In a post-pandemic legal landscape where talent is thin on the ground, how can you ensure you attract and retain the best people?
The profession has had to change fast to accommodate changing client demands and new legislation in the midst of the ongoing talent war. The recent boom in conveyancing, family law and private client law has intensified the shortage in those areas, and demand for mid-level and digitally skilled professionals is extremely high across the board.
Plan your talent pipeline
If you want to hit your hiring KPIs in 2023, it’s vital to plan ahead and start filling your talent pipeline. Identify roles you might need to fill in the future–how is your organisation likely to expand or change?
Do you have anyone lined up to replace your key players? You may need to be sure that none of them are planning to resign, it’s better to be safe than sorry–especially if your team is already struggling with heavy workloads.
Building your talent pipeline means building your employer brand to engage with young people, especially on social media. It’s one area where a recruitment partner can really help.
Know what candidates want
Today’s legal candidates have different priorities from those you might be used to. Here are three areas of focus to get them hooked.
Training and development – the top candidates are looking for employers who offer them continuous professional and personal development and a clear career path.
Digital innovation – stay ahead of the curve and offer the full set of digital tools and training in digital skills. Law firms that don’t will lose talent to competitors.
Flexible working – allowing remote or hybrid working is now a must, and many young lawyers are choosing smaller firms that offer a better work-life balance over the big names.
Get your budget priorities straight
Belts are going to be tight in 2023, so get the most out of your money when it comes to hiring. The cost of a bad hire is estimated to be 3x the employee’s salary–when you’re hiring lawyers, that’s an eye-watering loss. Yet 39% of hiring managers admit to having realised they’d made the wrong decision within two weeks of onboarding a new recruit.
In the current climate, a 39% risk of wasting hundreds of thousands of pounds on a single mistake is unacceptable. That means it’s essential to invest up front to mitigate the risk by enlisting expert professional help. Smart employers are realising that working with a specialist legal recruiter is now a necessity, not a luxury, and will rapidly pay for itself.
If you’d like to find out more about how working with a recruitment partner can help you in 2023, get in touch today for a free, no-strings chat about your needs and goals.