Over the past 12 months, an increasing body of research has come to hint at a disconnect between law firms and prospective legal employees. A recent study conducted by Eaton Capital Partners revealed managing partners believe would-be lawyers need to broaden their skills to offer value to firms, while another study published by Thomson Reuters last September indicated that an “inability to recruit the best staff” was rated by law firms as the number one issue holding them back from “achieving true excellence in every business function.”
To assist prospective employees, Insights previously outlined some of the qualities law firms look for in their future staff. However, for many small firms, the challenge of attracting the right talent is still a problem. This is why Insights has prepared some brief tips to help law firms bring the best possible staff into their organisations.
Make your firm lawyer-focused AND client-focused
It is important to value your staff just as much as you would a client. For anyone running a law firm, it can be easy to prioritise the needs of the client above all else. According to Bruce Stachenfeld, the managing partner of Manhattan-based Duval & Stachenfeld LLP, focusing on the needs of your staff will boost both your recruitment efforts and your client satisfaction.
Know when to turn to a recruiter
As crucial as it might be to create a positive work environment, some smaller firms can still struggle to recruit more senior talent. To this end, Shaaron Dalton, the Principal Advisor of Strategic Appointments at legal recruitment firm Legal Personnel, advises small firms to procure a recruiter.
“For more senior lateral hires, smaller firms can find it hard to get their firm known and understood in the market,” Dalton told Insights.
“This is where creating a strategic relationship with recruiters who can bring quality candidates to them for consideration can be beneficial. A strong recruitment relationship means the partners are not wasting fee-earning time interviewing people who are not suitable. Instead, they can concentrate on seeing only pre-screened candidates with appropriate skills/experience or client base for their firm.”
Build your own reputation as an expert
Of course, nothing is going to attract top talent quite as effectively as top talent. Grant Butler, founder and managing director of Australian corporate writing firm Editor Group, suggests managing partners create and proliferate thought leadership pieces to further establish their appeal to prospective employees.
“Imagine you had a choice of working for two almost identical companies. Both do similar work. They’re offering comparable money. But there’s a critical difference: one is led by a figure regarded as a top expert in your field. The other by a faceless senior manager: someone competent and respected, but essentially unknown,” Butler said.
“Which job would you take? If you’re like most talented employees, you’d go for the firm with the high-profile expert. Why? Because smart people like to work with the best minds in their industries. Like an apprentice to a Michelangelo, they want to spend time in environments where they will continue to learn, be challenged and be inspired.”
Becoming a recognised expert in your practice area isn’t as simple as posting a job advertisement on SEEK. However, Butler suggests promoting your expertise through original content.
“If you want to replicate the success of organisations like Gilbert + Tobin and Google, it’s essential to telegraph your expertise and position yourself as a thought leader in your field,” he said.
“You can do that every day with your team and by increasing your communication through blogs, books, speeches, videos, the media and other outlets.”