Articles From the Team

Legal jobs: forms of recognition

As a solicitor, you can put in long hours, deal with difficult clients and situations and juggle hundreds of matters at any one time. This largely comes with the job, but feeling like your hard work and dedication is recognised makes a world of difference when it comes to facing future challenges, and is a massive driver for workplace productivity and career progression.   

Recognition comes in many forms. 

Salary

For most people, remuneration will spring to mind first. If you’re working hard and hitting your targets you want to be financially rewarded for this.

What this reward should look like – in specific monetary terms – is subject to partiality. Salary is a taboo subject within the workplace and speaking with colleagues has the potential to cause problems. To be as objective as possible, it’s important to do market research. There are plenty of resources at your fingertips.

Progression

Individual progression opportunities can be another form of recognition.

Are you on a transparent career path where you know what objectives you need to achieve before promotion? If the answer’s no, then it’s a good idea to raise this with your manager. Sometimes it’s simply a case of: ‘if you don’t ask, you don’t get.’

Trust

Are you being trusted with the level of work that’s appropriate in relation to your skills and experience? As you gain in PQE, you’ll want to deal with more complex matters and you’ll often prove you’re capable of doing this by assisting at a more junior level. 

Flex

Are you being trusted with day to day flexibility (if this is something you require)? Most law firms are getting much better at this: offering working from home as standard, but are you actually able to take advantage of this in practice? 

Praise

While the above examples are formal or more substantial forms of recognition, it’s also the day to day things and interactions that can make a difference. Do you receive praise for a job well done? Are you thanked for looking after your manager’s cases while they're on holiday?

Sometimes, it’s the little things that make all the difference and a bit of praise or positive feedback can go a long way in making an employee feel recognised and valued.

For more information please contact BCL Legal or email us at info@bcllegal.com.