2022 has proven to be a very candidate-centric hiring market. Many legal candidates have had the unprecedented opportunity to change practice areas or seek flexibility. Almost all legal candidates are fielding multiple offers. In such a tight labor market, it is nearly impossible to find a candidate that exactly matches a job description. The law firms and corporate legal departments that have been successful in filling their open positions are hiring on candidates’ aptitude based on stability on the resume, new skill acquisition in previous positions, and professional references. If employers hire based on aptitude and interview candidates with 70% of the skills needed for the position, it’s a win-win for both the employer and candidate--the employer will fill their opening in an expeditious manner and the candidate will acquire new knowledge. These candidates appreciate the opportunity to learn and grow and are more likely to stay with the employer for the long-term.
Hiring for talent is more competitive than ever in Legal, now with remote opportunities across the country and some instances, the globe. That leads to many more offers and counter offers to prospective employees on the market. What we have noticed is the clients that are moving quickly in their hiring process (limited rounds of interviews, near instant feedback, etc.) are having more success in obtaining new talent for their teams. Another aspect is perks being offered to applicants. Of course there is the remote aspect but also stipends, signing bonuses, wellness days and other items/perks that can have a huge affect on a candidates decision on accepting your offer or not. Job offers now are not enough to hire top Legal talent, you have to have added perks and bonuses to secure the best Attorneys and Paralegals on the market and have to move fast because someone else will.
By reducing delay between interviews, employers in the legal field will be best positioned to gain excitement from a potential new employee, and in turn, increase the likelihood of accepted employment offers. Time elapsing between interviews creates doubt in a candidate\'s mind that the employer is truly interested in them. Candidates will continue to actively interview, will have \'more suiters\', more bargaining power, and be less likely to accept an offer of employment at a slow moving company/law firm. Employers that have more efficient and streamlined interview processes will have a competitive advantage. By providing speedy excitement and interest to the candidate, employers will position themselves to capture candidate engagement and excitement, increasing the likelihood they will accept an offer to become the latest member of the team!
Law firms are often known for their billable hours and demanding deadlines, which can be intimidating and stressful for new employees. I am currently working with a law firm client who provides a team breakfast and lunch on separate days each week. Managers, new hires, and tenured employees set aside this time to come together to share a meal and get to know one another. I have 3 candidates already working at this law firm and they cannot say enough about this experience and how much it has meant to them as a new employee to have these interactions with their colleagues on a weekly basis! I was able to share their feedback as I continued to recruit for additional openings with this law firm and it really generated interest with top candidates. I have had 3 more candidates accept their offers and they can’t wait to start with this supportive, engaging law firm!
when we think about employment in the legal field moving into the future employers have to be more flexible to remote/hybrid work. Whether they prefer it or not. They have to accept that so many more firms and companies are moving towards a flexible work environment. Top talent candidates have options and in more cases then not these days will choose an employer with remote flexibility over the higher range in pay. Giving flexible work options also showcases an employer as empathetic towards work life balance. For the talent of tomorrow remote flexibility will be not be an acceptation but the rule!
The candidate experience from my perspective starts with the very first interview and in this competitive job market my advice is to make the best impression as early on in the process as you can. We are still in a very competitive, candidate-driven market and the person you may be scheduled to interview today could have others that same day, or has had multiple interviews the past few days. You may really like a candidate you interview only to find out you have to compete with other firms/offers. The most positive feedback we hear from candidates after an interview is if the interviewer makes a candidate feel like they took the time to review their resume, have genuine interest in their experience and want to get to know them in terms of how their skills match the job you have open and maybe who they are as a person, outside of work. Making a connection to someone in any other way outside of work or asking their interests/hobbies is what can help separate you from the others.