Recent years have brought about drastic changes in the legal landscape due to the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic. With the majority of the changes being positive, especially for those that hold key-decision making positions, it is imperative to recognise and react to the changes.
This is particularly true for cases where law firms are busy with the business but are having difficulty sourcing recruits for critical aspects of their company.
Below, we’ve considered some of the ways in which law firms can recruit, retain, and incentivise their staff in response to adaptations.
Offer hybrid and flexible working
Many people will agree that the main positive to come from the pandemic has been to demonstrate that every company can offer flexible working. Before Coronavirus, there was a general consensus that companies wouldn’t function properly without staff in the office space working.
The new normal is hybrid and flexible working and this applies to those working in law too. For lawyers, it is now possible to work from home and earn a high salary without the commute to the office.
Wellbeing initiatives
In the law landscape, there are many wellbeing initiatives that you can offer professionals. Below, we’ve listed some of the most common ideas:
- Mental Health First Aiders availability and counselling services
- Appointing a specific Health & Wellbeing Representative for employees
- Regular health and wellbeing advice for all employees
- Updates about the firm’s actions to ensure that those working from home feel informed and in-touch
- Salary reviews and promotions that are attainable
- Bonus payments allocated for working environments at home
- Online exercise classes such as yoga
- Display of appreciation through staff gifts
It's all about speed
Recruitment requires speed and acting fast. By going in early, you’ll have an advantage in sourcing the best candidates for a role. 2019 statistics revealed that it took on average 2.5 months for a recruitment process - from handing in a CV to interviewing and finally, accepting an offer.
Online interviewing has made recruitment an even quicker process in many ways. It can take under 4 weeks for a company to find the best candidate for a role in 2022.
Honesty and openness about policies
Employees want to know if there are any ‘catches’ so to speak regarding any of the benefits or flexible working opportunities they are offered. Be open and honest about the terms surrounding working from home, maternity and paternity leave, and diversity and inclusion.
Offer flexibility for candidates
If you’re offering your candidates the option to work from home, you should be mindful of how you may need to be flexible. Instead of strictly adhering to your company’s work-from-home policy, For the right candidate, further flexibility may be required and you should assess what you can offer the candidate based on their needs.
Make sure your benefits are unique
Providing sick and holiday benefits are vital, however, you should also look at where you can increase employees’ engagement in their work. By asking them directly what sort of benefits they’d like, can aid in helping you to personalise offers.
When you partner with LR Legal, we can find out what candidates are seeking in a fulfilling career so you can offer a bespoke package to meet their needs. Get in touch to get a head start on your 2023 recruitment strategy.