Recruitment Twists and Turns

The tide has turned and law firms are beginning to hire again, albeit with a more purposeful eye than in past years. What lessons have been taught and learned as firms begin to recruit candidates for available positions? How do firms resist the temptation to return to stale methods and, instead, plant seeds that will harvest a stronger, still lean, but client-focused team? What are some methods to reduce recruiting and training expense of qualified candidates in all areas of firm operation? Can these same cost-saving methods produce client service levels that provide a competitive advantage?

Shake Off the Cobwebs

Remember that drawer with the file folder overflowing with unconsidered resumes? Perhaps now is the time to revisit the talents contained inside. Bad timing while seeking employment in the legal field is no one's fault. There may be a gem or two right at your fingertips. There's no need to toss the pile and assume it is no longer relevant. It has been a long dry spell for job candidates and employers alike.

Contacting candidates not only yields still eligible resources, it will also give the seekers a reason to speak well of your firm for not forever discarding their employment requests. In the event your renewed contact reveals success in another endeavor, be gracious and offer congratulations on your firm's behalf. Marketing every day in every way is everyone's responsibility!

Can We Talk?

In the event that another undertaking is revealed as a temporary solution to employment trials, asking the “Are you happy?” question reveals volumes of information, and makes the invitation to talk (or not) about firm opportunities an easy decision for a recruiter. How a candidate expresses dislike or frustration is a skill that your firm may wish to capture or avoid.

Just as important as the “happy” question is the “Have your goals changed?” inquiry. Hopefully, candidates will remember what their goals were when they first contacted your firm. However, even if they do not, “Yes!” is always a good response and begs the logical next question, which may be the defining response in considering whether the interview process should progress.

It is good to know if candidates have changed their area of interest due to their recent work or volunteer experience. As anxious as applicants may be to just “get their foot in the door,” it is incumbent upon all parties to first ensure that a good fit is possible. Time is money.

Filling In the Gaps

No matter the length of time, prospective employers want to know what has transpired since a candidate first initiated contact. While an applicant's continuous job search is a given, it should not be the sum total of all employment activity. Consider the following activities and maintenance items for the positions now available in your firm, (bear in mind that some positions may overlap):

Secretaries and Support Staff

Are there classes or learning opportunities that have been completed? Online classes on court websites? Software training or re-education? Notary Public maintenance or completion? Volunteer leadership opportunities? Personal development (or time management) independent study? Even creating a database at the local animal shelter can have job value.

Paralegals or Litigation Support

Is the candidate up-to-date with the latest court-filing requirements? Are there changes in processes (i.e., AIA or USPO) since the candidate's last application? Have document or case management software and the required skills been upgraded or learned? Which ones? Do they fit into the firm's already established specialty or growth vision?

Lateral Attorneys

Is their state bar license and/or local bar membership current? Is their CV current with all honors, distinctions and publications? Has there been a military service interruption? A professorship or training element? Has the candidate been involved in arbitration, pro bono or other local bar association or humanitarian projects? Are there temporary legal contract assignments that have been interesting or career altering?

New Associates

Were there travel or adventure opportunities? Did they complete their studies and obtain their bar admissions? Did they participate in a court externship opportunity? Were they involved in community outreach or organizing? Have there been in-house counsel experiences? How this group may have filled their vacant time can vary greatly. Drifting away from legal environments, even temporarily, is not necessarily detrimental.

Reducing Hiring Costs

We will always train new hires to perform to firm standards and requirements. However, uncovering that a new hire has the necessary skill set or the drive and ability to succeed can reduce the effort and time invested towards profitable productivity. We would never offer “it'll have to do” to our clients, so why should we offer it to our existing staff and management team?

Asking an associate to perform tasks previously completed by a paralegal is not an unusual shift in workflow, particularly if the activity requires an attorney review before processing. However, not indicating that shift in responsibility to a new hire could prove to be short-sighted. The loss of a valuable resource and the ensuing costs associated with his or her replacement is not an economically sound technique.

While firms are understandably reluctant to reinstate elaborate summer or campus recruiting programs, the search for the best talent still exists. Fortunately, the responsibility for firm placement has shifted more toward the candidate and away from the hiring firm. There needs to be a discussion about establishing a balance between the hunt and the catch. Avoiding wasteful spending (focus on the hunt) and arrogance (focus on the catch) can change the perceptions of your firm by both your clients and your new hires. We need a realistic view of a firm's culture and work ethic if we are to be successful as a business.

Mission and Vision Revisited

Recent economic downturns have been a wake-up call for clients, employees, educators, government bodies and service providers alike. Any entity involved in the success of your firm needs to bring its “A Team” to the table at every opportunity. For some, it may indicate re-training to the current business needs of the client. For others, it may require a shift in management structure to a more hands-on approach. For many, it may suggest productivity counseling. For most, it simply means daily demonstrations of innovative solutions to petty barriers.

Being buried by a mountain of undergraduate or law school debt is an insufficient motivator toward good client service. While this economic condition is unavoidable for untold numbers of candidates, a passion for the work, for justice, or for fulfilling team membership is what your firm should seek in recruits. Firms should offer a fair compensation for the work performed. Firms should not hold the compensation levels of others as benchmarks to what should be sensibly offered. The security firms provide benefits their clients as well as their partners and employees.

The Technology Conundrum

Is your firm over or under influenced by the latest technology? As with many things, it depends upon whom you ask! Baby Boomers have adapted, but resist excessive change. Generation X has tried to keep up despite their personal time demands. The Y generation will provide their own tools and fit them into their workflow. Whatever the generation of your new hires, be prepared to be criticized ' period.

While the basic practice of law and the importance of deadlines remain constant, individual application of best practices and location of activities is in a state of flux. Firms can be excluded from consideration by younger candidates if their technology is stale. Alternately, more seasoned candidates can be scared off by technology that is unfamiliar or too imposing. What seems to be appealing to almost every generation is the ability to establish personalized schedules and work locations. Managing work using distance technology is lowering client costs, but it may first require a sizable firm investment.

It is important to maintain oversight of new routines. If productivity or client service erodes, then your firm has the responsibility and the obligation to reel it back in. One size does not fit all here, so be cautious about penalizing non-offenders, and be initially specific about which job functions have flexibility. More importantly, be sure that the required tool/technology is in place and has been tested before agreeing to move forward. In the final analysis, administrative savings alone may provide the much needed resources for growth in new areas.

Balance: What We Seek

Hiring twists and turns don't necessarily trigger a head spin. Firms regularly examine multiple perspectives to obtain the best outcome. Recruiting is no different. What happens after an offer letter is signed and work has begun should not yield any surprises. Balancing the needs of the firm as a business entity, client service and established personnel practices is a dynamic activity. Garnering resources who appreciate that perspective is the key to success. Hiring is expensive. It is always changing. It is always a challenge. Fortunate are those firms who are in a position to do it.

Paula Campbell, a consultant and a member of this newsletter's Board of Editors, is a former technology training specialist for several firms' California offices. Paula has spent over 20 years observing firm culture as an international legal technology consultant and educator. She can be reached in Chicago at [email protected]. The views set forth herein are the personal views of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of legal entities with which she is associated.

The tide has turned and law firms are beginning to hire again, albeit with a more purposeful eye than in past years. What lessons have been taught and learned as firms begin to recruit candidates for available positions? How do firms resist the temptation to return to stale methods and, instead, plant seeds that will harvest a stronger, still lean, but client-focused team? What are some methods to reduce recruiting and training expense of qualified candidates in all areas of firm operation? Can these same cost-saving methods produce client service levels that provide a competitive advantage?

Shake Off the Cobwebs

Remember that drawer with the file folder overflowing with unconsidered resumes? Perhaps now is the time to revisit the talents contained inside. Bad timing while seeking employment in the legal field is no one's fault. There may be a gem or two right at your fingertips. There's no need to toss the pile and assume it is no longer relevant. It has been a long dry spell for job candidates and employers alike.

Contacting candidates not only yields still eligible resources, it will also give the seekers a reason to speak well of your firm for not forever discarding their employment requests. In the event your renewed contact reveals success in another endeavor, be gracious and offer congratulations on your firm's behalf. Marketing every day in every way is everyone's responsibility!

Can We Talk?

In the event that another undertaking is revealed as a temporary solution to employment trials, asking the “Are you happy?” question reveals volumes of information, and makes the invitation to talk (or not) about firm opportunities an easy decision for a recruiter. How a candidate expresses dislike or frustration is a skill that your firm may wish to capture or avoid.

Just as important as the “happy” question is the “Have your goals changed?” inquiry. Hopefully, candidates will remember what their goals were when they first contacted your firm. However, even if they do not, “Yes!” is always a good response and begs the logical next question, which may be the defining response in considering whether the interview process should progress.

It is good to know if candidates have changed their area of interest due to their recent work or volunteer experience. As anxious as applicants may be to just “get their foot in the door,” it is incumbent upon all parties to first ensure that a good fit is possible. Time is money.

Filling In the Gaps

No matter the length of time, prospective employers want to know what has transpired since a candidate first initiated contact. While an applicant's continuous job search is a given, it should not be the sum total of all employment activity. Consider the following activities and maintenance items for the positions now available in your firm, (bear in mind that some positions may overlap):

Secretaries and Support Staff

Are there classes or learning opportunities that have been completed? Online classes on court websites? Software training or re-education? Notary Public maintenance or completion? Volunteer leadership opportunities? Personal development (or time management) independent study? Even creating a database at the local animal shelter can have job value.

Paralegals or Litigation Support

Is the candidate up-to-date with the latest court-filing requirements? Are there changes in processes (i.e., AIA or USPO) since the candidate's last application? Have document or case management software and the required skills been upgraded or learned? Which ones? Do they fit into the firm's already established specialty or growth vision?

Lateral Attorneys

Is their state bar license and/or local bar membership current? Is their CV current with all honors, distinctions and publications? Has there been a military service interruption? A professorship or training element? Has the candidate been involved in arbitration, pro bono or other local bar association or humanitarian projects? Are there temporary legal contract assignments that have been interesting or career altering?

New Associates

Were there travel or adventure opportunities? Did they complete their studies and obtain their bar admissions? Did they participate in a court externship opportunity? Were they involved in community outreach or organizing? Have there been in-house counsel experiences? How this group may have filled their vacant time can vary greatly. Drifting away from legal environments, even temporarily, is not necessarily detrimental.

Reducing Hiring Costs

We will always train new hires to perform to firm standards and requirements. However, uncovering that a new hire has the necessary skill set or the drive and ability to succeed can reduce the effort and time invested towards profitable productivity. We would never offer “it'll have to do” to our clients, so why should we offer it to our existing staff and management team?

Asking an associate to perform tasks previously completed by a paralegal is not an unusual shift in workflow, particularly if the activity requires an attorney review before processing. However, not indicating that shift in responsibility to a new hire could prove to be short-sighted. The loss of a valuable resource and the ensuing costs associated with his or her replacement is not an economically sound technique.

While firms are understandably reluctant to reinstate elaborate summer or campus recruiting programs, the search for the best talent still exists. Fortunately, the responsibility for firm placement has shifted more toward the candidate and away from the hiring firm. There needs to be a discussion about establishing a balance between the hunt and the catch. Avoiding wasteful spending (focus on the hunt) and arrogance (focus on the catch) can change the perceptions of your firm by both your clients and your new hires. We need a realistic view of a firm's culture and work ethic if we are to be successful as a business.

Mission and Vision Revisited

Recent economic downturns have been a wake-up call for clients, employees, educators, government bodies and service providers alike. Any entity involved in the success of your firm needs to bring its “A Team” to the table at every opportunity. For some, it may indicate re-training to the current business needs of the client. For others, it may require a shift in management structure to a more hands-on approach. For many, it may suggest productivity counseling. For most, it simply means daily demonstrations of innovative solutions to petty barriers.

Being buried by a mountain of undergraduate or law school debt is an insufficient motivator toward good client service. While this economic condition is unavoidable for untold numbers of candidates, a passion for the work, for justice, or for fulfilling team membership is what your firm should seek in recruits. Firms should offer a fair compensation for the work performed. Firms should not hold the compensation levels of others as benchmarks to what should be sensibly offered. The security firms provide benefits their clients as well as their partners and employees.

The Technology Conundrum

Is your firm over or under influenced by the latest technology? As with many things, it depends upon whom you ask! Baby Boomers have adapted, but resist excessive change. Generation X has tried to keep up despite their personal time demands. The Y generation will provide their own tools and fit them into their workflow. Whatever the generation of your new hires, be prepared to be criticized ' period.

While the basic practice of law and the importance of deadlines remain constant, individual application of best practices and location of activities is in a state of flux. Firms can be excluded from consideration by younger candidates if their technology is stale. Alternately, more seasoned candidates can be scared off by technology that is unfamiliar or too imposing. What seems to be appealing to almost every generation is the ability to establish personalized schedules and work locations. Managing work using distance technology is lowering client costs, but it may first require a sizable firm investment.

It is important to maintain oversight of new routines. If productivity or client service erodes, then your firm has the responsibility and the obligation to reel it back in. One size does not fit all here, so be cautious about penalizing non-offenders, and be initially specific about which job functions have flexibility. More importantly, be sure that the required tool/technology is in place and has been tested before agreeing to move forward. In the final analysis, administrative savings alone may provide the much needed resources for growth in new areas.

Balance: What We Seek

Hiring twists and turns don't necessarily trigger a head spin. Firms regularly examine multiple perspectives to obtain the best outcome. Recruiting is no different. What happens after an offer letter is signed and work has begun should not yield any surprises. Balancing the needs of the firm as a business entity, client service and established personnel practices is a dynamic activity. Garnering resources who appreciate that perspective is the key to success. Hiring is expensive. It is always changing. It is always a challenge. Fortunate are those firms who are in a position to do it.

Paula Campbell, a consultant and a member of this newsletter's Board of Editors, is a former technology training specialist for several firms' California offices. Paula has spent over 20 years observing firm culture as an international legal technology consultant and educator. She can be reached in Chicago at [email protected]. The views set forth herein are the personal views of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of legal entities with which she is associated.