappointed in finding out they have not been put forward for promotion, they may want to discuss with you the reasons why or find out what their options are going forward.

On the other hand, if it’s a disciplinary, or a conversation about behaviour or output, the individual may want to tell their side of the story. Remember, you may not have all the facts to hand in an issue, despite your preparation, so allow them to speak and put their point across.

Provide Solutions

A challenging conversation isn’t just about airing our grievances or giving bad news – it needs to be constructive.

So, finally, concluding your conversation should show the individual the ‘What next?’ steps.

Your meeting should have covered situations and behaviour, how to move on from that and clearly indicate that a line has been drawn.

No-one wants to think something like this will hang over them, so ending your discussion on a positive note will enable you both to move forward successfully.

Your conversation should enable them to understand that you are investing in their future by helping them be the best they can be.

Creating a positive scenario as the outcome for change provides psychological safety for the individual, enabling them to see a goal they can work towards and helping them understand the point of the conversation is to achieve a way forward.

Next Steps

If you’re reading this article because you are looking to develop your legal team, call one of the Clayton Legal team on 01772 259 121 and let’s have a conversation to explore your options.

About Clayton Legal

Clayton Legal has been partnering with law firms across the country since 1999 and during that time has built up an enviable reputation for trust and reliability. We have made over 5,000 placements from Partners to Legal Executives, Solicitors to Paralegals and Legal IT Personnel to Practice Managers.

If you are building your legal team or looking for your next career move, we can help. Call us on 01772 259 121 or email us here.

If you would like to know more about recruiting trends in the legal sector this year, download our latest guide here.

Workplace stress is damaging to both the health of the individual and their everyday effectiveness in your law firm.

The Law Gazette recently published research indicating that lawyers are the second most stressed professionals in the UK: a whopping 93.5 per cent experience workplace stress and reporting feeling regularly overworked, exhausted and anxious.

93.5%. Just take a moment to let that figure sink in.

Feeling overworked and stressed tires your brain, preventing you from applying 100 per cent to the job in hand – and can eventually damage the success of your law firm.

So, what are the signs to look for, to prevent overwork and stress in your legal team?

In this article, we’ll examine four of the main stressors that can result in poor performance, burn out and damage to the firm’s position and revenue – and how you can combat them.

Stress Factor 1: Too Much Work

Problem: Even if you enjoy your legal job, you’re more likely to make mistakes when you’re overly busy or tired. The stress of having more work than you can cope with leads to performance drop-off. We all love to think we can multitask effectively, but research shows conclusively that we are terrible at it.

Low morale is often a tell-tale sign that all is not well with your legal team – overworked employees feeling less engaged and may become withdrawn from their colleagues.

Additionally, having too many cases on your desk makes it easier to lose sight of the bigger picture. Stress can accelerate at an alarming rate into burn out, as colleagues tear through their to-do lists to accomplish all the tasks that face them.

Solution: Avoiding burn out is paramount for the success of your legal team. Understanding individuals work patterns – such as when their productivity levels are highest, will help you focus on who works best and when.

Additionally, taking regular breaks can help with goal reactivation. So, encourage your team to regularly step away for ten or fifteen minutes and refocus, re-energise and say mindful of their objectives.

Make sure your team are fully trained to cope with the work they are being asked to do – it’s sometimes easy to overlook the fact that team members may be struggling with new duties and procedures.

Finally, I would recommend operating an open-door policy, or at least time when you are available for your team to talk to you about any concerns they have. Support (more on this coming up) is critical in enabling you to keep an overall picture of the mental wellbeing of your legal team, and for them to feel they have the understanding and support of their manager.

Stress Factor 2: Long Hours

Problem: In the legal world, professionals often put in long hours: from working late to finish case notes, responding to emails at all hours, and willingly working additional hours over weekends when the need arises – legal professionals are committed to their job.

But are you guilty of developing a culture where this has become the norm in your firm? When Senior Solicitors and Managing Partners put in the hours, additional work often cascades down to junior staff, creating a culture of overwork for everyone.

It’s not uncommon for senior professionals to be driven by ambition, pride, a desire to prove they’re important, or an overdeveloped sense of duty. And while some drivers can be positive, others are not.

Research suggests that more input does not necessarily mean more output.

Studies have found that overwork and the resulting stress can lead to all sorts of health problems including impaired sleep, excessive drinking, depression, heart disease and impaired memory – and while these are disastrous for the individual, they are also terrible for your firm in terms of absenteeism, higher turnover and lower productivity rates.

Solution: Take a step back for a moment and think about your drivers for working longer hours. Are they psychological? Or are they a necessity?

If you can, try to reduce the hours your legal teamwork, so that they can at least go home early on some nights of the week.

Perhaps you need to think about hiring additional employees to ease the strain on your team?

Stress Factor 3: Lack of Support

Problem: If your legal team don’t feel supported by Senior Solicitors and Managing Partners, there will be a dive in productivity: fact.

It could be that your team are not enjoying a good office culture with regular and transparent communication on issues.

Lack of support often manifests in a dearth of communication. I often hear candidates complain that the hard work they do disappears into a void with senior colleagues and is never seen again, without explanation.

Holding up the system can cause a real headache for those in your legal team who are eager to progress a case – they want things to move quickly and are motivated to do an excellent job for the client. So, when files become bottlenecked, it can cause stress to those waiting for an answer before they can advance further.

Solution: Check your processes, reflect and evaluate the effectiveness of individual stages – is everyone contributing in a timely fashion or is there a bottleneck? Can processes be made smoother and therefore, quicker to implement? Can you give autonomy in some sectors?

Of course, If everyone involved is critical to the process and working hard, it could be that some things take time and can’t be rushed. In which case, communicate this to your team, so they understand.

Stress Factor 4: Employee Turnover

Problem: Does your legal team have a high turnover rate?

A stressful working environment can result in your law firm having a more difficult time attracting and keeping high-quality talent.

And staff retention problems can quickly impact even the most hard-working legal team. Not only in an increase in workload for individuals who have to cover missing team members, but on the firm itself.

A constant need to hire and train new employees can see your law firm veer away from its mission and vision. This can negatively impact your employer brand in the marketplace if productivity and standards begin to drop, and clients may start to look to other law firms.

Additionally, employee turnover has a direct impact on company revenue and profitability. The time and associated costs of having to seek new employees, interview, review applications, hire and onboard can see your law firms’ turnover rates plummet.

Solution: By retaining employees, law firms can provide a higher calibre team that positively affect the bottom line. Lower turnover rates can be achieved by improving your firm’s company culture; providing training and upskilling opportunities, rewarding employees for good work, offering a clear career pathway and creating a culture of trust.

Conclusion

Stress management is necessary to ensure you keep your legal team focused, driven and happy – and your firm profitable.

If you see signs that your team is faltering under heavy caseloads or other factors that can lead to problems, it’s wise to tackle the situation immediately. By looking at the source of the stress objectively, you can work towards identifying solutions.

Next Steps

If you’re reading this article because you are looking to develop your legal team, call one of the Clayton Legal team on 01772 259 121 and let’s have a conversation to explore your options.

About Clayton Legal

Clayton Legal has been partnering with law firms across the country since 1999 and during that time has built up an enviable reputation for trust and reliability. We have made over 5,000 placements from Partners to Legal Executives, Solicitors to Paralegals and Legal IT Personnel to Practice Managers.

If you are building your legal team or looking for your next career move, we can help. Call us on 01772 259 121 or email us here.

If you would like to know more about recruiting trends in the legal sector this year, download our latest guide here.

From artificial intelligence for candidate sourcing to a new generation of employees – what does the future hold for the legal profession and its employees?

As we enter a new decade, now is the ideal time to focus on the predicted trends in legal recruitment and ask which ones will dominate the legal recruitment sector in 2020.

Recruiters are conscious that significant changes are ahead in the next twelve months. A retiring baby boomer generation, advancements in technology and a new generation with a considerable set of alternative world views will join the workforce, impacting on current employees, law firms and their clients.

So, in a legal marketplace where it seems change is the only constant, what can you, as a legal professional, expect to see over the next year?

In this article, I will address some of the critical areas predicted to impact on the legal recruitment arena in 2020.

1. Automation

Advancements in automation technology mean that sifting through individual CVs is becoming a thing of the past for hiring managers and recruiters. Today, automation can take the strain – and time –out of the hiring process by helping facilitate candidate screening, scheduling (and conducting) interviews and performing skills and personality analysis (more on this later). For candidates, this will mean paying extra attention to constructing job applications and CVs to ensure the right words are picked up by automated processes.

Additionally, a rise in e-discovery professionals is expected. This rapidly growing legal field will aid legal professionals, offering significant advancements in technology to facilitate legal procedures and manage electronic data in 2020. E-discovery allows both parties in a lawsuit to discover information in possession of the other, without the inevitable hold-ups created by physical searching for paperwork and holding vast quantities of data in paper form.

2. Psychometric Testing

Alongside other new ways of hiring, such as video interviewing, is a surge in preference for psychometric testing. First developed in the early 20th century, this tool has gathered credence as a valuable asset within the hiring process. It is predicted to gain further traction as one of the go-to methods of selection in 2020.

Psychometrics will save employers time, help ensure the ‘best fit’ candidates are selected for an interview, maintain a consistent standard for hiring, and enable employers to work out the best personality type to enhance their legal team.

For employees, it will mean a better chance of aligning their ethos with that of the firm they want to work for, and ensuring that they will be a good mix with colleagues at the firm, if successful in their application.

3. Employer Branding

Purpose-driven firms evolve faster than others, and in the new decade, employer brand becomes more crucial than ever in positioning law firms in the legal marketplace.

Employer brand encompasses the vision, mission and goals of the firm. Those who ensure their brand is seen favourably in the marketplace will see an upsurge in top legal professionals who wish to work for them.

For candidates, clear employer branding will enable you to know precisely what the firm stands for – their culture and goals – before you apply for a position. Once in place, good company culture and EVP will ensure you want to stay and grow your career with that firm and help them achieve long-term aspirations.

4. Hiring on Attitude

More and more employers are discovering the merit of hiring on attitude rather than skillset – good news for many candidates.

There is a rise, backed by evidence, that attitude is a considerably more significant predictor of success than IQ, and that disengaged, negative employees can have a costly impact on the economy.

So, it stands to reason that as we move into a new decade, law firms realise that employees with a positive outlook, good communication skills and well-developed emotional intelligence are the way to create a successful legal team and enhance the firm’s financial position.

So, for those looking for a new legal role, it will be crucial to offer a robust set of transferable skills and show a positive attitude.

5. Candidate Experience

When it comes to hiring, it used to be the case that the employer had the upper hand. Not so any longer. With so much competition for top talent in today’s legal marketplace, would-be employers must make sure to provide an excellent candidate experience.

2020 is likely to see a rise in the pressure on firms to offer an enticing combination of salary, benefits (more on this next) and company culture to attract new talent and enable them to feel connected to the firm’s culture and philosophy. Firms will need to manage their hiring process effectively to avoid losing candidates and consistently maintain an excellent reputation via social media.

In effect, this means that candidates can expect to enjoy a smooth and professional hiring process and onboarding experience.

6. The Desire for a Better Offer

Competitive hiring market means that to secure talent, employers will need to re-examine not only the remuneration on offer but the whole benefits package.

Candidates can expect to see flexibility in working hours, with employers offering (where possible) working from home options. For Millennials and Gen Z, who see work-life balance as a critical decider when looking for work, these flexible working options could be the deciding factor in deciding which law firm to work for.

Alongside better benefits, employees desire for a workplace that matches their ethos and values is expected to grow significantly. Consequently, law firms who embrace the concept of company culture will be positioned firmly at the front of the pack for jobseekers.

7. Diversity and Culture

A study by McKinsey & Co in 2015 found that companies with greater racial and gender diversity were 35 per cent more likely to have higher financial returns than the respective industry average.

And since then, employees desire for an excellent company culture that embraces diversity in all its forms has grown. Company culture is a pivotal part of the decision-making process for candidates with multiple job offers – and this trend looks to build, with more and more firms realising that they need a great company culture and career pathway options offer as well as a good salary.

8. Rise of the Next Generation

Baby Boomers will continue to retire in large numbers as we enter the new decade. This will have an inevitable impact on the legal arena, as an estimated seventy-five million retirees will see a surge in demand for legal services focusing on retirement planning, securing assets for the next generation, and the legalities of living arrangements for old age.

For the younger generations entering the marketplace as high tech and hyper-connected individuals, a rise in employers recognising what drives this generation will enable them to find their place in a forward-thinking law firm with excellent career prospects. And with their passion for innovation, new employees will thrive in their legal career where they are recognised and appreciated for the skills they bring to the workplace.

Conclusion

While it’s impossible to predict the economic future, it is relatively safe to say that advancements in technology, innovation and a Gen Z surge will define recruitment in 2020.

Legal services are one of the most important world markets, and with a demand for legal services comes a competitive race to attract top candidates to firms. Therefore, legal professionals can expect to have a variety of options open to them when looking for a new role and can look ahead to a fulfilling legal career that enables them to achieve their ambitions.

Next Steps

If you’re reading this article because you are looking to develop your legal team to stay ahead of your competitors in the new decade, call one of the Clayton Legal team on 01772 259 121 and let’s have a conversation to explore your options.

About Clayton Legal

Clayton Legal has been partnering with law firms across the country since 1999 and during that time has built up an enviable reputation for trust and reliability. We have made over 5,000 placements from Partners to Legal Executives, Solicitors to Paralegals and Legal IT Personnel to Practice Managers.

If you are building your legal team or looking for your next career move, we can help. Call us on 01772 259 121 or email us here.

If you would like to know more about recruiting trends in the legal sector this year, download our latest guide here.

The ‘war for talent’ is much documented at the moment across many sectors as the number of vacancies advertised continue to grow as firms ramp up hiring activity after a tumultuous 12-18 months. And, according to statistics from Broadbean, despite a 20 per cent rise in vacancies advertised in Q1 2021 compared to the last three months of 2020, applications to those roles rose by only 4% in the same period.

Law Firms are one again competing for the same, sometimes scarce, pool of talent; some of whom are reluctant to move roles against the backdrop of a pandemic and perceived market uncertainty, and some who do have that confidence and have whole host of options available to them.

With Firms jostling for supremacy in the hiring stakes, eager to attract the best talent to work for them, it does beg the question: how does your firm perform when it comes to attracting and hiring the best people – particularly in the current market?

If you’re finding it challenging to hire great talent, it could be that your law firm is repelling would-be employees – and it goes deeper than your salary offer.

It could be down to your Employer Brand.

In this article, I will be looking at how your Employer Brand could be repelling would-be talent from joining your law firm, and how you can redress the balance, create an engaging market presence and attract and retain the talent you want to work for you.

What is Your Employer Brand?

If you haven’t yet heard the term Employer Branding – it’s time to take a leap of faith and embrace this workplace phenomenon. Your Employer Brand isn’t something new – in fact, it’s been around forever, and all firms have one – whether they are aware of it or not.

Your Employer Brand is, in essence, the market’s perception of your firm. It re-affirms what you stand for; your reputation, leaders, history and customer service ethos.

It also goes far beyond these specifics – it includes other’s emotional response to things like your adverts and how they feel when using your services or when talking to others about your firm.

It has a secondary function too. And this is the one that may be repelling talent from your firm.

Your Employer Brand also describes the agreement or ‘promise’ you make to your employees in exchange for their experience, talents and skills. It is how you are viewed as an employer and the attitude and response to your law firm that lives in the hearts of your employees.

This is known as your Employee Valuation Proposition, or EVP, and it’s a compelling factor in attracting – or repelling – the legal talent you want for your firm.

If you’re wondering how to embrace your EVP to make sure you’re attracting the right legal talent to your firm, this article will illustrate the benefits of having a winning EVP, and how to create one to attract new talent.

But first, let’s look at the potential pitfalls of failure to invest in your EVP.

The Dangers of Non-Investment

There are definite downsides to not investing in your EVP. And not just in the general happiness levels of your employees. It can affect your firm in recruiting cost-per-employee, your HR budget, and the overall bottom line.

With the costs of employee turnover being anywhere up to 2.5 times your team member’s salary, depending on their role, it’s worth thinking about investing in your firm’s EVP.

Moreover, as well as lost employee and rehiring costs, there’s also the financial impact of lost productivity, training and the decreased morale of other employees to consider too.

Additionally, when thinking about your EVP, it’s worth remembering that more and more individuals are valuing an attractive workplace culture over salary, and failure to invest in this area of your firm could lead to lower retention and less appeal when compared to other law firms who offer more benefits.

So, investment in your workplace will see attraction and retention levels increase.

The Benefits of Investment in Your EVP

If you needed further reasoning for investing in your EVP, did you know that when top talent wants to work for you, your recruitment costs don’t just drop, they plummet?

The latest figures reveal that costs go down by around 43%. This is mainly because recruiters find it easier to get top talent into law firms they are keen to work for, i.e. those with great reputations. Less persuasion is needed, and therefore turnaround is much quicker.

In addition to this, the rewards of investing in your EVP include definite and measurable upturns in your ability to retain the best employees.

Your EVP embodies your mission and values and is a powerful communication tool for both current and potential employees. It can help you prioritise aspirations and goals for your law firm, and used effectively it can not only attract new talent but re-engage current employees who may have found themselves demoralised or disengaged in their work.

And with a great EVP, your existing pool of talented staff can help drive and promote your firm – not only officially on your company website, but in their social media engagement, recommendations to friends and family, network conversations, job reviews and testimonials.

Provide an excellent EVP – and your team will become cheerleaders for your firm, influencing others around them who may be looking for their next legal career move.

How to Create a Winning EVP

Your EVP is primarily an employee centred approach – it should be defined by and road-tested by your current employees.

Conducting an audit of your current EVP will help you gauge your position in the legal marketplace right now. If yours is short of the mark, consider what can be done to improve it.

Here are some of the things you may wish to look at when considering improving your EVP.

Values and culture. A workplace study found that 56% of employees valued an excellent company culture fit over salary. That’s how vital company culture is to individuals.

By embracing an inclusive and diverse company culture, you will attract new employees as well as retain existing ones, and build morale. And that means harbouring an environment where employees are respected and valued, where there is a shared vision, and where communication, transparency and teamwork are paramount.

Career development. LinkedIn’s 2018 Workforce Learning Report showed a whopping 93% of employees would stay at a company longer if it invested in their careers.

Especially in the legal world, having a transparent career path in your employee’s personal development plan and offering training to achieve it, will set you ahead of your competitors and boost your attraction and retention figures.

Employee recognition. From providing excellent feedback to saying ‘thank you’, it’s crucial for Senior Partners and Managers to acknowledge their staff to maintain a sense of wellbeing and pride in a job well done.

Work-life balance. Investing in better work-life balance for your employees starts with leading by example. So, Senior Partners should set a good example, as well as seeking to develop a more supportive culture where everyone feels they can take advantage of better work like options.

Benefits. From salary to flexitime, gym membership to annual leave allowance, there are many options for a firm to include in their benefits package.

Conclusion

The most exciting thing about your Employer Brand and EVP is that it’s not just about having your mission on the firm’s website.

Employer Branding begins and ends with real people – your employees. By building a great culture for them to work in, you will find that they will not only enjoy working for your law firm, feel engaged and part of a bigger picture – they will actively promote your firm for you.

Attracting new talent starts with making the most of those already working for you – and letting your reputation do the rest.

Next Steps

If you’re reading this article because you are looking to scale your law firm, call one of the Clayton Legal team on 01772 259 121 and let’s have a conversation to explore your options.

About Clayton Legal

Clayton Legal has been partnering with law firms across the country since 1999 and during that time has built up an enviable reputation for trust and reliability. We have placed thousands of legal professionals in new roles; from Partners to Legal Executives, Solicitors to Paralegals and Legal IT personnel to Practice Managers.

If you are building your legal team or looking for your next career move, we can help. Call us on 01772 259 121 or email us here.

Before we look at ways to build a diverse workplace for your legal team, it’s worth thinking about what exactly we mean by a ‘diverse workplace’. There are so many buzz words around at the moment that it’s hard to know what they all mean – and if they communicate the same thing to everyone.

The ‘company culture’ that diversity and inclusion bring have gained momentum as de rigour in the world of work for candidates looking for employment. A recent workplace study found that 56% of employees valued a good company culture fit over salary.

Workplace diversity means employing people with a wide range of diverse characteristics. These could include age, gender, race, religion, cultural background, language, sexual orientation, education, ability, etc…the list goes on.

But it’s not just a fad – there are tangible benefits from offering a diverse workplace in the form of achieving higher productivity and profits for those who embrace workplace diversity in their law firm. And workplace diversity was one of the key trends last year – with no signs of stopping as we head towards 2020.

So, how will building a diverse workplace for your legal team encourage them to flourish? Here are 9 ways diversity can help your law firm achieve success:

1. Increases Creativity

Diversity is one of the critical ingredients for creativity. Diverse solutions come from having multiple options that are provided when you have a group of individuals with different thought patterns, world views and ideas.

In your legal team, having employees who are all very similar in terms of mindset and life experience inevitably leads to a smaller viewpoint overall.

Conversely, harnessing the personal creativity-diversity techniques of a group of people who recognise that everything can be viewed in multiple ways can lead to the generation of more creative ideas. If your Fee Earners and Solicitors come from diverse backgrounds and experiences, they will inevitably have a wider pot of knowledge from which to draw fresh ideas and solutions.

2. Allows Different Perspectives

Different perspectives are beneficial when it comes to strategic planning.

The ability to see things from alternative points of view will allow your firm to better judge which direction it should take in goal planning. Having varied options, and a clear idea of results from those options will enable your firm to decide which is the best route to take to achieve the required overall result.

3. Makes Problem-Solving Easier

Again, the scope provided by a diverse team makes it quicker to problem-solve. Because different individuals think in different ways, it’s possible to quickly come up with various potential solutions to a problem, from which a final decision can be made.

This Harvard Business Review report confirms that diverse teams solve problems faster than cognitively similar groups.

4. Encourages Innovation

A melting pot of novel world views can open doors to innovation. It can be inspiring to be part of a group that sees things in a different way and can come up with creative innovation that otherwise may not have been considered. The ability to think outside the box and from a different angle can enable diversity of ideas to come to light.

Additionally, in an environment where diversity and inclusion are nurtured, it’s likely that individuals are more inclined to voice their ideas without fear of reprisal or ridicule. For example, junior members of the firm such as your Legal Secretary or new Personal Injury Assistant are more enabled to come forward with ideas if they believe they will be listened to and encouraged to contribute.

In a forward-thinking legal workplace, you are more likely to achieve innovation through group participation – you never know what ideas your team may hit upon!

5. Engages Employees

The link between diversity and engagement is an obvious one. Where employees experience inclusivity they automatically feel engaged and loyal to their firm.

A law firm that has engaged employees will benefit from a strong team with shared values. Along with diverse and inclusive traits comes a nimble and agile team who can turn things around quickly, achieving more in less time and with access to multiple possible solutions – driving your firm forwards.

6. Improves Company Reputation

Your Employer Brand is how you are perceived by the outside world. To ensure your law firm is seen in a positive light as knowledgeable, reliable and at the top of your game, it’s essential to ensure that your employer brand is truly reflecting your worth and achievements.

Having happy and motivated employees helps your law firm retain its status and reputation. In addition to the better service they will inevitably provide your clients, their online chat and information – formal and informal – alongside word of mouth and personal recommendation to friends and family, will help position you as the go-to firm.

7. Achieves Better Retention

A law firm who offer a diverse and inclusive workplace is going to make their employees feel valued and appreciated as individuals. Happiness in work leads to better retention levels, with staff showing loyalty to a fair employer and staying with them to build their career. Employee turnover can be costly, so investing in your diverse team is pivotal in achieving better retention rates.

8. Attracts New Talent

Ultimately, a law firm with a great reputation for diversity and inclusion, who has engaged employees, good profit margins, innovative ideas, a superb reputation and high retention levels is bound to attract new talent to want to work there.

And if that isn’t enough to convince you…

9. Increases Profits

McKinsey & Co found that where companies had more diverse teams, they also performed better financially.

Diverse teams are better able to win new talent to the firm. This, in turn, helps to improve client service, employee satisfaction and make decision-making faster.

All this gives a forward-thinking, diverse law firm an advantage over competitors and enables them to achieve more profit as a result: a cycle of increasing returns.

Conclusion

Bringing a mix of skills and experiences to the workplace is good for business, providing an admirable company culture for your law firm. It’s worth noting that this starts at the top, too. Diversity at senior level is more likely to introduce new product innovations than are those with homogeneous “top teams.”

In the millennial age, offering diversity and a great company culture means harbouring an environment where all employees are respected and valued, where there is a vision shared and worked towards by everyone, and where communication, transparency and teamwork are paramount.

While I’m not suggesting that achieving excellent diversity across your law firm will be easy, it’s something to consider working towards. The benefits are multiple, and your employees will thank you for it – as will your Senior Partners when they see the benefits reflected in the firm’s reputation and profit margins.

Next Steps

If you’re reading this article because you are looking to build a better working environment for your legal team, call one of the Clayton Legal team on 01772 259 121 and let’s have a conversation to explore your options. With our help, the transition can be smoother and quicker.

About Clayton Legal

Clayton Legal has been partnering with law firms across the country since 1999 and during that time has built up an enviable reputation for trust and reliability. We have made over 5,000 placements from partners to legal executives, solicitors to paralegals and legal IT personnel to practice managers.

If you are building your legal team or looking for your next career move, we can help. Call us on 01772 259 121 or email us here.

If you would like to know more about recruiting trends in the legal sector this year, download our latest guide here.

In the legal world, as everywhere, teams come in all shapes and sizes. Getting the right people into your legal team can be challenging. When you onboard, you are looking for a good team ‘fit’ – attitude as well as aptitude to do the job.

For the most part, if you have followed due process when onboarding, your team should ‘gel’ well and work collaboratively.

But what happens when one of your employees isn’t a team player?

For example, you have a new, big client. You want your top team to work together on a case this client has given you. It will involve much collaboration, sharing out the tasks, visiting the client, days in court, etc. Everyone is excited to be part of this.

Your Compliance and Risk Manager will handle the case review and ensure call listening is carried out; your corporate paralegal will review all documentation, maintain the files and attend meetings; even the graduate trainee is looking forward to experiencing being part of an exciting case.

But your new Corporate Solicitor, who is in a pivotal role, is not engaging with the project at all. In fact, they are looking distinctly as though they wish they were somewhere else.

Are they just not team players, or is it something else?

The Pitfalls of Not Engaging Your Team

It’s a fact that people grow your law firm. If one or more of your team are disengaged, it will affect productivity and performance across the whole team.

Collaborative working may not be top of the priority list for everyone, but the job of a team is to move the firm forward to success. The bottom line is that it is part of everyone’s job description – and that means working together.

TEAM – the rather cheesy acronym of Together Everyone Achieves More, does ring true. Handling a member of your team who doesn’t believe that collaboration and communication are the way forward can be a major challenge and one that you need to address – quickly.

So, what are the best ways to deal with your legal employee who just won’t join in?

Look for Hidden Reasons

As Stephen Covey advised, “Seek first to understand”.

It’s easy to leap to conclusions about other people who aren’t playing the way you want. You could dismiss your new solicitor as just lazy or being deliberately awkward in their unwillingness to work with the team.

But maybe there’s something else?

It could be that they don’t believe they have the necessary skills for the project in hand, or that they have a personal problem at home that no one at work is aware of.

They are only human – and problems can manifest in many ways.

So, check-in with them and give them the opportunity to explain if there’s a problem that’s stopping them from getting involved.

Check Your Communication is Clear

Make sure you are clear with your instructions and communications.

Is it possible that the individual has misinterpreted your intentions? Have you been clear?

Especially if you have more than one disengaged member of the team, it could be that you need to communicate your intentions more clearly.

So, make sure your expectations are transparent so that each individual knows exactly what their role is and what is expected of them.

Listen

It can often be the case that an employee feels disengaged because they don’t believe they are being listened to. So, consider talking less, and allowing them to voice their opinions, concerns and ideas.

By practising active listening, you will gain valuable insight into what makes them tick, and where the root cause of their disengagement lies.

You will also empower them, and they will be much more likely to see themselves as part of the bigger picture with a role to play. By engaging them in this way, you can also encourage feedback and offer support.

Acknowledge Their Work

Do you remember the last time a senior member of staff said ‘thank you’ to you for a job well done?

Receiving praise and acknowledgement is a sure-fire way to instil a sense of passion and willingness to do more in an individual employee.

The ‘win’ doesn’t have to be major; it could simply be a thank you for staying late to help finish a case or write up a report. But it indicates your appreciation of the employee and the part they play in your law firm.

Offer Development Opportunities

Whatever job role you have, sometimes the daily grind can seem just that. Let’s be honest, we all have moments where we feel bored at work; stuck in the same routine every day.

Mixing it up, where possible, will reignite enthusiasm in your team. So, send your Paralegal out to visit clients with a Solicitor, or allow your Legal Secretary to work on an extra project where they have autonomy.

Coaching or mentoring is a great way to get individuals involved and build up their confidence and skills.

By offering opportunities, either official training and development or just something a bit different in the daily workload will help re-engage disinterested employees.

Embrace Inclusivity

Inclusivity into a team and the law firm as a whole will ensure that each individual can see how they fit into the overall aspirations of the firm and make them feel that they are contributing to its success.

As part of that inclusivity, it’s crucial to ensure that all staff are kept in the loop with the firm’s news – whether that’s good or bad.

Good news will, of course, help engage and inspire, but not so good news is also important. Delivering bad news is never easy. But sweeping it under the carpet is a source of frustration for many employees – it can lead to a feeling of being kept in the dark by employers (and consequently a feeling of not being important) as well as leading to the rumour mills springing into action.

So, deal with news, whatever kind it is, by engaging your team, so you can all move forward together.

Be Aware of Social Styles

Finally, remember not everyone absorbs information in the same way.

The way individuals interact is known as their preferred ‘social style’, a phrase coined by David Merrill and Roger Reid in the early 1960s. It explores how people behave in social (or work) situations to ascertain how to predict managerial, leadership and sales performance and therefore how managers can get the best out of their team.

Spending time with your team will enable you to understand how each member prefers to interact and contribute. You can then use that information to moderate your behaviour towards them, making them feel more comfortable to make their contribution.

So, bear in mind that a disengaged employee isn’t a lost cause.

By utilising one of two of the suggestions in this article, you can help foster a culture of inclusivity where individuals are inspired, encouraged and motivated because they feel part of a bigger team and can see the role they play in contributing to growing your law firm’s success.

Next Steps

If you’re reading this article because you are looking for the next move in your legal career, call one of the Clayton Legal team on 01772 259 121 and let’s have a conversation to explore your options. With our help, your transition can be smoother and quicker.

About Clayton Legal

Clayton Legal has been partnering with law firms across the country since 1999 and during that time has built up an enviable reputation for trust and reliability. We have made over 5,000 placements from partners to legal executives, solicitors to paralegals and legal IT personnel to practice managers.

If you are building your legal team or looking for your next career move, we can help. Call us on 01772 259 121 or email us here.

If you would like to know more about recruiting trends in the legal sector this year, download our latest guide here.

Even with a backdrop of economic uncertainty, we are still witnessing a buoyant legal jobs market with  many practice areas looking to hire new talent with relative urgency. However, by the same token, and amidst a still-current skills-shortage, the number of applications from jobseekers is still not accelerating along that same trajectory.

As we have seen before, demand once again exceed supply which translates to a highly competitive, candidate-led legal marketplace.

With competition at its fiercest, law firms are looking to attract the best (and often the same pool of) talent, so it’s imperative that they look for ways to create standout. And, once those candidates have expressed an interest, ensuring that the recruitment process from end-to-end is on point, engaging and compelling.

Are you making critical mistakes that could be hindering your chances of engaging and retaining the best talent to grow your law firm?

Here are some of the questions that will help you recognise if you’re in danger of making some critical hiring mistakes.

1. Is Your Recruitment Process Up to Date?

Are you clear on what you want from your ideal candidate? If your job description and person spec are vague, you won’t attract the top level of legal professional you need.

Too often, law firms believe they can reuse an old job description, but that just isn’t true. Today, legal candidates are looking for challenging opportunities in a career that will advance their knowledge and experience.

A dry, ‘dusty’ old job description that has clearly seen better days isn’t going to attract the right calibre of candidate to you.

So, think carefully about the job description, the person spec and the advert for your legal vacancy. Is your offer going to create a stir in the marketplace? Will candidates be beating a path to your door, eager to work for your firm?

If not, its time for a rethink and a revamp.

2. Is Your Offer Right?

Talking of which, it’s crucial to make sure you’ve got the offer right. And we’re not just talking about salary here.

Although remuneration remains an important factor, there are other big elements in the game that contribute to whether a candidate ultimately decides whether to apply for a legal position or not.

These deciding factors often include a package that offers additional benefits such as flexible hours, working from home options, the chance to work at different locations and with different teams, great company culture and friendly, productive environment, a clearly defined career pathway and extras such as healthcare, gym membership and profit-sharing schemes.

Now, that might seem a lengthy list of wants, but with Glassdoor reporting that 57% of job candidates list benefits and perks as among their top considerations before accepting a job, are you confident that your law firm has the right offer for the role?

Are you sure you can meet marketplace expectations?

3. Is Your Interview Strategy Thorough?

Having a well-timed plan for your interview process is pivotal in choosing the right candidate, having your offer accepted, and seeing your new legal hire at their desk.

Failure to achieve any part of the process in good time could see you miss out on securing your ideal employee.

Sorting applications and deciding who to interview can be a lengthy process if not planned well.

For a successful interview strategy, you need to consider:

• A timely plan for processing applications
• A crib sheet for marking to ensure all candidates are treated equally and fairly
• Synchronised diaries so everyone involved is available when needed their role in the interviewing/marking process
• An allocated member of staff to meet and greet – and set up tests if these are required
• Rooms for the interview and discussions afterwards
• Scheduled breaks for the interviewing team
• A deadline for deciding and contacting the successful candidate to avoid the candidates accepting another law firm’s offer first

If you believe you will struggle to deal with this time frame, it’s worth considering talking to a specialist legal recruiter such as ourselves at Clayton Legal, as we can help you speed up the process because of our unparalleled access to both active and passive legal candidates.

4. Are You Exploring Future Potential?

It’s advisable to resist hiring on qualifications (or first impressions) alone.

Personality is essential, as is the right cultural fit for your team. Will the candidate gel with your other team members? Will they make a good team player, and do they have the same ethos and values that your law firm holds?

Additionally, it’s worth considering the future – apart from the initial role they may hold in your firm, do they have the skills, or the ability to achieve them, that will enable them to develop with your team? Are they potential managerial or partnership material for the future?

Don’t be tempted to reject individuals out of hand.

Although the candidate may not be the right person for the current vacancy, if they have a good range of skills and traits, and a professional outlook, they may be worth retaining in your talent pipeline for future opportunities.

A good talent pipeline will enable your law firm to quickly find a replacement for a member of staff who leaves or an additional person for an expanding team. Having someone in mind already will save you time and money.

5. Do You Have a Strong Employer Brand?

It’s easy to put all your effort into getting the recruitment process right and forget that it’s important to maintain a credible and attractive employer brand to appeal to candidates.

But what exactly is your employer brand?

It’s the way you differentiate your firm from others; your USP, and what will attract the ideal candidates to apply to work for your law firm over another.

Having a strong brand will help you compete successfully in a candidate-driven marketplace. It should reflect your ethos, culture and approach to its employees. Keep it authentic to retain a trustworthy reputation.

6. Are You Onboarding Successfully?

It’s crucial that having found your ideal candidate, you don’t fail to onboard successfully.

A recent Harvard Business Review study indicated that a good onboarding process can reduce the average amount of time for a new employee to reach full performance by a third, from six months to four.

Conversely, many new employees leave their new role in the first few months due to poor onboarding. Forbes suggests a strong correlation between onboarding and unwanted employee turnover. For example, nearly all low-turnover firms (95%) have an onboarding process that helps with retention. In contrast, 20% of high-turnover firms do not have an onboarding process.

The onboarding process will play a pivotal role in your employee’s early days perception of the firm and will influence the level of loyalty they develop as a direct consequence. So, a great onboarding process won’t just result in having a team player up to speed quickly; it can also mean better retention rates and therefore lower recruitment needs and expense for the firm in the future.

With the (albeit forced) rise in remote working last year, and the anticipated step change towards hybrid-working models on a more long-term basis, virtual onboarding may also need to be taken into consideration. We’ve created a guide to onboarding remotely which contains the critical points to remember if this looks to be a viable option for your firm.

7. Are You Getting Expert Help?

Recruiting can be time-consuming and expensive. If you are struggling to recruit to your law firm, perhaps a specialist recruiter like Clayton Legal could help?

With over 20 years’ experience of partnering law firms to build resources, we can help streamline your hiring process.

Rather than tying your staff up in trying to find and hire the ideal candidate, we can speed up the process. With access to a vast range of contacts in the legal sector, including both active and passive candidates and a well-developed talent pipeline, we often have someone suitable straight away, saving you time and money.

Our expertise in the legal marketplace makes us the ideal partner for your busy law firm when looking to hire new talent.

Next Steps

If you’re reading this article because you are looking to scale your law firm, call one of the Clayton Legal team on 01772 259 121 and let’s have a conversation to explore your options. With our help, your transition can be smoother and quicker.

About Clayton Legal

Clayton Legal has been partnering with law firms across the country since 1999 and during that time has built up an enviable reputation for trust and reliability. We have placed thousands of legal professionals; from partners to legal executives, solicitors to paralegals and legal IT personnel to practice managers.

If you are building your legal team or looking for your next career move, we can help. Call us on 01772 259 121 or email us here.

If you would like to know more about recruiting trends in the legal sector this year, download our latest guide here.