Are you finding it difficult to find talented lawyers who are the right cultural fit for your business? Here we round up the most common mistakes we see law firms making which can hinder their chances of making the right hire so that you can avoid them as you begin to make your first 2020 hires.
You take too long to interview
If you receive an application from a candidate who piques your interest and who you’d like to interview, it’s important to let them know as soon as possible, either directly or through the recruiter you’re working with. Taking your time to invite someone to interview can lead to the process losing momentum and in some cases, might result in you missing out on the candidate you want.
You don’t provide interview feedback
As we explored in a blog earlier this year, at the end of the interview process, it’s important to provide feedback to every candidate you interview. Not only is doing so useful for candidates but providing useful feedback is crucial from an employer branding point of view. If someone has a poor experience interviewing with you or didn’t hear back from you following an interview, this is likely to impact their opinion of your firm and harm your reputation as an employer.
On the other hand, all candidates, whether successful or unsuccessful will appreciate you taking the time to provide constructive interview feedback and are more likely to view you and your firm in a positive light.
You’re not flexible when it comes to salary
When you start the search for a new member of staff you’ll probably have an approximate salary figure in mind. This might be based on the salaries of existing lawyers in your team or on figures gleaned from market research. However, it’s important that you are open to considering solicitors who might warrant a salary outside of your ballpark, particularly if the role is within a niche practice area. If you remain rigid in terms of what you’re willing to offer, you could risk missing out on candidates who know that they are worth more than this. If you’re unsure about market rates, you should speak to a specialist recruitment consultant with an in-depth knowledge of the market.
You work with too many recruiters
In the legal profession, where, in many practice areas, there are more roles on offer than candidates, working with multiple recruiters can reduce your chances of finding someone suitable. Working with more than one recruiter means that you relinquish some degree of control over the recruitment process. What’s more, if the recruiters you’re working with know they’re not the only person you’ve instructed they might not be as invested in the role as they would have been had you worked with them one-on-one. This is likely to impact the quantity and quality of candidates you receive.
You don’t offer flexible working
More and more law firms offer flexible working to enable their staff to adapt their working hours around their other commitments. Home working is also becoming more common, providing solicitors with the option of avoiding the morning commute. In fact, in a survey of jobseekers we conducted recently, 80% of respondents said that their employer offers non-standard working hours, flexi-time or home-working.
Flexible working has been proven to improve staff engagement and boost productivity. What’s more, it can help to attract potential employees to your firm. If you don’t offer flexi-time, reduced hours or remote working, you risk missing out on talented lawyers to your competitors.
Are you looking for help from a legal recruitment consultancy with a difference?
At Realm, we have specialist consultants working in each of the main legal practice areas. Each of our legal recruitment consultants work within a single niche and know their area of the market inside-out. Because of this, our team are perfectly placed to help you take your next step.
