In our Ask a Recruiter feature, a member of our specialist recruitment team will tackle a topic relating to attraction, recruitment and retention.
This month, Senior Consultant and litigation specialist Rebecca Blundell explains how a law firm can improve their retention by evaluating their Employer Value Proposition.
“Over the last 12 months, we’ve had a few team members leave for a competitor firm.
We know that the firm pays broadly the same as us and offers a lot of the same employee benefits, but this hasn’t stopped people from joining them. What can we do to prevent this from happening again?”
It’s always difficult to see valued team members move on to other opportunities, especially if they’re joining a competitor. However, it’s great to hear you’re keen to investigate how you can make improvements to your offering and ultimately, your retention strategy.
As a starting point, I’d suggest you review your Employer Value Proposition. You’ve mentioned that you don’t think team members have left for better pay and benefits but are there any other areas you could be stronger on? It would be a good idea to consider the following and think about whether there are any positive changes you could make.
Progression opportunities
In Realm’s 2023 state-of-the-market research, we found that progression opportunities were a priority for three-quarters of lawyers. Do you offer your employees a clear progression pathway and plenty of opportunities for them to develop their skills and expertise?
Flexibility
Ninety percent of lawyers consider flexibility to be important, and on average, law firms offer 2.7 days per week of remote work. If you offer less than this, it might be worth considering whether improving your hybrid working policy will help you attract, recruit and retain the right lawyers.
Accommodating flexible working hours (including part-time) will appeal to working parents and other candidates looking for a healthy work-life balance.
Manageable caseloads
79% of lawyers said a manageable caseload would be a priority for them in their next role. Are your lawyers at capacity or struggling to handle their workloads? It’s crucial to consider their wellbeing; those who feel overworked may leave for a firm that offers smaller caseloads and more achievable targets.
Culture
While less tangible and so harder to evaluate, your firm’s culture is another key part of your Employer Value Proposition. While your culture might be fantastic, if other firms are better at communicating what’s great about theirs, your employees might be persuaded to consider them. You culture should be reflected in everything you do, both internally and externally, from how you service clients, to the language and branding on your website, to your recruitment process. Promoting your culture effectively will help you not only retain existing lawyers but also attract future talent.
Interested in getting some bespoke advice?
At Realm, we can provide Employer Benchmarking data to help you understand how you fare against your competitors when it comes to salary, benefits, flexibility or even market perception.
To learn more and to take the first step in creating a market-leading, sustainable employer brand for your firm, get in touch with us today.
