In our Ask a Recruiter feature, our specialist recruitment team tackles key topics around attraction, recruitment and retention.
This month, Lucy Wickham, who specialises in family law recruitment across Yorkshire, shares her advice with a law firm that wants to raise the bar on interviews, without losing momentum in a competitive market.
“We want to improve the quality and consistency of our interviews, but we’re conscious that the market moves quickly.
How can we strengthen our interview process without slowing hiring down or losing good lawyers?”
It’s a common concern.
Firms know interviews matter. They shape candidate experience, influence acceptance rates and reduce mis-hires. But they also worry that adding structure will mean adding delay.
In reality, better interviews don’t have to mean longer processes. In many cases, they speed things up.
Here’s where to focus.
Get clear on what “good” looks like before you meet anyone
Many interviews drift because the panel isn’t aligned on what they’re assessing.
Before interviewing, agree:
- What does success in this role actually look like?
- What are the non-negotiables?
- What can be developed over time?
When interviewers are aligned, conversations become sharper and decisions quicker.
Clarity reduces unnecessary second stages.
Structure improves speed
Unstructured interviews often feel efficient in the moment. They rarely are.
Without structure, different candidates are assessed on different things, feedback is vague and decisions are revisited.
A simple framework which includes core competencies, key scenarios, agreed scoring, makes evaluation easier and faster.
Structure doesn’t slow hiring. Indecision does.
Reduce duplication between stages
In competitive markets like Yorkshire’s family and care space, candidates won’t tolerate repetitive processes.
Think about whether:
- You’re testing the same things twice
- Each stage is adding something new
- You could combine conversations without losing depth
A focused two-stage process often outperforms a drawn-out three-stage one.
Make decision-making immediate
One of the biggest causes of delay isn’t the interview itself. It’s what happens after.
If decision-makers aren’t available to debrief quickly, momentum is lost.
Strong hiring firms:
- Schedule debrief time in advance
- Agree decision criteria before interviews
- Communicate outcomes quickly
That pace signals professionalism and builds confidence.
Don’t forget the candidate experience
Interview quality isn’t just about assessment.
It’s also about how clearly the firm sells itself to a potential employee, giving insight into its culture, sharing the progression opportunities it offers as well as the support its lawyers benefit from.
Lawyers are assessing you as much as you’re assessing them.
When interviews feel thoughtful, structured and honest, acceptance rates improve, even in competitive markets.
Start with alignment, not expansion
Improving interview quality doesn’t require more stages or longer meetings.
It requires:
- Clear criteria
- Consistent questioning
- Faster feedback
- Better internal alignment
When those foundations are in place, hiring becomes both stronger and more efficient.
At Realm, we work closely with firms to refine interview frameworks that improve quality without adding friction to the hiring process.
If you’d like to sense-check your current approach, Lucy or your usual Realm consultant would be happy to talk it through and share what’s working well across the market.
