Nick and I have been asked to talk at a networking event in a couple of weeks’ time.
The audience will consist of Partners and Directors of a number of local law firms and the chosen topic is “getting recruitment right”.
I thought I would take this opportunity to briefly outline what I think some of the current recruitment challenges are and what the strategy might be for dealing with them.
By far the biggest issue facing law firms is the fact that there are not enough experienced lawyers to go around. In recruitment terms we are in an extremely candidate short market. To compound matters, many firms don’t take recruitment and retention of talent seriously enough.
Before you read on, this isn’t a criticism of all firms. I just think it’s fair to say that some are better than others but in my 15 years of recruitment I have yet to see a firm that can’t improve its processes for ensuring the right candidates are recruited and just as importantly, retained over a long enough period to ensure a return on their investment.
In no particular order, here are a just a few observations:
- Partners often don’t communicate well with HR or recruiters
This can sometimes mean poor job specifications/descriptions, inadequate feedback on CV’s and interviews, delays in the recruitment process and a poor recruitment experience for candidates.
- Law firms sometimes interview badly
What are they looking to learn from the candidate to satisfy themselves that they are hiring the right person? Having a well-rounded and consistent approach to interviews can pay dividends. Not enough firms ask the right questions or know themselves what they are looking to achieve from the interview itself.
The assumption can sometimes be, “why wouldn’t somebody want to work here?”. In a tight market for talent, this is disastrous. It’s important to remember that if they are any good (and why wouldn’t you want to hire somebody good), candidates probably have a number of options open to them.
- Not enough emphasis is placed on retaining talent
This applies to existing employees and new recruits. Hiring replacements can be an expensive process. Having a good onboarding process helps, as does a positive work environment where staff are trained well, managed well and rewarded in line with their efforts and achievements.
- Some firms don’t see the benefit of working with recruiters
Some firms are great at recruiting directly, most aren’t. The vast majority would getter better results from engaging better with trusted recruiters. Contrary to the opinion of some, there are good recruiters out there who add an enormous amount of value to the process.
Good recruiters should make firms lives easier and actually save them time and money. They often have access to a hidden talent pool. With the right amount of help, they can tap into candidates who might not necessarily be applying directly to job adverts.
- It's not just about salary
Making an attractive offer to a candidate is great and salaries in most practice areas are rising with each passing year. What is just as important is offering the best benefits you can to employees. Firms that offer enhanced pensions, decent holidays and flexible working can put themselves in pole position when it comes to attracting talent.
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