Articles From the Team
The race to the finish line
The recruitment of a lawyer into your firm can be a lengthy one as most recruiters, law firms and candidates will no doubt be aware. The market has however changed somewhat and over the last six months in particular and as a recruiter, I am now seeing a very candidate driven market, particularly in relation to commercial property across Yorkshire.
Commercial property lawyers are highly sought after at all levels and there are a plethora of opportunities on offer at excellent law firms across Yorkshire.
Where does this leave law firms who having decided to undertake the recruitment process find themselves missing out on key commercial property lawyers?
The key to a successful recruitment process in this current market is speed. As a recruiter my job in the recruitment process is to work to the law firms specification in order to match the right lawyer to the job. The more information I have as to what is the 'right lawyer' and the more information I have in relation to the law firms' team and firm then the better placed I am to match the right lawyer successfully.
Speed of information in relation to the law firms initial briefing process is key. The next stage is selection. I aim to deliver in a timely manner to ensure CVs are selected that match the brief. I then send the selected CVs to the law firm. This is where I find the recruitment process can stall. If CVs are not considered promptly and remain sat in inboxes or on the recruiting Partners desk, for any length of time, then the candidate in question, in this current market, is highly likely to be interviewing elsewhere. This is particularly so in relation to commercial property lawyers. This is where I have noticed the law firm who hasn't acted with speed can lose out on a good candidate. If the candidate looks good on paper, don't delay in arranging an interview before another law firm does and takes the candidate off the market. As I said earlier in a candidate driven market it is essential to act with speed.
Speed again is essential in relation to the interview process. Promptly arranging interviews, timely feedback after the interview, arranging a second interview (if required), ensuring you have sign off for this particular recruit and proceeding to make a firm and competitive offer are all key to securing the right lawyer for your firm. Also consider do you need to see the candidate again in a second interview process or can you have the key decision makers in the first interview stage? I always aim to do my best as a recruiter to ensure the process runs in a timely manner and I would advise law firms to do the same.
Once you've decided to recruit, do you really want to lose out on the right lawyer for the job because of lack of speed? It's important to understand the market you are recruiting from and particularly in relation to commercial property that other firms are fishing in the same candidate pool. The message is clear act with speed and you will have a better chance of securing the right lawyer in the race to the finish line.
For more information please contact Rachel Darlington or visit our website BCL Legal.