Hiring CMOs From Outside The Legal Industry

Law firms are increasingly looking beyond the legal industry to hire Chief Marketing Officers and other management level officers who have broad experience in the corporate sector. The problem is that no matter how talented a person, if they cannot successfully assimilate into a law firm culture it will never work. Firms must examine their hiring process more so than ever to be sure that the candidates they evaluate will actually be able to succeed in the legal industry. Personality testing is increasingly being used to screen candidates to make sure they can successfully make the transition before the job is offered to them.

Turnover of Chief Marketing Officers is happening at a remarkable pace. The reasons are many ' from the inability of the individual to further effect change with the firm, to declining loyalty. One increasingly prevalent, but often unmentioned, reason is a poor selection process that does not consider cultural integration into the firm. Firms seeking lateral partners do not hesitate to run cultural inventories to make sure the firm and the candidate(s) will mesh. However, when it comes to choosing a new CMO or senior level management position, cultural integration is not given the same consideration. Although many firms invest considerable resources to train employees in interviewing techniques, these techniques do not assess certain personality attributes. As a result, many of the CMOs hired are inappropriate because they are either unable to fit into a particular firm culture or they do not have the specific personality traits needed for that particular position.

Part of the Process

There are several ways to address this issue, ranging from strategically analyzing hiring failures to using an industrial psychologist to help determine a firm's culture and the type of person that would work well in it. Personality testing is most effective when it is used as an adjunct to the search process to help firms assess communication styles and traits of senior management candidates, and it is increasingly being requested by our legal clients to aid in the screening process. There are as many types of personality tests as there are law firms. One, for example, allows the firm to rank the personality attributes required for the position given the firm's culture. The second part of the test, which the candidate completes, measures four key personality attributes. The test provides the firm with insight into the best working environment for that candidate, as well as the strengths and weaknesses he or she will bring to the position and the firm.

Take for example what happened with one of our clients who, after the interview process, could not decide between two candidates. The test of one candidate showed an enthusiastic, outgoing personality with a desire to influence people and build relationships. The test of the second, a more introverted candidate suggested organizational skills and attention to detail. Because this particular client needed the person to be more business-oriented who could build budgets, forecasts and plans, the more introverted candidate was better suited for the position and was ultimately hired.

Fit Your Needs

While everybody wants to hire “good people,” merely being a good person (solid presentation skills, self-starter, enthusiastic, etc.) is not a predictor of success. In a recent CMO search we conducted for a major law firm, both final candidates engendered confidence from the partnership, had the ability to work in a proactive manner with a group of fast-paced, results-oriented professionals and, had a strong attention to detail. The test of one candidate showed a self-starter who preferred to work independently with little preference for team-oriented environments. The test of the other candidate revealed the ability to motivate people through positive interaction, and persuasion coupled with creative problem solving skills. Given that the firm was seeking an individual to assist and support the partners in client relationship management and new business development, the decision to hire the second candidate was clear. Personality testing allows firms to go beyond first impressions and analyze the true value of candidates' skills and character.

Not Just for Interviews

Personality testing has a broader application than just for screening candidates. It can be utilized when there is an internal disagreement among management about the type of individual needed for a position, based on the tasks for which that person would be responsible. Will he or she be primarily a Communications Director? Or will business development be more important? Each manager can be asked to complete a test and then the firm can use the different responses as a starting point for discussion. Another use for personality testing is for team building within a firm, management team or department. When the firm understands what motivates its leaders, it can establish strategies that lead to better working relationships.

However, in order for a personality test to be useful it must meet several criteria. First, the test should never be the sole determinant for hiring but rather one of many factors. It must be easy to administer and seen by candidates as non-threatening. Simply put, it is a candidate's market today, and firms asking individuals to submit to extensive tests run the risk of losing hotly pursued candidates. Some tests only take 15 minutes to complete. And by routinely sharing the test results with the candidates, they can benefit from it too. The test must also be easily understood by the firm. And finally, the test should be cost effective and be able to be scored quickly.

Useful Tool

When personality testing is used in conjunction with a strategic search process for a new CMO, it has many benefits. It is a tool that can highlight traits that would be a good match for both the firm and the individual. Most importantly, it can prevent selecting the wrong candidate ' a costly mistake that no firm can afford to make.

Law firms are increasingly looking beyond the legal industry to hire Chief Marketing Officers and other management level officers who have broad experience in the corporate sector. The problem is that no matter how talented a person, if they cannot successfully assimilate into a law firm culture it will never work. Firms must examine their hiring process more so than ever to be sure that the candidates they evaluate will actually be able to succeed in the legal industry. Personality testing is increasingly being used to screen candidates to make sure they can successfully make the transition before the job is offered to them.

Turnover of Chief Marketing Officers is happening at a remarkable pace. The reasons are many ' from the inability of the individual to further effect change with the firm, to declining loyalty. One increasingly prevalent, but often unmentioned, reason is a poor selection process that does not consider cultural integration into the firm. Firms seeking lateral partners do not hesitate to run cultural inventories to make sure the firm and the candidate(s) will mesh. However, when it comes to choosing a new CMO or senior level management position, cultural integration is not given the same consideration. Although many firms invest considerable resources to train employees in interviewing techniques, these techniques do not assess certain personality attributes. As a result, many of the CMOs hired are inappropriate because they are either unable to fit into a particular firm culture or they do not have the specific personality traits needed for that particular position.

Part of the Process

There are several ways to address this issue, ranging from strategically analyzing hiring failures to using an industrial psychologist to help determine a firm's culture and the type of person that would work well in it. Personality testing is most effective when it is used as an adjunct to the search process to help firms assess communication styles and traits of senior management candidates, and it is increasingly being requested by our legal clients to aid in the screening process. There are as many types of personality tests as there are law firms. One, for example, allows the firm to rank the personality attributes required for the position given the firm's culture. The second part of the test, which the candidate completes, measures four key personality attributes. The test provides the firm with insight into the best working environment for that candidate, as well as the strengths and weaknesses he or she will bring to the position and the firm.

Take for example what happened with one of our clients who, after the interview process, could not decide between two candidates. The test of one candidate showed an enthusiastic, outgoing personality with a desire to influence people and build relationships. The test of the second, a more introverted candidate suggested organizational skills and attention to detail. Because this particular client needed the person to be more business-oriented who could build budgets, forecasts and plans, the more introverted candidate was better suited for the position and was ultimately hired.

Fit Your Needs

While everybody wants to hire “good people,” merely being a good person (solid presentation skills, self-starter, enthusiastic, etc.) is not a predictor of success. In a recent CMO search we conducted for a major law firm, both final candidates engendered confidence from the partnership, had the ability to work in a proactive manner with a group of fast-paced, results-oriented professionals and, had a strong attention to detail. The test of one candidate showed a self-starter who preferred to work independently with little preference for team-oriented environments. The test of the other candidate revealed the ability to motivate people through positive interaction, and persuasion coupled with creative problem solving skills. Given that the firm was seeking an individual to assist and support the partners in client relationship management and new business development, the decision to hire the second candidate was clear. Personality testing allows firms to go beyond first impressions and analyze the true value of candidates' skills and character.

Not Just for Interviews

Personality testing has a broader application than just for screening candidates. It can be utilized when there is an internal disagreement among management about the type of individual needed for a position, based on the tasks for which that person would be responsible. Will he or she be primarily a Communications Director? Or will business development be more important? Each manager can be asked to complete a test and then the firm can use the different responses as a starting point for discussion. Another use for personality testing is for team building within a firm, management team or department. When the firm understands what motivates its leaders, it can establish strategies that lead to better working relationships.

However, in order for a personality test to be useful it must meet several criteria. First, the test should never be the sole determinant for hiring but rather one of many factors. It must be easy to administer and seen by candidates as non-threatening. Simply put, it is a candidate's market today, and firms asking individuals to submit to extensive tests run the risk of losing hotly pursued candidates. Some tests only take 15 minutes to complete. And by routinely sharing the test results with the candidates, they can benefit from it too. The test must also be easily understood by the firm. And finally, the test should be cost effective and be able to be scored quickly.

Useful Tool

When personality testing is used in conjunction with a strategic search process for a new CMO, it has many benefits. It is a tool that can highlight traits that would be a good match for both the firm and the individual. Most importantly, it can prevent selecting the wrong candidate ' a costly mistake that no firm can afford to make.