tailored recruitment services for legal professionals
Our unrivalled experience, expert knowledge and honest approach to legal recruitment helps provide clients and candidates with a specialised, professional service that can’t be found elsewhere.
Founded in 2002 as a dedicated agency focusing on legal recruitment for law firms across London and the regions, the agency continues to provide unsurpassed legal recruitment solutions to Kent, Sussex, Surrey, and London.
OUR LATEST VACANCIES
What we do for Candidates
We believe that market expertise, knowledge, trust and clear and continuous communication are the vital ingredients for a successful relationship between a candidate and consultant.
Our candidates tell us we offer great advice, support and encouragement throughout the whole process.
We will help you fully prepare for your new role at each step, from CV writing through to the interview stage, guiding you with considered career advice tailored to you.
What we do for clients
As a legal-specific recruitment agency, we offer a bespoke recruitment service for law firms and businesses who work across a host of sectors.
Unlike other recruitment agencies, we position ourselves as an extension to your HR team, committed to understanding your firm's needs and providing you with only the best and most appropriate candidates.
We work hard to ensure the recruitment process is as effective and efficient as possible.
What’s the Verdict?
Thoughts from LR Legal
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How to ask for a pay rise
11/02/2019
There are many reasons you may choose to move on from your role – discontent with progression opportunities, a mismatch between you and the company values or even trying a different career path. However, if it is monetary value that is your key motivator, and ultimately you are happy and fulfilled by your role, then you should broach the conversation of a pay rise with your line manager. But where do you start? Choose your timing There is nothing worse than apprehending your line manager when you’re all enjoying team drinks after a well-earnt success. Be sure to broach the topic of increasing pay in a professional, prepared and planned manner. Usually, pay rises are discussed in 1-2-1s or annual reviews, but that doesn’t mean you should wait. Speak to your manager and pop a meeting in their diary with a clear agenda outlining your ideas to discuss. Bring your own evidence In the run-up to the meeting, be sure to evidence your contribution that indicates you deserve this increase. Keep a diary, write a timesheet, whatever is best for you to accurately and fairly display the work you have been doing – list all your accomplishments and additional responsibilities. It would also be great to do a compare and contrast with your current salary banding to show justification for your boost, so speak to HR and ask for whatever frameworks your firm has in place, your job description and show that you are consistently exceeding expectations. Bring market evidence If you’re asking for your wage to be increased because of market rate, prove it. There are many tools available online to showcase what your role should be being paid, and can be split between region, seniority and sector, but similarly, you could conduct your own research. Network with peers, check current job advertisements and be sure what you’re asking for is fair and reasonable. Prepare, prepare, prepare If you perhaps get nervous, or you are worried about how you are going to come across in your meeting – just practice. Write out exactly what you want to say and practice it ahead of time, perhaps with a loved one playing the other person. It sounds simple but imagining the scenario and adequately preparing for it in advance will mean you come across much more collected. And always feel free to take in your notes, so you are sure to remember everything and be able to showcase your research. Of course, not every pay rise request will be accepted for a myriad of different business reasons. HR policies can restrict managers' rights to give pay rises outside of certain time brackets, or the firm may have a set percentage increase limit (most are around 4%), so be sure to continue the conversation even if you’re met with a no. Understanding the reason may still incentivize you to stay with the firm, however, if you don’t feel that the reason is satisfactory, then perhaps the next job is to look at roles that you will enjoy just as much with a wage you deem acceptable. If you’re interested in looking for a new role, you can get in touch with our team here who would be happy to help, even just to discuss the market average for your role and what your peers are doing in terms of career development and progression.
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Why you’re not getting the job and what you can do about it
10/24/2019
Being turned down is an unfortunate but expected part of the job-hunting process, whether you didn’t hear back from a firm or you made it to final stage interviews and didn’t get the offer, and it could be a multitude of reasons why you’re not now handing your notice in and prepping for your new role. Your CV wasn’t eye-catching enough It is a well-known fact that you have between 5 to 8 seconds for your CV to catch a HR manager’s eye. If yours is poorly designed, has grammatical errors or has irrelevant information, it could be that your CV was discarded before you even had a chance to prove your worth. You can see some top CV writing tips from CV library here. Your salary expectations weren’t realistic When asked the question about your earning potential, did you answer truthfully and had you done your research prior to the question being asked? Unfortunately, budget is a large part of the hiring process, and many firms have set bands for roles. Anything above the set bands and it has to be signed off by Partners, and as a result, they may offer the role to someone who has requested a salary within the framework. This basic salary comparison tool from Total Jobs may be helpful for you to garner the benchmark for your role and area, or speaking with peers could be really insightful into what salary you should be requesting. You stumbled in the interview A regrettable event, but it happens to the best of us. Maybe your mind went blank, or you answered the wrong questions – whatever happened, you can certainly learn from it and moving forward you know your weaker points to tackle in your prep. If you feel you need to overcome nerves, there’s a great guide by Big Interview on how to scupper your nerves and present your best self. You weren’t as well presented as you could have been First impressions are everything, from what the hiring manager sees of you waiting in the lobby to how you come across to the receptionist as you leave. If you have done your research, or indeed your recruitment agency is worth their salt, you should have a good idea before arriving what the firm expects from potential employees – the dress code, performance and style of current employees, and the brand style of the firm should all give you an insight on how to present yourself. If you feel you didn’t fit the firm, for future interviews it’s definitely worth researching. They hired internally Not as common as people may think, but sometimes we do hear that the firm loved the candidate, the Partners felt they would be a great fit, their salary expectations were fair and their experience exactly what they wanted – but they’ve decided to go with someone internal. A frustrating experience for you and for us, and not much advice to give on this, as essentially the job was yours. However, you can take the experience and use the feedback to boost your confidence for your next interview, knowing that you have all the skills you need to succeed. If you’re looking for a new role, get in touch with our team to discuss how we can help you, from CV formatting through to interview prep.
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The arguments for and against unlimited holiday
10/18/2019
As unlimited holidays become a more common occurrence across the UK, with the likes of Eventbrite and DropBox offering their teams unlimited paid time off, a discussion began in our office where it became clear two members of the team were clearly on very opposite sides of the fence on the issue. We asked them to write down their arguments so you could start to think about which side of the debate you fall under. For – Matthew Heard, Legal Recruiter It’s a no brainer for me - why would a firm NOT offer unlimited holidays? It is after all the ultimate flexible working option and a real testament to a firm’s commitment to a work/life balance. By offering your staff unlimited paid leave, no matter their position or seniority, you are showcasing your trust in your employees and displaying how much you value every member of the team. By affording your staff the luxury of unlimited holidays, you are also handing them back control of their workloads. Unlimited holiday also means your staff are able to take what they need to perform best in their roles. Usually, holiday is used up by family commitments - sick children, family weddings, celebratory lunches - and so people are coming back to work having used all of their holidays but having not taken a break at all. Unlimited holiday means your staff may take an extra 5 days for a week away relaxing, but the value you’ll get in return when they get back refreshed and revitalised will be worth so much more. Netflix’s former big boss Patty McCord was famed in the recruitment industry for saying she would ‘only tolerate fully formed adults’ and I couldn’t agree with that more. I have always spoken with clients about the troubles of micro-managing and that if you’re hiring the right person, they are responsible enough, capable enough and experienced enough to know how to manage and deliver their workload. I believe unlimited holidays are the same - you give the power back to the employee, and as a result, they are empowered to do their best and deliver the work, regardless, or perhaps because of, the fact they’re taking 35 days holiday a year. And of course, what an incredible benefit that I can use for my clients to attract the top talent to their firm! Against – Gabby Chinoy, Office and Finance Manager The idea of unlimited holiday is brilliant, but the realities and logistics of it make my head hurt; that’s why I’m in the ‘no’ camp. Here at LR Legal, we have an incredibly generous allowance of 28 days PLUS bank holidays, so we are already miles ahead of the national minimum requirements. perhaps that is influencing my thoughts, but it is already a struggle to get the team to take that! How do you manage employee wellbeing when ‘unlimited’ can also mean ‘untaken and no pressure to’? Keeping with the psychology aspect, I genuinely believe that if there was ‘unlimited’ amount, people would still want a figure. People, for the majority, like their boundaries set, so by removing the number you run the risk of people not taking their holidays at all for fear of not having a reference point to know what is ‘acceptable’. Then there’s the business logistics to think about. A culture that promotes unlimited holidays may result in team leaders being put in a difficult position. Should they need to say no because of business needs, it makes it slightly more personal to the person asking. But what are business leaders meant to do when they have client needs to meet, but a policy to adhere to. By offering unlimited holiday, the tools to put the business and clients first have been taken away. And finally, how do you monitor, report on and manage the impact of an unlimited holiday policy? If you have someone abusing the policy, and someone who is suffering on the team as a result, how do you address it? I think rather than unlimited holiday, maybe firms should focus on increasing the amount of days they offer, and review from there. If you'd like to speak to our team about your firm's benefits, or if you're looking for a new role that offers better holiday perks, get in touch with our team.
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A day in the life of our Senior Consultant Alison
10/09/2019
My day begins at... 6 am when my alarm starts, but it’s usually after 2 snoozes I tend to get up. Even though she’s 17, I make my daughter her breakfast and deliver to her in bed so I know she is awake and hasn’t overslept! After getting myself ready, I set off on a 20 minute drive to the office. First thing I do when I reach my desk is… Put the radio on! As I’m the first in the office, I do the ‘setting up’ for the day – turning on lights and printers, boiling the kettle, and getting ready for the rest of my team to arrive (Someone usually gets in about 20 minutes later so I’m not alone for long!) My first stop in my working day is to clear my inbox and make a to-do list that I can hopefully stick to! As I get in around 8 am this is also a great opportunity to call candidates who I can’t speak to during the day so I try to do my necessary calls before they start work. I’m responsible for… My own desk, but I support all disciplines of law, so it can be a bit manic at times. I recruit for anything from HR and Marketing roles through to Senior Associate level, so it’s vital that I keep all my plates spinning. In the office, I’m very much in charge of social activities – presents for the team, arranging after-work drinks and any coffee mornings or charities events we have! My favourite part of my job is… Telling a candidate they’ve got the job. It sounds cheesy but when you’ve got to know someone and worked with them, there’s nothing better than being the one to give them the news they were hoping for. Because of our processes we really get to know our candidates, so you start to learn exactly what a new job will mean to them – more time with the kids, working in a field they’ve been trying to get into for years, supporting the community – whatever it might be, you can’t help but be thrilled when you help them achieve it. My least favourite part of my job is… Is having to tell someone they haven’t been successful, for the exact same reasons as above! You can’t help but build bonds with someone when you know that they’re moving roles to apply for a better mortgage with their partner or to re-locate to be closer to loved ones, so it’s so sad to tell them that the gateway to that dream is temporarily closed. But it certainly spurs you on to find them their perfect role! I finish work at… I officially finish at 4.30 pm when I leave the office, but I will chat with candidates in the evening and monitor emails from clients until I go to bed. My role is fast-paced, and we really want to support our clients, so if you have an opportunity to be on the ball, you take it! And I will usually spend my evenings… Doing stereotypical family things. I try to get to HIT training classes with my eldest daughter, I look after an elderly neighbour who is a young age of 98, catch up with my husband and try to keep on top of the washing and ironing so I don’t have to do it at the weekend! My hopes for the future are… To continue to be successful in our field. Our agency continues to grow and we’re lucky with our client loyalty, so I hope I can continue in helping candidates get their ideal job and our clients the right match.
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100 years of women in law
10/01/2019
December 2019 will mark 100 years since the Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act came into force and enabled women to become barristers, solicitors, jurors and magistrates. It allowed women to take up positions of power and authority across the UK, and whilst it is certainly something to be celebrated, it is often mistaken as the only barrier removal needed for women to enter the legal and political fields. Women had to wait until 1928 to vote on the same terms as men. The Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act, whilst allowing women to take roles on benches and in courtrooms, meant they were still forbidden from joining the Civil Service. They couldn’t take up a place until 1946. Women were not allowed to sit in the House of Lords until 1958 as life peers, and 1963 as hereditary peers. Whilst women were allowed to sit on juries, a clause stated judges were able to have single-sex juries if the case or evidence ‘justified’ it. This resulted in women jurors being excluded from sexual or domestic violence cases. This wasn’t rectified until 1972. Of course, things are very different now to 1972, but the Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act was in many ways, just the first stepping stone in equality for women in politics and law. But what of today? As of October 2019, there are about 479,000,000 results on Google for the search term “Women in law UK”. There are events, organisations, campaigns, networking opportunities and awards. There certainly seems to be a lot more resource available to women in the sector, and certainly much less political and legal barriers to women entering the space. Interestingly in 2017, although women accounted for 60% of people entering the legal profession, of the 30,000 partners in private practice only 28% of them were women. Because of this discrepancy, The Law Society acknowledges that one of their key aims is to support women in positions of authority and leadership and regularly runs campaigns. Following the gender pay gap issue in 2018, many law firms refused to publish their reports, and those that did, most did not include Partner pay data, causing rumours that the gender pay gap is too large to be acceptable across the sector. There are often reports in the media of unfair working conditions and obstacles to promotion for working mothers, and accounts and testimonials of sexual harassment that even in the #MeToo movement, is shocking and yet unchallenged. It’s not all bad news though. There are many positives occurring across the sector - more than a third of legal firms in the UK have signed up to the Law Society’s diversity and inclusion charter, there has been a definitive shift towards a focus on Work/Life balance and many firms are offering flexible working to accommodate working parents, and benefits seem to focus more on family. The First 100 Years organisation, set up by the Law Society to chart women’s progress from 1919 to the modern-day, is a dedicated resource for women across the UK and has set up awards and functions to help acknowledge and support women in the sector. There is no doubt the rights of women have developed hugely since 1919, however, there is still work to be done. Real commitment across all legal practices need to be made to improve diversity and remove structural barriers to women in law. Sexism and discriminatory practices, unfortunately, do still exist, and until these operational blockades are removed, we can’t hope to see true equality for women in the sector. That’s why we work with clients to address the needs of those joining their firm, to ensure there is support and that our clients are demonstrating a dedication to diversity and inclusion in all aspects of their firms. We listen to our female candidates and ensure we match them with the right firm that will respect the work they deliver and the contribution they make. If you’re currently looking for your next role, but are wary of undesirable cultures and workplace barriers, get in touch with us for an honest and confidential chat about current opportunities.
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Legal directories – why they matter and who they influence
09/27/2019
As our clients across London and the South East celebrate being ranked in the Legal 500 directory, we take a look at why Chambers and the Legal 500 directories are so important to firms and to candidates. Established in the mid-80s, whilst initially considered obtuse by the sector, the London-based directories of Chambers and Legal 500 have become an established part of the annual legal calendar. The publication of the results in Autumn can cause firms to celebrate or commiserate yearly and are thought about and worked on long before that. The effort that goes into the submissions for both publications are complicated, detailed and long-winded. Entire marketing teams are to put to work to ensure they present their firms in the best light, and the resulting accolades proudly displayed on marketing materials and digital spaces across the country. For firms, the benefits of ranking are numerous. Apart from being a clear signal to potential clients of the quality of the firm’s work, it allows the firm to set themselves apart from competitors, improves their visibility online, and because of the detail given in the directories, it offers a detailed insight into the type of work the firm offers, attracting top legal talent. To be ranked suggests the firm, team or individual are a key player in the legal field, and it can mean the difference between instruction or a brush-off. Of course, the directories will not be the only deciding factor in a client choosing the firm, as there is rarely just one influencing aspect that result in a conversion in any purchasing decision. However, it is certain that the directories aid, and are used as, part of a client’s research alongside other material such as reviews, word of mouth and initial impressions and presentations. For candidates, it is a great indication of the quality and type of work the firm offers its employees. Because of the details the directories delve into, with interviews, submissions and reviews, the rankings are a fairly accurate and mostly fair reflection of the firm’s teams, clientele and cases. It is also beneficial to an individual’s career to work in a ranked firm. They are often the firms that are working on complex cases, in fast environments and with top clients. It aids the candidate’s professional development and makes them much more appealing for future hires. As a result, the firms get better legal professionals applying. The benefits of ranking in these well-known and respected directories are apparent, to both the firm and its clients, but there is a time, effort and financial cost implicated with the application part of the process. The firm has to be committed to delivering a great submission, and it will inevitably take up the time and energy of partners, perhaps the hiring of an agency to manage the process, and even then there is no guarantee of inclusion. However, it is a worthwhile process to go through should it acquire a firm better hires, better clients and a better reputation amongst peers and competitors. Get in touch with our team to find out which of our Chambers and Legal 500 firms are currently hiring, or how being in the directories can help your firm attract formidable legal talent.
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Leading the way in flexible working and going international
09/19/2019
Anyone who knows me professionally will be aware that I am a massive advocate of flexible working. And not in the ‘fill in a form, jump through hoops for 3 months to have one pre-determined day a week to work from home’ kind of way. I believe in affording your employees the best environments to do their job in. By allowing them the flexibility to work in a way that’s best for them and giving them the ability to put their best foot forward every time, I wholeheartedly believe it enables my team to give our clients and candidates 110%. Because of this freedom and trust, together we have created a work/life balance that breeds great team morale, strong loyalty to the agency and high bouts of dedication to their roles. I have been offering flexible working since I started the agency in 2002, where we were the forerunners then. So, it is with great delight I can say, for the first time in the agency’s history, we will have our first entirely remote and international worker! Our Marketing Manager Natasha, through a series of very fortunate events, has been given the opportunity to travel the world with her partner and of course she wanted to take it (who wouldn’t?). We sat down and had an honest and frank conversation about whether her role would work from across the seas. She loves her role here with the agency and was loath to have to hand over her projects to someone new! Through transparent communication, clear goals and KPIs, and set boundaries, we decided that we would try to make the role work for both of us. It is the first time we have tried it here at LR Legal and it is very much its infancy of implementation. At this point we have set out expected hours, role requirements and accessibility, for both her and us, and we will try and test in the first few months, with the agreement that it must work for everyone, and we will remain agile as needed. Of course, flexible working from across the oceans comes with its own set of concerns - time differences for one! - but it is an incredibly exciting test, and one that if it works could change the way the agency operates! As part of our voyage into the unknown, we will be sharing our experiences and thoughts with you, the clients and candidates, so perhaps you can learn, or be inspired by our ventures into being truly flexible. Every month we will do a blog post from both of our perspectives and look at what works well and where we’ve had to adapt, how we’ve found the experience so far and what we are looking forward to next. Natasha sets sail on the 29th October and we’re very excited about this next adventure for the agency.
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Back to school – Why CPD is important
09/05/2019
The leaves are starting to turn, the shoe polish is out, and the rucksacks are packed. It might be for the kids, but it’s also true for a lot of legal professionals across a myriad of sectors, as September arrives, and Continuing Professional Development courses begin to run again. Once you have qualified as a solicitor, it is vital that you record your ongoing training with the SRA annually under a continuing competence declaration. Whilst it is less cumbersome than the previously dictated 16 hours of accredited CPD training from SRA approved suppliers, it is still often seen as a chore amongst legal professionals who feel training eats into their business development and fee earning time. CPD is a critical part of being able to provide the best advice and service to your clients, and whilst there is an emphasis on your firm to be able to support your CPD requirements, there is a real sense of fulfillment in taking responsibility for your own training needs. The most obvious purpose to keep up with Continuing Professional Development is the changing law and keeping your technical capabilities sharp. When there are proposed or actual legislative changes in your sector, it is critical to be up to date and to know how it could affect your caseload and clients. Many firms have a dedicated arm of training, which either sits under their HR team or is the responsibility of each department’s Professional Support Lawyer. Your HR department should be able to guide you on who to speak to about your CPD. CPD broadens your skillset and expands your knowledge. CPD can apply to your sector or any crossovers, so it really is a prime opportunity to improve both your business development and networking skills, allowing you to learn when cross-selling could be appropriate, and it affords you the ability to confidently support and promote colleagues. Of course, CPD is part of an ongoing process, and can only be effective when it is consistent, relevant and tailored, so bear this in mind when deciding on what courses to attend and time to dedicate to your training. On top of the many positives CPD can offer, dedicating time to developing yourself professionally will help you build a successful and satisfying career. It means you are constantly evolving, learning and progressing, keeping you at the top of your game and delivering the best advice and service. If you don’t feel your firm is offering you what you need to progress your career, get in touch with our team to find out more about our clients who consistently put budget, effort and time into developing their staff.
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Do you include disability on the Diversity & Inclusion agenda at work?
08/28/2019
This article was originally published by Yasmin Sheikh in 2018 for Diverse Matters and has been re-published here with her kind permission. When you talk about diversity and inclusion in the workplace do you think about people with disabilities? Disability is often not included on the diversity agenda. When you think about disabled people do you think about just sticks and wheelchairs? What about non-visible disabilities and long-term health conditions? It's time for disability to be put firmly on the diversity agenda, so how do you recruit and retain disabled talent? What is a disability? You’re disabled under the Equality Act 2010 if you have a physical or mental impairment that has a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities. This definition can include conditions such as cancer, dyslexia, diabetes and is much wider than people think, as includes both visible and non-visible disabilities/long-term health conditions. Many people are probably unaware that they come under the umbrella of the legal definition of disability and this is one of the reasons for non-disclosure. Amongst those that are aware, their condition may be manageable and therefore, does not impact their work and so there is no reason to inform their employers. Reasons for including disability on the diversity agenda: We are an ageing population and will have to work for longer. Over time our senses and minds will change. If you stick around long enough then you will probably become a member of the disability club. At any one time, one worker in six will be experiencing depression, anxiety or problems relating to stress. In many cases, these problems lead to absence from work. The average employee takes seven days off sick each year of which 40 per cent are for mental health problems (Source: The Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health, Policy Paper 8). If we are unable to speak about this at work openly then this will just further the stigma and shame surrounding mental health. Most disabled people acquire their disability whilst of working age – 86 per cent so employers need to be able to respond to this. People with disabilities are the biggest minority group. People will disabilities tend to develop additional skills – problem-solving, empathy, resilience and seeing things from a completely different angle. If you are not recruiting disabled talent then you are missing out on a large talent pool. Tips for Employers to work in a more inclusive way I have some general do’s and don’t below but this list is not exhaustive. I will use the example of a wheelchair user as this is based on my personal experience. 1. Attitude If you have an open attitude to people with disabilities your staff will feel able to embrace and express their differences freely and authentically. There is no better way to improve confidence and fulfilment at work. A recent survey shows that it is the perception of disability, that causes the majority of challenges that people with disabilities have each day. 2. Awkwardness Don’t define somebody by their disability. Wheelchair users, for example, have heard all the 'jokes' and 'lines' thousands of times such as, “don’t drink and drive”, “don’t run me over”, “have you got a license for that?”, “women drivers!” These are some of the common ones. It is simply a lazy reference to the chair when people feel the need to say something due to perhaps awkwardness on their part. We all make mistakes, especially if we are not used to disability. If you do say something which you feel caused offence then simply apologise quickly and move on. 3. Awareness a). Language Be aware of your language. An easy way to remember whether a word may cause offence or not is asking yourself, is it disempowering or empowering? The word “wheelchair-bound” for example, is banded about and is part of everyday language, but it suggests someone who is passive and disempowered. Why is language important? Thoughts affect our words and our behaviour. The more commonly accepted word is “wheelchair user”. b). Etiquette Most chair users do not like someone leaning on their chair and treating it like a piece of furniture. You wouldn’t just lean on someone’s arm. It is an invasion of someone’s personal space. Do not push someone without asking. Empower the individual by allowing them to approach you should they require assistance. A final thought… is it the disability which is disabling or could it be the attitudes, environment and infrastructure of your organisation? If you need disability awareness training at your organisation then please contact Yasmin via www.diversematters.org Thank you again to Yasmin for allowing us to re-publish her insightful blog. Diverse Matters is a specialist training consultancy who works with organisations and people to approach diversity and disability (both visible and non-visible) with confidence and strength and has worked with many key players in the legal sector. To get in touch with their team, click here.
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A day in the life of our Consultant Matt
08/21/2019
My day begins at... 6:30 am by the loud shrill of my alarm, which has already been 'snoozed' a couple of times (yes, I am one of those people). This is quickly followed by “daddy, can we have some breakfast please?” by my 3 children (although the please is sometimes missing). After giving the little people their breakfast, it is off out for a 45-minute walk with my dog Marley. First thing I do when I reach my desk is … Look at my “to-do list” for the day that I have prepared before leaving the office the day before. In recruitment, it is very common to be pulled in many different directions during the day, so I find having a to-do list is really important. I’m responsible for … All Legal Support roles at the firm, although I do have some fantastic colleagues who will also take on some of the roles when there is too much going on. I have been known to also dabble in some technical support at the agency, but only dabbling at the moment! I also look after a roster of clients, as each client with the agency has a dedicated account manager. My favourite part of my job is… As cheesy as it sounds, I genuinely enjoy helping people secure new roles. Changing jobs is such an important/stressful part of our lives and I take great delight in being able to take some of that strain from candidates. From our initial contact about what they are looking and current vacancies, to after they start at their new firms, I just really enjoy offering support throughout the whole process (my TrustPilot reviews speak for themselves!). My least favourite part of my job is… Not being able to reach candidates and having to communicate only through email. I completely understand how difficult it is to take calls when at work but I really enjoy the human element of actually talking to candidates on the phone. But I'm flexible so I'm happy to chat in the evenings and at the weekends when it's a bit more relaxed for our candidates, and they're not rushing to take personal calls on their lunch. I finish work at … I usually finish at around 5 pm, as our Director is really keen for us to have a good work/life balance. It's because of this approach I'm more than happy to work around the candidates. And sometimes it is easier to do that after the children have gone to bed, as nothing is more guaranteed than for one of them to come in and say “DADDY!” as soon as I pick up the phone! And I will usually spend my evenings … This really does vary, but a fair amount of my weekday evenings are spent providing a taxi service to the many clubs the children go to. When I get the chance, I absolutely love spending some time down my allotment. There is nothing better for me to clear the mind of the stresses and strains of daily life than spending a couple of hours amongst the vegetables (and weeds!). My hopes for the future are… To continue to grow the legal support desk at LR Legal. When I first started here legal support was an area that we covered but did not have a dedicated desk/consultant. The ultimate aim is to grow the support desk to a level where we have a number of consultants solely supporting our clients on their paralegal, secretarial and assistant needs. To find out more about our team and what role they play in the agency, please click here.
