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, Associate Consultant and specialist in the recruitment of family lawyers in the North West, Michaela Baddeley offers her advice to a law firm worried about their culture being lost while its team work from home.
We understand that flexible working is a non-negotiable for many lawyers and want to provide members within our team with a healthy work-life balance. However, over the last few years since introducing home working we’ve found it tricky to maintain our positive working culture, especially as we’ve grown as a business.
How can we enhance flexible working without losing the benefits of in-person working?
This is a common concern for law firms, and some have rolled back the number of home working days they offer as a result (on average, firms now offer 2.7 down from 3.9 in 2022).
In today’s dynamic work environment, law firms like yours are increasingly looking to balance the flexibility of remote work with the undeniable benefits of in-person interactions. At the heart of this, is the challenge to maintain a strong team culture, foster learning and development, and maximise referral opportunities—all without losing the essence of what makes working together in the same space so valuable.
A carefully crafted hybrid model that marries the best of both worlds will be key. Here’s how you can enhance flexible working while keeping the core advantages of in-person working alive:
1. Flexible working policy
Create a policy that allows employees to blend in-office and remote work in a way that aligns with both their personal needs and those of the firm. This could mean working from the office on key collaboration days and from home on others, offering the flexibility to balance productivity with personal well-being.
2. Flexible hours
Recognising that peak productivity times can vary, introducing flexible working hours accommodates different rhythms and life commitments. Maintaining core hours where everyone is available ensures that the team can still collaborate effectively, regardless of their physical location.
3. Diarise set office days
Another option is to diarise one or two days each week where all members of each team are in the office together. Not only will this help your lawyers to get to know each other better but will provide excellent opportunities for in-person coaching and mentoring, which are critical for professional development.
4. Regular in-person engagements
To keep the team spirit vibrant, schedule periodical in-person meetings, monthly get-togethers, and social events, both within certain departments and firm-wide. These gatherings are crucial for reinforcing team culture, facilitating learning by osmosis, and sparking informal referral opportunities.
5. Blended learning and development
Offer both in-person and virtual options for coaching and professional development sessions. This ensures that all team members have access to growth opportunities, no matter where they are working from.
These training sessions will complement the opportunities team members will have to learn from one another when working together in the office.
6. Clear communication and expectations
Lastly, the foundation of a successful hybrid model is clear communication. Setting and managing expectations for availability, responsiveness, and collaboration ensures that the team remains cohesive and aligned, regardless of their work setup.
By thoughtfully integrating flexible working arrangements with structured in-person interactions, you will be able to create an environment that supports both the individual needs of their lawyers as well as your firm culture and the collective commercial goals. This balanced approach not only enhances productivity and job satisfaction but also preserves the invaluable benefits that come from working together, side by side.
If you’d like any further advice on this or if you’d benefit from market insight about how other firms are managing the flexible working/culture balance, I’m here to help.
Give me a call on 03300 245 606 or email michaela.baddeley@realmrecruit.com
