Headhunting
- A Brave New World in the Legal Industry
By
Kathy Geiger
The
New Year brings a new set of legal challenges to the
workplace - global economic issues, changing trade and
regulatory laws - and with these challenges comes the
requirement for law firms and corporations
alike to re-think their current recruitment strategies
when it comes to bringing on new legal counsel.
It's
no longer a viable option for law firms and corporations
to engage in lateral recruitment within their organization
or to promote existing law associates to new positions.
Heavier workloads, misaligned skill sets and a general
lack of employer-employee loyalty make it difficult
for current legal counsel to shift from one specialization
to another.
The
solution
Smart
law firms and corporations will work with external recruiters
to fill their legal counsel needs because of their expertise
in this specific employment marketplace. Recruiters
engage in direct contact recruiting and have a good
pulse on their industry field of expertise, largely
because of the sheer volume of people they qualify and
assess each year for jobs.
The
ultimate advantage of working with recruiters lays in
their ability to pique the interest of candidates who
aren't visibly "on the market," are too busy
to actively search for another position or are unaware
of their current marketability. Recruiters can excite
interest for a position and clear up any misconceptions
a candidate has about a position with a particular law
firm or corporation.
A
recruiter for all levels
If
you're looking to hire counsel at the junior and mid-level,
recruiters can help you tap into talent pools that would
be otherwise inaccessible. Counsel at these levels have
often been recruited from law schools, but junior and
mid-level lawyers are now also turning to recruitment
firms for career management gleaned from a recruiter's
industry expertise. Things like billing requirements,
career growth and partnership opportunities are always
top-of-mind for an up-and-coming law professional, and
can be easily negotiated between your organization and
a prospective candidate with the help of recruiters.
Hiring
at the senior and partner level is most effectively
done with the help of a recruiter since confidentiality
issues give rise to a reticence amongst senior lawyers
to approach firms or corporations directly. Law firms
and corporations can also lose their perspective when
it comes to hiring senior associates, especially if
these organizations apply the same hiring criteria and
approach used to fill junior positions. High academics
become less relevant as lawyers progress through their
career, while business, technical and people skills
take on more importance. These skills aren't always
given their due by law firms and corporations; however,
recruiters can analyze a candidate's skill set with
objectivity and provide a clear analysis of the candidate's
motivations, strengths and career goals, filling in
any blanks or questions posited by the CV.
A
good recruiter will effectively and accurately match
a candidate's professional profile with your needs,
where billing expectations, overhead, client conflicts,
"spin-off" expectations and partnership criteria
are concerned. This way, productivity is preserved and
expectations are met during a candidate's move from
one law firm or corporation to another.
The
bottom line
The
hard and soft costs of an unsuccessful hire can be painfully
high. A law firm's own hiring mechanism can also be
a drain on the firm's resources - the time taken by
lawyers to conduct interviews could often be better
spent billing for legal services!
Recruiters
are a cost- and time-effective way to get top lawyers
into your fold and successfully navigate the new realities
of today's workplace. Lawyers on the search for work
are exhibiting an increasing preference for working
with legal recruiters because of their expertise and
pulse on the legal industry. Law firms and corporations
are recognizing this trend and are working with recruiters
so that they don't miss out on hiring a star performer.
-
Kathy Geiger is the Managing Director of IQ PARTNERS'
Ottawa office and Director of its National Legal Practice.
[full
bio...]
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IQ
Insight is published by IQ
PARTNERS Inc.
IQ
PARTNERS helps intelligent companies hire better,
hire less and retain more. Our services include
Executive Search & Recruitment, Qualification
& Assessment, Employee Retention, Career
Management and Contract HR Services. We specialize
in Marketing, Communications, Media, Technology,
Legal and Financial Services, and operate at
the mid-to-senior management level. IQ PARTNERS
has offices in Toronto and Ottawa, and internationally
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