Career Journal

The days of having a job for life are truly over. Generation X ' and their Generation Y successors ' are renowned for being entrepreneurial, competitive and mobile workers. The balance of power is now even. It is as much about what a candidate wants from the interview process, role and firm as it is about the firm itself. Firms that can adapt and respond to candidates' 'buyer behavior' will gain the competitive edge they need. So, what do legal marketers want? In a recent survey we conducted, we asked exactly that: what marketing professionals want from a firm and role and how this affects a firm's employer brand.

Marketing to the Marketers?

The strategies used by a legal marketing professional to seek and select a role are important to recognize. Can a print advertisement be used in isolation? Are recruitment agencies a worthwhile resource? Can a firm rely on its Web site or online job boards? As expected, traditional print media is losing its relevance with legal marketing professionals. The proliferation of new media and the demand for information services means they are more likely to target Web-based job boards and recruiters.

The rise in technology has moved from the standard press coverage or print publication to a preference for online subscriptions, job boards, blogs and alternate sites. Interactive media, customized Web sites and two-way communication methods mean Generation Y have a variety of tools available to them on their desktop.

Interestingly, recruitment firms have topped the list of most preferred methods of looking for a role. As said by one survey participant: 'Making contact with recruiters gets you quickly up to speed on what is happening in the market,' with another stating: 'I may look at online job boards, but would prefer to use recruiters as they are already known to the firm and able to influence the process.'

It appears that candidates understand the fact that not all jobs are advertised and that they too have to promote themselves in the best way to prospective employers. In addition, candidates view their skill-set and circumstances as unique and therefore favor a more tailored approach to finding a job.

Researching a Firm

A firm's Web site is the first port of call for candidates when researching a firm they are interested in or with whom they are interviewing. As marketers are by nature creative, innovative and attracted to the instantaneous convenience of technology, a firm's online presence is essential. A Web site should be used as a means of attracting candidates and showing them, for example, what the firm does, its unique selling proposition and the direct benefits for employees. This could put firms a step ahead of their competitors and allow them to differentiate themselves at a relatively low cost.

Great Expectations

Legal marketers now have many options available to them throughout their careers. Therefore, they have expectations to match. How long do they expect to commit to their next role? Do they plan to work interstate or overseas? Do they want to be the head of marketing in a firm? The survey went some way to find these answers. Over three-quarters of participants said they believe two to three years or less is a fair amount of time to commit to their next role. Unsurprisingly, no candidates said they expected to spend less than one year. However only 11% said they thought four years or more was a realistic commitment. While the time committed to a role may be considered reasonably minimal compared with traditional expectations, this does not mean that participants have short-term goals. In fact, the contrary is true. Over 65% of participants said they hope one day to have the top marketing role in a firm.

Legal marketers are prepared to see where their careers can take them. The international market for labor has freed up immensely in the last decade. Experienced, skilled marketers are sought-after overseas and firms are willing to pay for their expertise. Legal marketers, alongside countless people from other industries, are taking this opportunity to further themselves abroad. Uplifting one's life and taking it overseas is no longer a barrier or a turn-off. Once, 'overseas' generally meant the obvious: The UK, Western Europe, or perhaps even Australia. Now it is a situation that is almost as simple as 'pick your country.' It isn't unusual to hear legal marketers in places such as Eastern Europe, Hong Kong, China, India or the Middle East.

Two-Way Interviewing

The interview process is crucial in terms of making a good impression ' from both the client's and candidate's perspective ' and can be the single chance to impress at an early stage. When asked who they would like to see on the interview panel, participants said that a marketing person was the first preference, followed by Managing Partner/CEO, Partners and then Human Resources. Aside from meeting with people from their future teams and their counterparts, many candidates said it was very important that the Managing Partner/CEO and Partners be involved where possible.

'It is critical to see a Partner or Managing Partner because it demonstrates that they care about who is joining their support team,' said one participant, with another stating 'other fee-earners and senior support heads help you to get a 'real insight' into the firm.'

The Power of a Salary Increase

How important is it to get a salary increase for a new role at a new firm? Unsurprisingly, the vast majority said it was very important. It was mentioned on a number of occasions that it is easier to get a salary increase when moving firms over an internal promotion. Said one participant: 'Pay raises are small once you are within a firm. You need to maximize the rise with a move to another firm.'

This links back to the value employees place on recognition and career development. Legal marketing professionals hate hearing about people with the same skills being paid more money than they are, and will move firms altogether to achieve the appreciation, be it monetary or status, they deem suitable to them.

Back to Employer Brand

All these factors tie back to how a firm as a brand is perceived by staff and potential employees. A firm may be recognized as a market leader, but may have a poor reputation in its approach to people management. A firm must consider its treatment of employees, both fee-earners and support ' as a competitive advantage and critical to long-term loyalty and success. Firms must aim to have employees join them because they have a strong sense of obligation to their people as well as their clients. This is a combined responsibility for the entire firm ' management, partners, marketing and HR all have a part to play.

Graham Seldon, Director of Seldon Gill Consulting in Melbourne, Australia, is a guest columnist with whom Wisnik Career Enterprises has a strategic alliance. Eva Wisnik, President of Wisnik Career Enterprises, and Jennifer Johnson, Director of Recruitment, specialize in collaborating with law firms nationwide to identify top-quality professionals to lead their marketing, business development and public relations departments. They are looking forward to sharing their market knowledge with you through this column. Please e-mail any topic ideas, thoughts, or questions to [email protected].

Employer brand is top of mind for many firms. The way a firm's brand is perceived by staff and potential employees is a critical success factor. There was once a time when marketing and HR were very different schools of thought; people from each discipline had very little in common. Now, HR professionals are beginning to put on marketing 'thinking caps' and utilize marketing principles and strategies to brand their firms; therefore, successfully attracting talent ' and not just fee-earner talent!

It is a busy time for legal marketing across the globe. Never before has there been such a demand for experienced, skilled marketing professionals. On the flipside, it is a candidate-short market and good, solid candidates at all levels can be hard to come by.

Gaining the Competitive Edge

The days of having a job for life are truly over. Generation X ' and their Generation Y successors ' are renowned for being entrepreneurial, competitive and mobile workers. The balance of power is now even. It is as much about what a candidate wants from the interview process, role and firm as it is about the firm itself. Firms that can adapt and respond to candidates' 'buyer behavior' will gain the competitive edge they need. So, what do legal marketers want? In a recent survey we conducted, we asked exactly that: what marketing professionals want from a firm and role and how this affects a firm's employer brand.

Marketing to the Marketers?

The strategies used by a legal marketing professional to seek and select a role are important to recognize. Can a print advertisement be used in isolation? Are recruitment agencies a worthwhile resource? Can a firm rely on its Web site or online job boards? As expected, traditional print media is losing its relevance with legal marketing professionals. The proliferation of new media and the demand for information services means they are more likely to target Web-based job boards and recruiters.

The rise in technology has moved from the standard press coverage or print publication to a preference for online subscriptions, job boards, blogs and alternate sites. Interactive media, customized Web sites and two-way communication methods mean Generation Y have a variety of tools available to them on their desktop.

Interestingly, recruitment firms have topped the list of most preferred methods of looking for a role. As said by one survey participant: 'Making contact with recruiters gets you quickly up to speed on what is happening in the market,' with another stating: 'I may look at online job boards, but would prefer to use recruiters as they are already known to the firm and able to influence the process.'

It appears that candidates understand the fact that not all jobs are advertised and that they too have to promote themselves in the best way to prospective employers. In addition, candidates view their skill-set and circumstances as unique and therefore favor a more tailored approach to finding a job.

Researching a Firm

A firm's Web site is the first port of call for candidates when researching a firm they are interested in or with whom they are interviewing. As marketers are by nature creative, innovative and attracted to the instantaneous convenience of technology, a firm's online presence is essential. A Web site should be used as a means of attracting candidates and showing them, for example, what the firm does, its unique selling proposition and the direct benefits for employees. This could put firms a step ahead of their competitors and allow them to differentiate themselves at a relatively low cost.

Great Expectations

Legal marketers now have many options available to them throughout their careers. Therefore, they have expectations to match. How long do they expect to commit to their next role? Do they plan to work interstate or overseas? Do they want to be the head of marketing in a firm? The survey went some way to find these answers. Over three-quarters of participants said they believe two to three years or less is a fair amount of time to commit to their next role. Unsurprisingly, no candidates said they expected to spend less than one year. However only 11% said they thought four years or more was a realistic commitment. While the time committed to a role may be considered reasonably minimal compared with traditional expectations, this does not mean that participants have short-term goals. In fact, the contrary is true. Over 65% of participants said they hope one day to have the top marketing role in a firm.

Legal marketers are prepared to see where their careers can take them. The international market for labor has freed up immensely in the last decade. Experienced, skilled marketers are sought-after overseas and firms are willing to pay for their expertise. Legal marketers, alongside countless people from other industries, are taking this opportunity to further themselves abroad. Uplifting one's life and taking it overseas is no longer a barrier or a turn-off. Once, 'overseas' generally meant the obvious: The UK, Western Europe, or perhaps even Australia. Now it is a situation that is almost as simple as 'pick your country.' It isn't unusual to hear legal marketers in places such as Eastern Europe, Hong Kong, China, India or the Middle East.

Two-Way Interviewing

The interview process is crucial in terms of making a good impression ' from both the client's and candidate's perspective ' and can be the single chance to impress at an early stage. When asked who they would like to see on the interview panel, participants said that a marketing person was the first preference, followed by Managing Partner/CEO, Partners and then Human Resources. Aside from meeting with people from their future teams and their counterparts, many candidates said it was very important that the Managing Partner/CEO and Partners be involved where possible.

'It is critical to see a Partner or Managing Partner because it demonstrates that they care about who is joining their support team,' said one participant, with another stating 'other fee-earners and senior support heads help you to get a 'real insight' into the firm.'

The Power of a Salary Increase

How important is it to get a salary increase for a new role at a new firm? Unsurprisingly, the vast majority said it was very important. It was mentioned on a number of occasions that it is easier to get a salary increase when moving firms over an internal promotion. Said one participant: 'Pay raises are small once you are within a firm. You need to maximize the rise with a move to another firm.'

This links back to the value employees place on recognition and career development. Legal marketing professionals hate hearing about people with the same skills being paid more money than they are, and will move firms altogether to achieve the appreciation, be it monetary or status, they deem suitable to them.

Back to Employer Brand

All these factors tie back to how a firm as a brand is perceived by staff and potential employees. A firm may be recognized as a market leader, but may have a poor reputation in its approach to people management. A firm must consider its treatment of employees, both fee-earners and support ' as a competitive advantage and critical to long-term loyalty and success. Firms must aim to have employees join them because they have a strong sense of obligation to their people as well as their clients. This is a combined responsibility for the entire firm ' management, partners, marketing and HR all have a part to play.

Graham Seldon, Director of Seldon Gill Consulting in Melbourne, Australia, is a guest columnist with whom Wisnik Career Enterprises has a strategic alliance. Eva Wisnik, President of Wisnik Career Enterprises, and Jennifer Johnson, Director of Recruitment, specialize in collaborating with law firms nationwide to identify top-quality professionals to lead their marketing, business development and public relations departments. They are looking forward to sharing their market knowledge with you through this column. Please e-mail any topic ideas, thoughts, or questions to [email protected].