Plenty of law firms have a strong vision. They know what they want and how their future could look, but achieving this can be tricky. One of the reasons many law firms struggle to reach their goals is that they don't have the right team in place to help them grow. As your firm expands its scope of practice and you recruit more lawyers, hiring qualified legal support staff is essential to keep your firm operating efficiently. It's essential to find candidates with the right blend of skills to meet your company's needs.
To help you navigate the challenges of recruiting legal support staff, we're sharing some of the most common challenges you'll encounter, along with proven solutions to help you overcome them.
Legal research has shifted from libraries to electronic platforms where databases, digital legal resources, and software provide quick and efficient access to information. While case management systems help to streamline workflows and manage documents, e-discovery tools allow quick and efficient review of electronic files. These technological advancements have revolutionized the practice of law, making technologically savvy staff significantly more valuable to your team.
It's crucial to be meticulous in the legal field and pay close attention to every detail, as errors can have severe and far-reaching consequences. To ensure a high quality of work and maintain your firm's reputation, your legal support team needs the skills and experience to check through briefs and conduct thorough legal research without error.
Knowledge and experience are two essential factors when recruiting legal support candidates. Individuals with a solid legal background are in high demand as they are a valuable asset to any legal firm. How many years of experience is right for your team? Try to set your expectations before you hire so you know what type of experience to look for during the recruitment process.
Support staff that share your company values are vital to your success. Misalignment with company culture can lead to problems, including job dissatisfaction, high staff turnover, and lower productivity. A candidate's personal values are just as important as having the right skills. Candidates who are aligned with your core values make a great addition to your team.
Skills-based testing ensures you're setting the right person up to succeed. The process should include several skills-based assessments to determine a candidate's proficiency in technology and their level of attention to detail. A willingness to learn and improve can also have an impact on how you weigh these results.
Behavioural interviews help ensure your candidate is a good fit. They allow you to assess a candidate's past experiences and behaviours so you know what to expect with their work. You can craft interview questions to determine the candidate's character, assess their teamwork ability, and understand their personal work ethic.
Taking a holistic approach when screening legal support candidates allows you to understand each candidate more intimately. Get to know who they are beyond their skill sets and experience. Take the time to understand their personal and professional goals and determine how you can support them. When your staff are doing what they love, they bring an enthusiasm that your entire team and your clients will benefit from.
Strong alignment with company culture and belief in the broader company goals can promote a sense of personal and professional well-being. When your team members' goals and values align with your team, they are likely to be happier and experience job satisfaction in the long run.
Investing in skills training to keep your support staff on top of their game is a strategic move to keep up with the fast pace of technological change. A strong commitment to staff training allows you to reduce staff turnover, making it easier to build a strong company culture. Providing this opportunity for growth creates more job satisfaction and job security, leading to a happier and more productive team.
Hire a Legal Recruitment Team to Take Charge of Your Hiring Needs
We aim to find you the best candidates with the skills, knowledge, and personality that fit your company well. If you want to build a winning team and culture for your law firm, we're here to help. Keep us in your social media feeds for more recruitment strategies, and connect with our legal recruitment specialists to ask your questions directly.
