How to Attract and Retain Top Talent at Your Law Firm
It’s no secret that breaking into the law business is a difficult task of itself, let alone how challenging it can be to work your way up the ladder once you’ve gotten your foot in the door, and how hard the actual job can be further down the road. Despite how competitive the industry is for lawyers, law firms also face the difficult task of finding and recruiting the right talent, which is crucial for the development of the firm. A budding lawyer wants to ensure they pick the right firm, and the firm wants to ensure they picked the right lawyer – to do so requires the firm to do most of, if not all of, the heavy lifting.
There are many factors that can help attract and retain choice candidates, including the firm’s reputation and an attractive salary (top talent does come at a price, after all), but it takes more than just that to retain talent as well.
Branding and marketing
In order to attract candidates, they need to be aware that your firm even exists and what your reputation is. In this competitive field, and in today’s digital-savvy world, this means marketing your firm to aspiring lawyers and top talent in a similar way as you would market to attract clients.
Branding your firm is the first step, as it can help tell a story that will help candidates identify and resonate with your firm’s values, so they know your organization’s values align with their own. Using the right online tools like a branded website and a quality social media presence on relevant platforms like LinkedIn can help get your message across effectively, as long as the copy is carefully planned and considered. Furthermore, understanding what kinds of phrases are acceptable to use and what direction to take your copy is critical and can make all the difference. Unless your firm has an in-house marketing team, it’s best to outsource these tasks to a company that specializes in online law firm marketing like Just Legal Marketing, so you know the strategies are well-thought-out and executed with the utmost consideration for your organization’s needs.
A positive and supportive culture
A healthy working environment is one of the most important factors when a lawyer is deciding where to work. An office culture that values diversity and inclusion at its core will no doubt attract and retain top talent because the nature of the business is fast-paced, fiercely competitive, and highly stressful. Furthermore, ensuring the culture is honest, open, and supportive is a top priority for many large firms, and this is achieved with initiatives like training and mentoring, flexible working, and sponsorship.
Offering a voice at the table
For higher-level associates looking to make their next move, having a voice at the table and being given opportunities for leading strategic roles to contribute to the direction of the firm is a highly attractive offer. Being denied these opportunities for increased power is often a sign of encouragement for partners to move on from their firm, which can happen in situations where multiple firms merge into a much larger firm. A lawyer who is confident in their skills and knowledge will want to advance to a role where they feel they have some say in strategic development, so offering this opportunity can help with retention or can assist in attracting high-level talent.
Category: Business and Politics
