- Talent is one of the most valuable assets for any law firm, whether big or small.
- Law firms need to make themselves appealing if they want to attract the top talent in the industry.
- Hiring and retaining the brightest legal talent guarantees financial success and ensures your firm remains competitive.
According to the Thomson Reuters 2020 Report on the State of the Legal Market, the legal market has shifted radically how it delivers legal services. Increased demand for legal services continues, but clients now increasingly exercise their needs for improved efficiency from legal counsel. They also demand a say in who delivers these services and their cost-effectiveness.
Using this knowledge about client demands and the digital technology available, your law firm can ensure it attracts the cream of the legal crop. After attracting this talent, you also want to ensure you retain it.
Here are our recommendations on how to attract the best talent to your law firm:
- Have a clear mission and show it off
Today, legal candidates need to connect at a deeper level with your firm than just a job title and salary. Having a clear mission makes your legal firm more attractive to them.
You need to communicate how much their contribution matters to your firm and how everyone in the firm is committed to working toward making a difference. Your firm’s mission must not only be communicated to legal candidates but should also have a career page dedicated to it on your website.
Loyal employees are the best ambassadors for your law firm. They know how to generate online content that will show your firm as a desirable place to work. LinkedIn profiles and employee interviews on Indeed or Glassdoor are some of the means they can use to attract talent.
- Be liberal and ditch the traditional
The 9 to 5 working days are long a thing of the past. Younger legal professionals are not interested in strict lunch breaks and in two weeks paid vacation like their predecessors. They favor less structure, autonomy, and a work-life balance. They don’t mind working from home, but they prefer an open office environment if they can’t. And they hate titles. This horizontal approach they prefer is why many avoid working in the structured hierarchy of more prominent law firms.
- Associate training and development
Your clients come to you for legal expertise and want you to provide excellent services at reasonable rates. Trained associates can free up your time to manage the firm and bring in new business while also reducing the costs for your clients. If you offer comprehensive training programs, you can help train junior and new associates, paralegals, and other support staff to help increase the value you offer your clients. Training also helps improve realization rates and expands profitability for your firm.
- Change how you manage your law firm
Firstly, you lead by example. You need to do more than saying you are the best law firm and must practice it. The way you manage your associates can affect their work-life balance and make your firm less attractive to future associates.
Micromanagement is a thing of the past in the modern legal office. Focus on the overall picture and quality of the work offered, rather than on insignificant points. Place your trust in the talent and skills on your team’s training, and they will give you value and loyalty.
Not only must you treat them like your most valuable asset, but you must show it to them by creating an environment of respect and trust.
- Social Media is a powerful tool
No legal firm can afford not to have visibility on at least one social media platform today. Candidates are looking there before they accept to come to your firm for an interview. From your social media pages, they can glean a lot of information about your firm. They are also looking for your culture and commitment to employees.
Therefore, you need to use your social media pages on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc., to reach more than just your clients and the talented legal staff you want to attract. Besides business-to-consumer focused content, your social media pages should include photos and videos of events that present a positive image of the firm’s employee-centric approach.
Final Take
Attracting the next generation of legal talent to your firm requires a bit more than training programs, attractive benefits, and lower billable hour goals. If you can promise a positive work-life balance and a clear mission, you can attract talented associates eager to stay and contribute.
