It’s often said that we spend a significant portion of our lives at work, and for legal professionals, this commitment is even more pronounced due to the substantial investment in their careers. Finding the ideal career fit is crucial for overall happiness and well-being, particularly concerning factors like compensation, professional satisfaction, and workplace culture. Recent trends underscore a noticeable shift in candidate priorities in these areas.

However, navigating the job search process can be challenging, as success in the initial stages often hinges on factors beyond individual control. Many individuals struggle to find the necessary guidance to navigate this journey effectively – whether they’re freshly qualified and looking for their first legal role, or indeed a seasoned professional who may not have been on active job market for several decades.

What’s more, ATS and CV-scanning tech, competing candidates and evolving industry demands are just some of the challenges that meet candidates at the screening stage and while a well-written CV can significantly improve success rate, the following one presents a challenge that tends to bring most right out of their comfort zone, that being the oft-dreaded interview.

Nerve-wracking, daunting, and often a stumbling block for many candidates (or so it is perceived) it forces you to sell yourself convincingly and succinctly to demonstrate that you are quite literally the right person for the job – a skill not easy to master in the legal space, but one that need not be difficult to learn.

Here we look at what makes a great interview, how to make that first impression memorable, and how to use the meeting to your advantage as well with expert legal interview tips that work.

Fail To Prep At Your Peril

Starting with the golden rule of all interviews – your preparation should leave no stone unturned in covering all bases. You should want to go into the interview well-aware and well-prepared for what impression you intend to make on the hiring manager.

To this end, your first objective should be to think about what you intend to get out of the meeting. Yes, you are there to impress and prove your candidacy but how you do this through your answers and overall communication will differ somewhat from interview to interview. To get started ask yourself the following:

Q: What kind of first impression do I want to give my employer? If the job description asks for an adept problem-solver with the ability to lead a project, then your first port of call is to ensure that you’re ready to showcase those characteristics during the meeting.

Q: What are the key messages I want to communicate – whether verbally or non-verbally? If your interviewer could only go away from the meeting remembering one thing about you what do you want it to be? Is it the expertise or wealth of experience you have in your field or perhaps the drive you have to continue finding ways to deliver in your role? How are you going to make those messages stick?

While these can seem tricky to figure out at first, they don’t need to be – as there is a myriad of resources now available at your fingertips, and even more so when you utilise the services of a specialist legal recruiter. Their knowledge and experience in supporting candidates at this juncture of the process, as well as the profile and requirements of the employer, can prove instrumental in making your preparation foolproof and equip you with the know-how you need to nail it on the big day.

Know Your Audience

When it comes to preparation, be prepared to get specific. By delving into the finer details of the position in question and gaining insights into what success looks like in the role, you’ll equip yourself with the knowledge to articulate how your skills and experiences align perfectly with the firm’s needs. This proactive approach not only showcases your preparedness but also demonstrates a genuine interest in the role and the law firm. Key areas deserving your attention during this research phase include:

The firm’s brand and personality – are they corporate or have more of a family feel?

Their vision, mission, and values as well as any terms, words, or phrases that communicate this most effectively. A good place to find this is on their website, on an About Us or similar titled page where their mission statement and value are outlined

Interviewer profile: This is something your recruitment consultant will be able to help you with – although a simple LinkedIn search will give you a head start not just on their own area of expertise, but any content/posts they publish which may indicate their personality, their passions and their impact on the sector more generally

Reviews: Seek out reviews on the firm on the likes of Glassdoor company to get a gauge of what it’s like to work at the firm. Some individuals also leave reviews about the legal interview experience itself – invaluable to get an idea of what to expect

Digital Footprint: Company news or updates via press releases on industry websites and articles – in particular any recent big wins achieved by the business that has been publicised online. If you’re able to show you are as invested in the firm’s success as they are, you will significantly improve your chances of landing a killer first impression.

It’s worth taking into consideration the type of interview you can expect as well, as this will guide your preparation accordingly. Again, a recruitment consultant can help in this regard, as they can give you pointers and tips on what the hiring manager will be expecting and how best to prepare if you will be required to give any presentations or take any assessments.

First Impressions at Your Legal Interview; Making Them Count

As the famous saying by Oscar Wilde goes, “You never get a second chance to make a good first impression.”

Approach Legal Interview Questions With Confidence

While it’s not possible to prepare for every single question that can come up in a legal interview, there is still much you can do to ensure you are ready for what may be thrown at you. Starting with the questions themselves, make a list of common interview questions relevant to the role that you are likely to be asked, and use the below guide when crafting your answers for each one.

Use examples in your answers that specifically point to how you demonstrated the key characteristics they are looking for. The job description is a great reference point in this regard, as it will help to tailor your answers to the requirements of the job in question, no matter what question you are asked.

Don’t be thrown off by complicated questions: The question “What’s your biggest weakness?” can be one of the most overwhelming for candidates. A good way to answer this is to think about something skills-wise you’re struggling with but show how you’re working to improve. For instance, maybe nerves tend to get to you when doing public presentations, but you’ve been taking regular speaking classes in your own time to overcome your anxiety and improve your delivery.

Make a note of key numbers and statistics that can back up the statements and examples in your answers. Numbers, percentages, and other quantitative data make a real impact in interviews and add greater credibility to your accomplishments as they are actual quantifiable results that speak for them.

Remember that you will likely also be asked why you applied for this firm and your role in particular, and your research into the business will be key in crafting a good answer to this question. Try to highlight some key facts about the company how you as a person and a professional relate to them, and how the role allows you to do something that both you and the firm value in your professional life.

Once you’ve written out your answers, have a friend or colleague (or even your recruitment professional) go through these with you in a mock interview. It may seem a bit overkill, but it can help to boost your confidence and smoothen your delivery.

Don’t Be Put Off By Competency Based Questions

Competency-based questions often start with the phrase: “Tell us about a time when”. They’re designed to give the firm insight into how you react to specific circumstances. To prepare for these kinds of behavioural questions, it’s good practice know your way around the “STAR” technique.

The STAR method asks you to take an example of impressive behaviour from your past and arrange it into a particular structure. The acronym encourages interviewees to:

• Situation: Describe the circumstances relevant to the question.
• Task: Outline the details of your responsibility in that situation.
• Action: Explain the action steps that you took to address these challenges.
• Results: Talk about what your actions achieved.

Using these four steps to shape your anecdote will make it easier to deliver a highly focused and relevant answer.

Projecting Confidence in Your Legal Interview

Equally as crucial as thorough preparation, confidence plays a pivotal role in bringing out your best self on interview day and should be considered an integral part of your readiness. While interviews typically emphasise verbal communication, how you deliver your responses often matters more than the content itself. Many candidates find managing nerves challenging, yet overcoming this hurdle is less daunting with the right mindset. Effective preparation is essential, but seizing control of your interview experience involves additional strategies.

A few ways to increase your confidence before the big day include:

Have a go-to response ready when you need a moment to think. If you feel you’re prone to or fear blanking at the most inconvenient of times, then this can help to steady the nerves in the moment. Something like “That’s an excellent question. Let me think about that…” can be useful in buying yourself the time you need to get going again.

Using visualisation to mentally rehearse: A useful tip to implement when rehearsing your answers is to do so while visualising in as vivid a manner as possible, what the interview experience might be like. Remember, that this is intended to be a simulation of the real thing, and as such questions shouldn’t be rushed, and professional attire is a must when practising. If there are any parts of the visualised interview that you’re particularly nervous about, practice them with a friend.

Relaxation techniques such as meditation and mindfulness are also worth learning for those who find anxiety a real issue in high-pressure moments, or their daily lives, and help to avoid getting stuck in their head and ground them in the present moment. That said, it should not be a substitute for a good night’s rest, as you want to be performing at max capacity on the day. Lack of sleep will only make that much harder to achieve.

Practising positive thinking: Negativity can get the better of us at times. If you’ve yet to experience the breakthrough you’ve long been waiting for in your job search, you may be getting a sense of déjà vu at this junction and perhaps even write yourself off before the big day arrives, expecting the worst of yourself in front of the interviewer. Try not to think this way as it will kill any ounce of confidence you have left in your ability. Instead, look back at the answers you crafted to your competency-based question, as that is what you should be judging yourself on as a professional. Even if you lack something to give for those answers, the point is that your suitability for the role in question is evidenced by the hard work and commitment you produced to get to this point – whether that be through education or experience. When that belief resonates in your answers it will start to spill over to your mannerisms and body language.

Mastering Non-Verbal Communication

Your body language will be another way that the interviewer will asses how confident and experienced you come across, and what they are more likely to remember, especially if they are in stark contrast to what you or your CV says. As overall communication is majorly non-verbal, the little things certainly matter in this instance whether that be a simple handshake or sitting posture. Fail to make the right impact with it and you could find yourself losing out on a great opportunity.

Some tips to bear in mind:

Smile! I know you might be full of nerves and smiling is a great icebreaker for all concerned so use it to your advantage

Concentrate on posture: Keep your chin up and your spine straight whether you’re sitting or standing. Lean forward slightly in your chair to indicate interest and avoid crossing your arms or fiddling with things on the desk in front of you.

Practice a firm handshake: During the handshake, make sure that you’re looking at the person, and giving them a genuine smile. Show them that you’re happy to be there.

Suppress any restless habits: Avoid crossing and uncrossing your legs, cracking your knuckles, tapping your foot, or biting your nails. All of these small quirks indicate nerves and may be deemed as impolite.

Make eye contact: Make eye contact during your interview, rather than continually staring at the clock or down at your CV. However, be careful not to stare continuously at the hiring manager, as this can make them uncomfortable. Balance it out by making eye contact as you listen to and respond to questions, but let your eyes wander occasionally.

Use your hands: If you’re not sure what to do with your hands, then use them to gesture while you’re speaking. Hand movements can show passion during a conversation. Just make sure that they’re not so aggressive that they distract from what you’re saying!

Show Your Ambition

Talking about your future during your legal interview demonstrates a genuine dedication to forging a path of progression for your career within the business. It also helps you understand what opportunities might come your way. Share what you’re looking for in the role and ask about the company’s development options for its employees.

You may want to ask:

• Is there a mentorship programme where you can learn from other leaders and further build your skill set?
• Does the company offer plenty of training solutions and chances to learn new things?
• How does the business approach things like development plans?
• Will you get regular one-on-one interviews to assess your progress towards your goals?
• Are there opportunities for professional development when you get into this role? What might the next step look like for you?
• What happened to the last person that held this job? Did they move into a bigger role or switch companies?
• What are your thoughts about lateral movement? Do employees have an opportunity to explore other projects in different roles?

Approach The Legal Interview As A Two-Way Street

A big thing to remember with any interview is that they are more than just an evaluation by the hiring manager. It’s a great opportunity for you to envision your future with a potential employer and assess whether the role aligns with your aspirations. It goes beyond simply looking for a job; you are actively exploring whether the company culture and dynamics resonate with your professional ethos.

Preparing intelligent, well-thought-out questions shows the interviewer that you’re thoroughly prepared and that you understand what exactly you’re getting into. Your questions show that you’re interested in the position and that you have ambitions to excel in your new job.

Some potential questions include:

Q: Can you tell me more about the responsibilities of this job: If the day-to-day responsibilities have already been discussed in the job description, you can skip this question. However, if they’re vague, this is your opportunity to determine exactly what you’ll need to do in your new role.

Q: How can someone excel in this role? This question often leads to valuable information about how the business measures things like success and performance in the workplace. You can even ask how you’ll be assessed going forward, and how regularly you can expect to get feedback.

Q: Where do you see the company heading in the next five years? This question shows an interest in and points to a commitment to being in it for the long-term, and your interest in its progress.

Q: What do you expect me to achieve in this role during the first 30 days, 60 days, or 90 days? This gives you an overview of the goals you’ll be pursuing when you begin your new job.

Q: Can you describe the culture of your company? It’s important to know if you’ll fit well with your team members. A brief description of company culture will show you whether your personality is a match for the business dynamic.

Q: What do you like best about working for this company? Asking for your interviewer’s personal experience of working within the company is an excellent insight into what you can expect from your new employment.

Q: What are the biggest challenges facing the firm or that specific department today? This question shows an eagerness to seize the opportunity and assist the firm in overcoming any difficulties. You might even discover areas in which your specific skills can save the day.

Q: What is the typical career path for someone who takes this role? This question will give you an overview of how career advancement works in your chosen organisation. It may also show you whether you can expect some regular support and training when working towards your career goals.

Q: What are the next steps in the interview process? This question indicates that you’re eager to move to the next stage with the business. It will also give you an insight into the timeline you can expect to follow for hiring. You’ll know when you can follow up appropriately, without pestering the company.

Q: Is there anything about my CV or background that makes you question my fit for this role? Here, you’re demonstrating a commitment to making the right impression as a candidate. This question also means that you have an opportunity to respond to possible concerns.

Remember, there are some questions to avoid asking in a job interview too. For instance, you won’t need to ask what the business does if you’ve done your research. Additionally, it’s a good idea not to ask about benefits and changing things straight away.

If you are looking for a new role due to dissatisfaction in your current one, you want to consider more strategically focused questions too, and use the interview as an opportunity to conduct your own due diligence of sorts.

Interviews can be stressful and nerve-wracking experiences. However, with the right preparation strategy in place (and legal interview tips to help you) you’ll feel more confident walking into the initial meeting with the company that’s right for you. Using the tips above, and some support from your legal recruitment specialist, you can ensure that you’re ready to make the right impression in an interview – and crucially get one step closer to getting that dream role.

Clayton Legal has over 20 years experience helping candidates in the legal sector to take the next step in their careers. Our work doesn’t just involve matching legal professionals with roles – we’ll work with you to make sure your professional profile stands out in the market, that you feel fully prepared for your interview, and that your preferences and requirements are met every step of the way.

If you are thinking of taking that next step, we can help. Call us on 01772 259 121 or email us here.

2023 was a busy year for civil justice reforms and it’s more than likely that we’ll continue to see changes this year too as the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and Civil Justice Council (CJC) continue to update and review key legislation and guidelines.

Taken together, the upcoming and proposed civil justice reforms are designed to make it easier and simpler to resolve civil and commercial litigation and help clear some of the ongoing backlog of small claims and injury cases in the court system.

That’s not to say that the reforms have been uncontroversial.

Let’s explore the timeline of civil justice reforms and potential changes you need to be aware of in 2024:

Guideline Hourly Rates Rise

From January 1^st the Guideline Hourly Rates (GHR) for fee earners have increased in line with inflation according to the Services Producer Price Index. The new hourly rates have risen by around 6.5% and will rise annually in line with the SPI. You can find the new rates here.

Review of the Personal Injury Discount Rate (PIDR)

Following a second call for evidence which ended on 9^th April, another formal review of the PIDR is expected to take place in July 2024 with any changes being announced before the end of January 2025. Potential changes could result in disruption and increased costs.

Fixed Recoverable Costs (FRC) Uprated for Inflation

Previously only used for low-value cases, FRC now apply to most civil litigation claims in England and Wales valued up to £100,000. What’s more, the government has finally confirmed that FRC for low-value clinical negligence claims (valued between £1,001 to £25,000) will come into force in October 2024, six months later than planned. However the changes are not without opposition with The Society of Clinical Injury Lawyers arguing that the FRC proposals are ‘fundamentally flawed’, as they misunderstand the nature of compensation and do not prioritise learning and patient safety.

Further Changes to Pre-Action Protocols

Discussion continues around the issue of digitising pre-action processes. The first part of the Civil Justice Council’s review of pre-action protocols was published in August 2023. The report focused on the benefits of digitisation and recommended several proposals to the MOJ. While there is no timeframe for the publication of the second part of the review it is anticipated that it will focus on reform and creation of specific protocols.

Mediation and Alternative Resolution to become Compulsory

The government has been focused on integrating mediation and other forms of ‘negotiation dispute resolution’ (NDR) into a wide range of legal practice areas for some time. We’ve seen mediation processes begin to be implemented in family law and in small claims cases up to the value of £10,000 over the past year and we can expect to see the same in wider civil and commercial litigation.

Potential Pilots on Cost-Budgeting

Finally, the CJC has recommended that a pilot be undertaken to test different approached to cost budgeting in the next year or so.

How Civil Justice Reforms Could Affect Recruitment

So, what do these current and future civil justice reforms mean for law firms and how will they affect your ongoing recruitment and talent acquisition planning?

In the short term the ongoing backlog of civil court cases in England & Wales combined with the changes to FRC’s and the rise in hourly rates could put off clients with smaller claims. This could mean less work for smaller firms, putting the brakes on hiring. However, one potential upside is an increase in legal talent on the market.

The rise in GHR could also improve early career recruitment, making it easier to snap up young legal talent, if you can create an employer brand that appeals.

In the medium to longer term, the skillsets sought by law firms are expected to evolve. The push towards digitisation, an increase in tech-based roles, and a greater emphasis on mediation will necessitate attracting and retaining candidates with digital literacy, mediation, and Negotiation Dispute Resolution (NDR) experience alongside their legal expertise.

Clayton Legal has over 20 years’ experience helping clients attract and retain legal talent across practice areas that include Property, Personal Injury, Family, Criminal, and Costs law as well as Legal IT and Civil and Commercial Litigation.

If you are building your legal team, we can help. Call us on 01772 259 121 or email us here.

It’s been nearly 6 months since the Transparency Pilot, a scheme which allows for greater access to the family court system by the media, was rolled out to 19 of the 43 family court centres in England and Wales. The scheme is designed to encourage greater visibility of the family court system by allowing journalists, legal bloggers and advocated access to proceedings and giving permission for outlets to publish what happens there. While the changes to family court reporting have not been uncontroversial, the scheme itself has been a success.

Alongside the increased use of alternative dispute resolution in UK law, the changes to family court reporting rules mean we could be seeing the largest shift in legal norms in generations. The resulting increase in visibility and scrutiny will have an enormous impact on family law firms and their goals when it comes to talent acquisition.

The biggest hurdle to the success of the scheme has been centred around the question of how to balance expectations of privacy, particularly for children, with a growing need to build a culture of transparency in some of our biggest public institutions. Some senior judges have been less than supportive of the scheme, citing concerns over a lack of public interest and a fear of lurid tabloid journalism.

However the clear guidance on family court reporting provided by the President of the Family Division, Sir Andrew McFarlane aims to reassure judges, lawyers and journalists that media access will work towards the overriding objective of the scheme; transparency. In each of the 16 participating courts judges can issue Transparency Orders with set conditions around what can and cannot be reported and all proceedings remain subject to strict anonymity rules.

What This Means For Family Law Recruitment

The extension of the family court reporting pilot has several potential ramifications for law firms looking to attract and retain legal talent. Firms specialising in family law or those looking to hire family lawyers should be aware of the need for:

1. Adapting to new regulations

Law firms need to anticipate and adapt to the potential shifts in reporting regulations and media access to family court. These shifts don’t just signal changes in regulation but changes in society as well. Greater awareness of domestic violence, coercive control, and financial control have led to a desire amongst the public for wider visibility into family court proceedings.

To ensure compliance and protect their clients’ interests, firms should regularly review and update their internal policies and procedures regarding media interaction and public disclosure of case information and ensure that new hires as well as established partners are aware of and adhere to these policies. Recruitment and talent attraction teams should look for candidates with a demonstrated ability to navigate complex regulatory landscapes and quickly adapt to evolving legal frameworks.

2. Ongoing training and development programs for legal professionals

If the family court reporting pilot scheme is rolled out to the rest of the country it will be crucial for legal teams to stay updated on the latest media-related legal practices to best support and represent their clients effectively.

Ongoing training ensures that teams understand the nuances of reporting restrictions, confidentiality laws, and ethical considerations when dealing with media inquiries in family law cases. And that they have the knowledge and skills necessary to handle legal issues and conflicts brought about by media engagement.

3. Legal professionals with strong communication and public relations skills

Alongside legal expertise, family lawyers with exceptional soft skills are going to be in high demand. The ability to communicate effectively with the media, clients, and other stakeholders and a background in public relations will help in navigating sensitive family law cases and managing external perceptions and the wider reputation of the firm.

Those looking to attract and retain top family law talent must prioritise candidates who are proficient in creating communication strategies, crisis management, and maintaining client confidentiality amidst media scrutiny. Former criminal barristers could be a potential source of legal talent with the media skills necessary.

In Conclusion

The Transparency Pilot represents a significant shift in the family court system, promoting greater openness and accountability. By allowing media access and the publication of court proceedings, the initiative seeks to build a culture of transparency within one of our most critical public institutions. Despite concerns over privacy and the potential for sensationalism, clear guidelines and strict anonymity rules aim to balance these issues effectively.

For family law firms, the pilot scheme introduces new challenges and opportunities in talent acquisition and retention, and it’s clear that firms must adapt to evolving regulations, ensure continuous professional development, and seek legal professionals with strong communication skills. These changes signal a broader transformation in legal norms, underscoring the importance of transparency and public awareness in family law.

As the pilot progresses, it will be essential for law firms to stay agile, informed, and proactive in navigating this new landscape to best serve their clients and uphold the integrity of the family justice system – and of course, to ensure their own team keep up with the changes ahead.

Clayton Legal has over 20 years’ experience helping clients attract and retain legal talent across practice areas that include Property, Personal Injury, Family, Criminal, and Costs law as well as Legal IT and Civil and Commercial Litigation.

If you are building your legal team, we can help. Call us on 01772 259 121 or email us here.

As a successful legal professional, be it a Senior Partner, Managing Partner, or on the Board, you are a primary driver of success for your law firm, determining its growth. Ultimately, you are pivotal in creating your firm’s story and building a pathway to its goals. Hopefully, you are experiencing current success and business is doing well – but don’t fall into the trap of overlooking areas where you could improve. It’s easy to become complacent, and before you know it, you will start to slip backwards. So how can you ensure you don’t fail to grow? In the current climate with market forces, as they are, you must strive to remain successful – and the key to that lies in planning. 

Sometimes it’s natural to overlook areas where you could make improvements if the firm is experiencing overall success. It’s easy to miss opportunities to progress. Alternatively, you may feel that your business is suffering due to market forces out of your control and you’re unable to take a step forward in the current climate.

However, there are always ways to improve and move forward – and that involves taking a step back, first of all, to review your law firm holistically; its customers, systems, processes, and people to reassess your goals and ensure you are making the most of your business. 

Talk To Your Clients:

It doesn’t matter how qualified your employees are or what specialist services you provide if you don’t focus on customer service first. Customers define your firm, so your priority is to ensure you understand their needs (and indeed challenges).

You can do this by conducting surveys and research – both quantitative and qualitative –  to gain valuable insight. Just ensure that your surveys facilitate honest feedback, or you’re wasting your time, and theirs. Having a spotlight on your customers’ thoughts about your service will allow you to leverage the elements that you’re already doing well, as well as focus on any hot spots where you need to reflect and make improvements. It’s essential to take the extra step to make your customers feel valued and unique, so make sure you talk to them and listen to (and address) any problems they have. That way, you will inspire loyalty – and loyal consumers won’t just come back to you – they will recommend their friends and colleagues to you too.  

Come Out Of The Bubble: 

In a volatile market – where the economy is impacting all facets of running a business,  one of the quickest ways for a firm to stunt its growth and cripple its potential is to conduct business blindly. By that, we mean lacking awareness of what your clients’ needs are, how they have changed over time, and how your competitors have responded to such needs to stay ahead of the curve. It can be tempting to get wrapped up in the business-as-usual of today, respond to immediate needs, and push anything deemed important but not urgent – however this can have disastrous consequences for your firm. Opportunities to capitalise on market changes, strike deals with highly after clients or scale business operations can pass you by if you fail to pay attention to how your competitors are conducting their business in the market. Coming out of your ‘bubble’ to look at other firms in your practice area and/or region can really impact how you trade competitively. As the saying goes, ‘no man is an island’ and if you’re looking to increase market share, you need to fully understand where and with whom that market is buying from.

This makes the presence of a regularly updated and detailed target persona an absolute must in your business strategy as it will ensure you have a Unique Selling Point that is consistent. A target persona consists of who your clients are, where their interests lie, what pain points they have, what they want from your services, and much more. Having this level of insight into your target market enables you to not only address their problems at the right time, but it also allows you to make your marketing and specifically your branding effective by communicating your USP at every touchpoint of the buyer cycle. This helps to create a strong brand that utilises both its position and performance in the marketplace to develop a reputation for being an excellent firm to do business with. 

Lack of an EVP: 

Going back to red flag number one, a firm’s culture, people strategy, and EVP (Employee Value Proposition) live or dies by its values as that forms the foundation for its competence in attracting, retaining, and developing top legal talent. As legal professionals are now becoming increasingly demanding in their search for the ideal employer, one of the biggest mistakes any firm can make in today’s market is failing to consider the priorities and preferences of its employees or jobseekers they are looking to attract. Without such a foundation, it is incredibly easy for a firm to slip into reactive mode and allow external factors such as economic pressures, market changes, and consequently, business performance to dictate how it treats its employees.  

And even though you will hopefully have ironed out your values as a business at this point, it does not guarantee immunity from making such blunders. The key to a strong EVP is the ability to create and sustain a positive, productive workforce, and that is only made possible through a regular, honest, and thorough review of your people strategy, to ensure your firm culture and environment remain the focus of it, and not the business goals – no matter the external or internal situation at hand.

According to Brett Minchington, who coined the phrase Employee Value Proposition in the first place, this comes down to largely five elements:

• Fair pay

• Personal development and growth

• Meaningful work, making a contribution

• Good reputation

• Working with friendly colleagues

Your work environment should have employees feeling valued, respected, and motivated and should regularly facilitate open communication, effective collaboration, and a healthy work-life balance. We have seen a big shift in the market in recent years towards flexibility, hybrid working, and employee satisfaction so ensure that your EVP focuses on these areas while remaining aligned with your goals for business growth. 

Consider Your Leadership Contingent – Are They Suitable For That Role? 

The last few years have been challenging for the legal sector. Dealing with the fallout of the pandemic, increased workload, and the impact of overworking on employees’ well-being means that many firms also now need to uplevel their leadership skills alongside recruiting new lawyers into their teams to lead their firm moving forward.

In turbulent times, everyone looks to great leaders for guidance. Leadership resonates throughout a business, and the quality of your leadership can be the difference between your firm’s ultimate success or failure.

A successful law firm requires leadership that is transparent, emotionally intelligent, resilient, empathetic, focused, and inspiring.

If you believe your leadership could develop in some of these areas further, take steps now. Training in personal development and upskilling where needed will enable you to lead from the front. Failure to invest in leadership will result in good ideas coming to nothing, so start at the top. 

Invest In Building A Top Team 

A high-performing team is what any employer would want. A high-performing team of solicitors that is efficient, drives profits and gets results is no doubt the utopia that business leaders strive for, which requires excellent leadership, support in their development, and constant engagement (even before any recruits join the firm).

Developing a high-performing team that works collaboratively will enable your law firm to achieve its goals, both short and long-term. It will create a positive mindset and ethos of encouragement and positivity that will allow your firm to excel and grow, keeping you ahead of the pack in the competitive legal marketplace and making your law firm attractive to further top talent.

As part of this, professional development should play a significant role in ensuring your team keeps ahead of trends. Training and development of both hard and soft skills will not only instill a sense of pride in specialist knowledge and ability but also make employees feel valued by the firm. This, in turn, will lead to better staff retention saving you the costs of hiring and onboarding new employees. Additionally, happy staff are more productive, so you will see positive developments in the bottom line. In a working environment where individuals are part of a capable team, the quality of an individual’s sense of purpose in understanding big goals is enhanced. They feel ‘included’ in decisions, and their ideas and concerns are listened to and acted on. 

Keep On Top Of (And Ahead) Of Tech  

The legal sector is growing at a rapid pace. If you’re standing still in terms of digital ability, then you might as well be going backwards. Using digital strategies to grow your law firm allows you to reach a much larger number of potential clients than ever before. As well as building your client base, if you regularly post industry articles online, you will develop a reputation as being an authority in your specialist areas – attracting both top talent to want to work for you as well as establishing you as a credible law firm in the eyes of competitors. Your website should also reflect your forward-thinking by embracing new technology. Refining your online platform will make it more responsive, and maximizing your SEO will enable you to reach more viewers online, as well as offer you the opportunity to connect and network with others – crucial in moving forward. Additionally, a social media strategy will enable you to reach more clients, develop relationships and strengthen existing ones, gain insight into competitors, and demonstrate your industry knowledge. 

Plan For Headcount Growth Early 

As firms consider their strategy and business objectives, whether that’s on a quarterly basis as a checkpoint, or a typical 1-, 3- and 5-year plan, any kind of compound growth inevitably goes hand in hand with the need to increase headcount and upskill where required.

Firms may have their own Hiring Managers whose remit is to attract new talent to the firm, or this may fall to HR or even practising Solicitors and Partners in some cases. Either way, reaching out to a specialist legal recruiter as those strategic discussions are taking place will undoubtedly pay dividends in the long run to get a true birds-eye view of the market, your competitors, the movement of talent (and scarcity which may impact your plans) – invaluable insight that you can readily tap in to.

Ultimately, a strategic plan is the tool that will enable you to move forward and grow your legal firm. Using your knowledge of what has worked well previously, you can build a pathway to achieve your ultimate goals, avoiding strategies that have failed in the past. A good plan will move you from where you are now to where you want to be. Including milestones, and achievements will keep you focused on the end goals and provide you and your team with motivation along the way. Make your strategic plan achievable (but aspirational) and timely – and don’t be afraid to amend it as you progress if your law firm’s requirements change.  

About Clayton Legal

Clayton Legal has been partnering with law firms across the country since 1999 and during that time has built up an enviable reputation for trust and reliability. We have made over 5,000 placements from partners to legal executives, solicitors to paralegals, and legal IT personnel to practice managers.

If you are building your legal team or looking for your next career move, we can help. Call us on 01772 259 121 or email us here.

With the world of work ever increasing in its demands for maximum professional efficacy today,  finding ample time to disconnect from one’s work life and embrace the moments that allow us to stay committed to our personal needs as we are to career aspirations has become increasingly difficult.

As we strive for balance between professional demands and personal well-being, navigating the digital age’s relentless ‘grind culture’ continues to present its own set of challenges. The allure of constant connectivity, fuelled by productivity apps and remote work arrangements, often makes it difficult to truly switch off, and this is particularly true during holidays or extended breaks from work.

Much is written about how to stay disconnected while on holiday due to this – not least as the pandemic is cited as kick-starting  this hustle mentality. And, whilst Physicians and academics alike have rightly focused on practices that can help holidaymakers work through their stress, and focus on the impact of burnout – inevitably, this downtime may in fact focus your attention on your more general career path, future goals and aspirations, and whether these are on track.

In fact, it was found from a survey conducted on behalf of Hotel Indigo by YouGov that the majority of global travellers (63%) end up making major life decisions after travelling, including (figuratively and literally) career-changing ones.  

 Whilst a case of post-holiday blues is a common occurrence when returning from a holiday – especially if such quality time with friends and family is a rare commodity – it becomes tricky, when career comes into the picture, to tell the difference between a standard case of short-term sadness and a real need to refocus and reassess one’s legal career. 

A Temporary Slump?

If you find that your reservations about returning to work stem from a desire to enjoy the fun and freedom the holiday brought for a little longer, then chances are your post-holiday blues are just that. They aren’t exclusive to holiday periods either – as it is also a common thing to experience during the festive season and after any long break from work. Temporary, short-lived, and incredibly common, they have only become a more intriguing phenomenon over time, with a 100% increase in searches for how to beat the post-holiday blues evident over the past 12 months.  

The good news though, is that if all is well behind the scenes at the office, this sense of foreboding will disappear given enough time. 

If, however, you remain unsure of where your heart really lies, there are always worthwhile steps to take periodically in your career to assess if you are still on the right track – and doing so after a holiday or extended break, can certainly help to assess where things stand:  

Setting Achievable Goals  

A good starting point is to begin setting actionable and achievable targets as part of your preparation for your return to work. The point of this exercise is to get the ball rolling mentally (and potentially physically) towards your present goals, and make that transition back to your work life easier with a clearer path of progression. In this regard, a timely review of your career plan and where you were heading goal-wise before the holidays can prove to be a great aid.

If for example, a promotion was possibly on the cards or even a worthwhile pursuit, then begin mapping out a step-by-step plan of how you intend to show your employers you are the candidate to consider. Not only does this give a sense of empowerment and renewed resolve that makes returning into the thick of it easier, but it also keeps any negative or unhelpful post-holiday-borne thoughts at bay.   

It should also be said on this note that working out where you are and where you are heading in your legal career isn’t just something to do when you’re fresh out of college or upon qualification. The best industry leaders regularly conduct this sense-check of their business objectives and strategies based on changing priorities, constant evaluations of the marketplace, and a growing understanding of their sector.  

The economic and socio-political backdrop may also influence career planning, as well as other more-permanent ‘trends’ such as a seismic shift towards flexible, home, and remote working patterns that have meant people are reassessing how (and where) they work too. Finding time (whether that’s on your holiday or when you’re back at your desk) is vital to put a stake in the ground and take stock of the real reasons why you may be feeling discontentment. 

A Mental Reset

One of the hardest things about accepting the inevitable when returning to work from a holiday is what exactly you dread returning to, and this is sometimes what people mean when they say it is difficult to snap out of the constant reminiscing about their time off. A busy inbox, a diary full of meetings, and case files or projects to pick back up and run with as part of a busy law firm is not exactly the ‘welcome back’ one would appreciate upon their return – hence why the reluctance to carry on with work life is so much stronger than what you’d usually expect.   

 A good way to get around this issue is to focus on what you enjoy about your job instead. These may be the more technical or social aspects of the role or even the banter that takes place between you and your colleagues around the office. Whatever it may be, it can help to temper any rising fears about the workload you are expecting to come back to. 

 If said fears however stem from a real overload of work, and are not outside the norm of what you consider a usual day on the job, then begin looking at how you can cut down on your work hours or workload, and talk it out with a sit-down with your manager. It is important that you do not procrastinate on this step or write it off as unrealistic due to the expectations placed on you within your role – a lack of work-life balance will often manifest itself as a deep sense of dread as your return date approaches and should be treated as a matter of priority. 

Preparing For Your Return 

Where possible, a ‘buffer day’ in between your holiday ending and the next working day is a sound technique to catch up on emails, get a sense of what the week ahead is likely to entail, and to manage your diary effectively before you hit the office or turn your laptop on.  

Create a to-do list and prioritise tasks based on urgency and importance. This will help you focus on what needs to be done first and prevent feeling overwhelmed.  

Even creating a little time to physically unpack, rest, and mentally prepare for the return to the office can help during this transition and (hopefully) get you back on track. 

Just the Holiday Blues?…Or Something Deeper? 

 As the holiday ends and work looms, it’s natural to feel drained and apprehensive. But these feelings don’t necessarily signify dissatisfaction with one’s job. Holidays and time away offer a break from work stress, and readjusting to reality after such freedom can be tough for anyone. However, such feelings tend to fade with time and if any dissatisfaction with your work or job continues to persist, then it may signal deeper issues that are at play. If you find yourself consistently unhappy at the thought of returning to work, despite exhausting the strategies outlined above, then ask yourself the following question: 

 Are your concerns connected to your holiday at all – or is the unhappiness connected to the job itself? 

 As the question above implies, if your real problem with returning to work stems from struggles you often face within the workplace, whether that be a difficult manager, a lack of fulfilment, or certain tasks you dread having to do then a change of scenery is due – professionally speaking of course. While there are certainly less-than-desirable aspects of our jobs we all have to tolerate to some degree, none should lead to a brewing sense of dread at the thought of coming back to work. 

 Another good way to discern if this kind of change is what you really need is to look at what your career plan review has revealed about your ambitions, progress and satisfaction with work-life overall. Remember why you chose the role in the first place and whether reality is currently matching up with expectations when it comes to getting closer to your career goals. It will direct your attention towards the questions that matter most regarding your work life: 

• Do you have a good working relationship with your colleagues and managers? 
• Do you fit in with your company’s culture?
• Is your remuneration and benefits package where it needs to be (and fair for your work and achievements)? 

If the answers to the above are a resounding ‘no’, then it’s a sign some big career decisions are going to have to be made. 

Time For A Career Change? 

If after giving it a good deal of thought, you find that post-holiday blues really aren’t the cause of your reluctance to return to the office, then you have some options on the table. The first is to have a sit-down with your manager regarding what can be done to improve the quality of your work life, whether that be by adjusting working hours, introducing some degree of flexibility into your role or reducing workload. 

If you can’t see a way to improve your working life, or if you are hitting the proverbial dead end when raising any issues or concerns with your current employer, seeking a new role may be the viable option to ensure your career path stays on track 

 The first step, of course, is to decide whether to go it alone and spend time researching opportunities in the market, your region, and your practice area and apply to vacancies advertised. 

 The alternative is to enlist the help of a reputable legal recruitment specialist who will search the market on your behalf, and present you with (often exclusive) roles that are designed to be the absolute best ‘fit’ for you and your requirements from your next employer. 

In Conclusion 

 Getting the work-life balance right is key to general happiness and satisfaction both in your role as a legal professional, and as an individual. Holidays – or more specifically, time away from work plays a huge part in this for both your mental and physical health, and finding time to switch off completely from the day job will only help you be more focused upon your return. 

 Taking time off from work can give you the space you need to learn about yourself, your passions, your interests, and your career – however much you are adamant that the complete switch-off will be just that. And should the holiday blues take hold at any point in the year after a lengthy break, recognising when it is what it looks like and when it may be something more is key. 

About Clayton Legal

Clayton Legal has been partnering with law firms across the country since 1999 and during that time has built up an enviable reputation for trust and reliability. We have made over 5,000 placements from partners to legal executives, solicitors to paralegals and legal IT personnel to practice managers.

If you are returning from holiday and dreading the working week ahead, or more generally need a new challenge or opportunity, we can help. Call us on 01772 259 121 or email us here.

Every month we speak to prominent professionals working in, around, and for the legal sector in the UK, uncovering their greatest inspiration, what makes them tick in a work capacity and out, and their own career paths and journey to the top of their game.

Interview with: Joseph Kotrie-Monson | Director | Mary Monson Solicitors

WHAT HAS YOUR MORNING LOOKED LIKE?

Took my daughter to school, went for a session with my vocal coach, had three conferences with clients, and then worked on some marketing material, all interspersed with the usual thirty or so phone calls.

HOW IS BUSINESS AT THE MOMENT?

What a question. Better than 5 years ago, hopefully not as good as in five years time.

HAS IT ALWAYS BEEN ‘LAW’ AS A CHOSEN CAREER?

Law was a bit of an accident really.

First it was to be music, then business. I got the law degree to please my late mother and then actually realised there was something potentially important I could contribute there. I expected to become an advocate, but in the end I’ve helped my brother and colleagues continue the work we were doing with my mother to build the firm to greater heights.

WHAT IS THE GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT IN YOUR CAREER SO FAR?

Not sure really.

I’ve had some successes early on, maybe just by sheer luck. I was a Times Lawyer of the Week at 30 which was pretty cool. The Cambridge Analytica data case was probably a high point, but being involved in the Grenfell Fire case is also a great responsibility. Doing the work I do explaining legal cases for the public in the media is something that took time to understand how to do well I guess, so I’m quite pleased with that, but those feelings never last too long. It’s always onto the next thing. I don’t really know how to answer a question like that. I think it’s my relationships with my colleagues and the work I have been able to do for clients in general which will stay with me when the lights eventually begin to dim.

WHO WOULD YOU SAY IS YOUR BIGGEST INSPIRATION?

It’s hard to say, and it depends in what sense.

David Geffen the record industry pioneer is someone I’ve always admired for the way he used hard business to protect artists fiercely. My Dad and Mum taught me so much about what I could do and how the world works. I think really what motivates me though is the idea of the person I might and should be and trying to be as close to that as I can. I’m not suggesting it’s something I’ve managed particularly well.

WHAT ARE YOU READING AT THE MOMENT?

Goncharov’s Oblomov.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE YOURSELF IF YOU COULD GO BACK TO THE START OF YOUR CAREER IN THE LEGAL SECTOR?

None.

I wouldn’t have listened anyway. I might have advised myself to slow down, or stick to the fundamentals that work rather than reaching impatiently for unrealistic and unnecessary goals. But how can you tell the difference between those and great but attainable challenges? Hindsight is great, but the keenest understood truths often only come from actually making the mistake and learning.

HOW HAS THE LEGAL SECTOR CHANGED IN RECENT YEARS?

Communication methods have changed unrecognisably. Paper is gone. Meetings across countries can be held remotely and effectively. But AI I guess will be the sea change. I imagine it will revolutionise the mundane and repetitive aspects of our work in ways we can’t even currently conceive.

OUTSIDE OF WORK, WHAT MAKES YOU TICK?

I’m in a band of pro musicians called the Heizer Monkeys. That keeps me pretty busy. I mess about in race cars in the UK and Germany. But family is the main block that everything else has to fit around.

AND FINALLY, YOUR GO-TO PODCAST?

Nah. No time for that.

I do watch Joseph’s Judgements, the weekly legal segment on TalkTV. Mainly because I’m on it.

Mary Monson Solicitors is a UK top ranked, multi-award-winning law firm representing people and organisations in the fields of criminal law, fraud and sexual offences. The firm, founded in 1979, operate nationally and have a team of criminal solicitors in Birmingham, Manchester, Salford, Leeds, Sheffield, Chepstow and London’s Fleet Street.

 In the competitive landscape of the legal industry, understanding your strengths, weaknesses, and unique qualities is fundamental to individual success – whether you are looking at continued success and promotions in your current role, or are indeed starting to think about new opportunities in the market.  

For the latter, merely recognising these attributes isn’t enough; it’s about strategically leveraging them to enhance your professional profile and effectively communicate your value proposition to potential employers. In today’s evolving job market, cultivating a compelling personal brand is indispensable for legal professionals at any career stage. It serves as a powerful tool, not only in opening doors of opportunity but also in signalling a robust self-awareness, expertise, and dedication. A well-crafted personal brand doesn’t just highlight your potential for success; it embodies it, making you a natural choice for career advancement and recognition within the legal community. 

As accurately put by legal news publisher Legal Desire, a cultivated and well-honed personal brand is also needed to stand out in ‘the sea of legal knowledge’ – in order to give you a competitive leg-up, particularly when it comes to client acquisition, business development, and influencing stakeholders. Put simply, it can help to elevate your professional standing, gain trust and build a positive reputation within your own firm and wider network, a feat that will almost certainly serve you well in your longer-term career ambitions.   

With this in mind, we’ve outlined the key strategies you need to be implementing when looking to build a successful personal brand as a legal professional.  

Smarten Up Your Online Presence  

Nothing diminishes professional influence as much as an unprofessional online presence and any aiming to be taken seriously must first prove that they are deserving of such respect- whether that be on a professional platform or otherwise. Hence, due diligence must be conducted to ensure your digital footprint is tidy. Any rowdy Facebook pictures or LinkedIn interactions must be managed – either by being exceedingly careful with your what kind of content you decide to engage with, careful management of your privacy settings, using an anonymous profile name or getting rid of certain social channels altogether.  

It can also be useful to conduct an audit of your online presence through a quick Google search of yourself to find out if any damage control needs to be done on anything that could be viewed as unprofessional by senior leaders at your firm.  

 Replace any unsuitable pictures with well-taken, professional headshots and update your LinkedIn profile, so that it accurately reflects your values, ambitions and portrays exactly what you would want those in your network thinking about you. LinkedIn has evolved in more recent years, but is arguably still the channel where professionals converse, collaborate, and network – plus it can also be seen as your online CV. So, finding time to make sure it is on point is well-spent.  You could also join any relevant online groups or forums that might prove beneficial career-wise. If you have quite a bit to say about your professional credibility, you can let your achievements and personal interests do the talking for you on an online portfolio.  

Make Time To Network 

Spend as much time as you can networking with fellow competent and respected legal professionals in your field; the more connections you build with relevant people in your field, the more your reputation will grow. If you feel you lack the confidence to reach out, know you’re not alone – a lack of confidence when networking – whether face-to-face or virtually – is common – whatever profession you are in, but it is certainly a skill worth honing as the benefits far outweigh the perceived risk that any initial feeling of awkwardness or anxiety might project. Being as visible as possible in situations where you are surrounded by individuals equally passionate about something that resonates with you on a personal level or are leaders in your area of expertise, will significantly strengthen the potency of your personal brand and others’ perception of you – so do take advantage of such opportunities that come your way.  

Find Your Voice 

Whilst it may very much depend on your employer as to how comfortable they are with you posting on social media, utilising your knowledge and expertise in your practice area to create valuable, consistent content will go a step further in cementing your reputation and establishing a strong sense of thought-leadership in your brand. You may choose to do this in the form of a blog, a regular LinkedIn newsletter, or simply be an active ‘voice’ in online discussions around topics that interest you – in a professional sense of course (It goes without saying that you want to be mindful of jumping into any particularly controversial topics). 

Digital agency owner, Lara Acosta, writing recently for Forbes talks candidly about the various strategies she employed to grow an engaged following of 55k individuals on LinkedIn, stating that contrary to popular belief, it is not synonymous with ‘oversharing’. Rather, it involves looking at the six main components of content marketing: inspire, entertain, educate, promote, empower and validate – and choose to stick to one or several of those. This aspect of personal branding is very much focused on the relationship-building element; being ‘seen’, adding value, and then being discovered by association – to provide tangible benefit to your professional development or your firm’s growth plans for its business.   

Increase Your Value Through Continued Education 

One of the most important things to bear in mind regarding your personal brand is its continual growth. As the industry undergoes a constant evolution propelled by new technologies and emerging trends, it is becoming increasingly incumbent on legal professionals to proactively anticipate and adapt to these shifts to distinguish themselves in the profession.  

A continued commitment to education and staying abreast of current trends will ensure your personal brand maintains its relevance, no matter what direction the wind blows. This may involve honing soft skills like teamwork and communication, as well as periodically evaluating the currency of your technical expertise.  

A helpful approach to staying on course is to periodically compare your CV with job listings relevant to your interests. This allows you to observe any evolving requirements within those specifications. For example, many firms now seek legal professionals with specialised knowledge and a keen understanding of their clients’ businesses. An employee (or potential candidate) who is always on the lookout for and actively participates in activities that build networks and networking skills, will add significant value to their professional profile compared to those who show little interest in doing so.   

Ask Where You Need Development 

Sometimes, there might be a behaviour or skill gap you exhibit that is barring your way to promotion, and yet you may not even be aware of it. For example, you might be skilled in managing multiple caseloads as a commercial property solicitor, you may find yourself lacking the essential interpersonal skills necessary to effectively interview, advise or negotiate with clients or other professionals to secure agreed objectives.  

It’s also possible that the management in the business may be oblivious to your aspirations for promotion simply because you haven’t communicated it to them. Therefore you are better off being as clear about it as soon as possible, and so when the opportunity presents itself (perhaps at your next performance review) – take some time to discuss your goals and ambitions with them, bearing in mind that you make sure you ask what they believe you could work on to achieve your goals. Embrace all feedback – no matter how uncomfortable – and then begin outlining a step-by-step plan to make any necessary changes. In doing this, your manager will be very clear on your ambitions and will be able to advise on the steps necessary to help you get closer to your your stated goals.  

Building Trust: Harnessing Social Proof 

Leveraging social proof and testimonials is crucial for establishing credibility and trust within your industry – whether thats from clients you have worked with, or colleagues and managers that can sing your praises. By actively collecting testimonials, endorsements, and reviews from satisfied clients, colleagues, and industry peers, you can demonstrate the value and quality of your work. Plus, showcasing social proof of your expertise and accomplishments through case studies, success stories, awards, certifications, and media mentions further solidifies your reputation as a trusted authority in your field. These testimonials and examples of your achievements serve as powerful validation of your skills and capabilities, helping to attract new clients, opportunities, and partnerships while reinforcing your personal brand’s credibility. LinkedIn makes it easy to request endorsements, as well as display these on your personal profile. 

The potential that lies in a well-built personal brand is immense and the only limits to it are really your own imagination and willingness to grow. We hope these strategies have given you some food for thought and perhaps set you on the right path toward achieving your career goals.  

About Clayton Legal

Clayton Legal has been partnering with law firms across the country since 1999 and during that time has built up an enviable reputation for trust and reliability. We have made over 5,000 placements from partners to legal executives, solicitors to paralegals and legal IT personnel to practice managers. 

 If you are building your legal team or looking for your next career move, we can help. Call us on 01772 259 121 or email us here.

Building an exceptional legal workforce goes beyond simply recruiting the right individuals for the job. It involves creating a comprehensive onboarding plan that integrates new employees into the organisation’s culture and equips them with the tools for long-term success. 

What’s more, it doesn’t just facilitate success at the initial integration stage – it involves incorporating mechanisms that enable employees to not only thrive but also continually evolve and excel throughout their tenure within the organisation. An effective plan of action empowers employers and managers to utilise the onboarding process as a strategic tool to not only assimilate new hires but also to enrich and fortify the company culture, motivate and inspire teams, and significantly bolster staff retention. 

So, what exactly should your onboarding strategy entail? Here’s what you need to know about building a robust plan. 

Employee Orientation Vs. Employee Onboarding  

Employee orientation and onboarding are distinct processes that play crucial roles in integrating new employees into the organisation. Employee orientation is typically a one-time event focused on familiarising new hires with the company’s policies, practices, and facilities. During this process, human resources personnel and partners formerly introduce employees to both the physical and hierarchal layout of their work environment.   

On the other hand, employee onboarding is a more extensive process that spans the employee’s entire journey, from their initial introduction to their full integration and productivity within the organisation. When done right, effective onboarding not only accelerates the integration of new hires but also contributes to building a strong employer brand, fostering employee engagement, and ultimately leading to a more productive and cohesive team. 

How To Design An Onboarding Plan  

Research has consistently shown that a well-structured onboarding process significantly impacts employee satisfaction, retention, and overall team success – with a strong onboarding process said to bolster hire retention by 92% and productivity by over 70%. 

 While there’s no one-size-fits-all strategy for onboarding, there are some steps you can use to improve your chances of the right results for your team. 

1. Decide on an optimal onboarding strategy 

First, it’s worth considering how you’re going to deliver your onboarding experience to new hires. Traditionally, onboarding takes place within the office, consisting of regular face-to-face meetings, training opportunities, and induction processes. Since the shift to hybrid and remote work, 1 in 4 UK workers now work a hybrid work week (as of 2023), making efforts to both understand and cater to the preferences and needs of hires and employees vital to not just retention but general employee wellbeing. 

 As such, the trick in designing a flexible but successful onboarding plan lies in figuring out where to incorporate virtual elements, and what aspects require face-to-face interaction. This is best informed by the input of the new hires themselves, as they are best placed to offer pointers on what makes for the best onboarding experience.  

 2. Assign Each Staff Member an Onboarding Buddy 

Because onboarding is a long-term development strategy for each employee, it requires as much of a social support system as a professional one, primarily in the form of someone to turn to for any questions, advice or company, especially considering the learning curve of a new hire is rarely linear.  

Although seemingly insignificant, an onboarding buddy can prove key in integrating a new employee, as they can often be the difference between a rocky and frustrating start and a much smoother onboarding experience.  

Regular communication should therefore be encouraged between the new hire and their onboarding buddy, in order to build an authentic, transparent relationship – this will be the bedrock on which any further dynamic between the two will be built. Some companies use informal coffee chats and video calls between staff members and their “mentors” to help further integrate new hires into the company culture and track their progress – the onus is on you to make whatever changes are most practical to foster a healthy relationship. 

 3. Prioritise Regular, Transparent Communication 

Establishing a culture of open communication from the outset is essential for fostering a supportive and inclusive work environment. Team members should be able to feel like they have a voice, and can contribute to their own development by suggesting areas where they feel they need to improve, or requesting training opportunities where necessary. They should also feel comfortable opening up about any struggles with workload, burnout or a sense of disconnect felt with the team or firm goals.  

 Regular one-on-one meetings between employees and their managers provide a platform for such discourse and enable both parties to productively discuss progress, address challenges, and identify opportunities for growth and development. It is vital that each employee knows how their performance will be evaluated, and what kind of qualities they need to demonstrate in their day-to-day work. 

 4. Set And Regularly Update Goals

 In light of the fact that up to 33% of employees leave within their first 6 months with a new company and that 86% of respondents in a survey last year expressed willingness to switch jobs despite potential damage to their CV and reputation, it has become increasingly imperative for partners to be exceptionally attuned to the engagement and satisfaction levels of their staff members, especially in the wake of the effects of the Great Resignation.  

This necessitates providing each team member with a clear and compelling vision of their future within the firm and actively supporting them in setting and achieving their career goals. Regular one-on-one meetings with line managers should serve as a platform for encouraging employees to candidly discuss their strengths, areas for development, and aspirations, thereby fostering an environment of open dialogue and personal growth.  

As an employee’s role within the firm evolves, the individuals or teams responsible for their onboarding should collaborate with them to expand and refine their goals to ensure that they consistently perceive themselves as progressing in a meaningful and purposeful direction. This proactive approach not only cultivates a sense of alignment and purpose among the staff but also reinforces their commitment to the firm’s long-term success. 

 5. Focus On Employee Development From The Get-Go

 Creating a plan for employee development as part of your general onboarding strategy will ensure you can retain your top talent for longer, and achieve the best results from every member of your team.  

Having clear communication and documentation around career paths, professional development, and objectives around progression demonstrates to new legal professionals that there is investment in the long term. The regular meetings with your new starters should also touch upon their professional development – where they are currently on that career path, as well as their future aspirations and goals. 

In Conclusion  

Hiring a new individual is a huge investment of time, money and internal resources so it’s imperative to ensure that once that individual joins your firm, their onboarding process is designed and focused on their long-term career (and not solely focused on the inevitable HR administration and initial IT setup!).  

Of course, the success and retention of your new hire starts with ensuring that all important ‘fit’ from the outset. Using the services of a legal recruitment specialist can help here as they have the time and resources to ensure a deeper understanding of not only your challenges and objectives as a hirer, but the career aspirations and goals of the legal professionals they help as well. What’s more, many recruiters offer alternative services such as ‘retained search’ which may include elements such as psychometric testing, video profiling and virtual interviews which are all focused on that ‘fit’ giving you a head start on your onboarding process, and ensuring that individual is in it for the long run. 

About Clayton Legal

Clayton Legal has been partnering with law firms across the country since 1999 and during that time has built up an enviable reputation for trust and reliability. We have made over 5,000 placements from partners to legal executives, solicitors to paralegals and legal IT personnel to practice managers.

If you are building your legal team or looking for your next career move, we can help. Call us on 01772 259 121 or email us here.

The classic burnout problem has been an ever-present thorn in the side of the aspiring lawyer and, as problematic as it is, has long been seen as the price to pay for a richly – or even moderately – successful career. While the legal profession has been known for its resistance to change at times, let alone change to what was sometimes deemed by previous generations to be a winning formula for career success in the profession, whispers around the detriment of this ‘always on culture’ to personal and professional health have gradually turned into full-blown conversations since the dawn of the post-pandemic era and led to the high demand for flexibility we see in the discourse among legal professionals today. 

 This topic of flexible/remote/hybrid working has been the buzz of the legal space for much of the post-pandemic period, and although initially met with some pushback, most firms have now found themselves having to toe the line, whether that be to meet the expectations of the talent they are looking to hire, keep themselves in contention hiring-wise or keep existing employees happy. Legal professionals, particularly the Gen Z cohort, have been the prime advocates for this change in working practices, largely as a result of the burnout problem prevalent during – and exacerbated by – the pandemic. In an effort to counteract the effect that rising pressures on business have had on employee wellbeing, legal professionals have asked for respite in the form of flexibility – and after some initial resistance, employers now seem to be warming up to it.   

But 4 years down the line, the question has to be asked: Is it all that it’s cracked up to be?   

Flexible working – A double-edged sword? 

Some would argue that the answer to this question is a resounding yes, as the rise of a tech-centric way of working has proven to be key in establishing new, healthier and cheaper ways of working and living in a demanding and economically tumultuous time. The dreaded long commutes to work are a thing of the past for many, as are the headaches that fitting one’s work schedule around pressing personal and care needs brings on a weekly basis. The freedom and balance that such schedule offers cannot and should not be understated, and for over 75% of respondents of our latest Salary Survey report said to be currently uninterested in making a move any time soon, it was found to be their biggest reason for inertia.  

The other side of the argument, however, is that perhaps surprisingly, it is proving to be somewhat problematic. As instrumental as it has been in breathing a new lease of life into legal careers across the industry, it has ended up having quite the opposite effect for some. The rapid progression of technology during and post-pandemic has no doubt brought people more together and more connected than ever, but as this has as much intrapersonal implications as it does interpersonal, it consequently means multiple aspects of an individual’s life also become tethered to one another, blurring the lines between home and work. The near-seamless transition that a flexible way of working provides between these otherwise set boundaries – with the speed and ease of communication that email and digital video technology provide – make connecting with colleagues and employers as effortless and as easy as it is with family, friends and loved ones. Team members can reach one another with a simple Zoom or Teams call and are each only an email or text message away, and suddenly it almost feels like one is expected to be available round the clock. Without the physical barriers that dictate the end of a working day and the start of another, people are finding it harder to compartmentalise work life and personal life and as a result, are as switched on and connected mentally as they are digitally to colleagues and employers even after working hours. The FOMO that it can generate as a result is seriously detrimental. 

 Toby Pochron, employment director at law firm Freeths signals the practicality issue inherent to a flexibility-oriented work life, a rather ironic actuality – considering it was meant to eliminate rather than add to the ‘always-on mentality prominent in work cultures across the industry:

“Workers, for example, are constantly connected to not just friends and family but colleagues and employers through the same devices. The ever-present ability to check emails, for example, is a major problem. Once emails are checked, if “urgent” things are identified, there is a temptation to deal with them immediately, even if that means outside working hours.”  

Does flexible working boost or hinder productivity?

An even more poignant reality to discuss is its impact on productivity, and how, despite the general perception around the degree of autonomy flexible working offers, it can be a driver of burnout through the restrictive way in which it forces some employees to live their work life. A study conducted by the University of Essex and the University of Chicago found an interesting pattern with regard to the productivity levels of employees working in an IT company during the pandemic, noting that although working hours rose in that time – by roughly 30% – including an 18% increase in out-of-hours working, overall productivity did not significantly change. Technology was found to play a key part in setting this pattern, as the sharp rise in meeting hours and email traffic meant there was a greater cost to pay for seamless collaboration and communication, a cost that came in the form of their autonomy –a factor found by the NALP to be one of the biggest drivers of burnout. As one might expect, this naturally leads to the behaviours normally associated with burnout, such as regular working out of hours – to compensate for a perceived lack of professional efficacy, and a resulting chronic exhaustion that only serves to compound the productivity problem and ultimately the business’ bottom line. 

Such issues put significant strain on mental and emotional resources and also make formal and informal working relationships difficult to build or maintain for an employee, which leads to a distinct lack of engagement with and increased distancing from work life – another common sign of burnout. Dr.Christoph Siemroth, one of the researchers involved in the above study, remarked on its impact on general capacity to build interpersonal relationships both in and out of work: “Additional evidence for this view is that employees networked less – they had fewer contacts with colleagues and business units both inside and outside the firm.”  

This has a particularly marked effect on new employees trying to find their feet during onboarding processes and the balancing act of juggling work and personal responsibilities in a new and unconventional work lifestyle. The lack of person-to-person contact and informal interaction (which is often crucial to building relationships with colleagues and a strong sense of stability in the early days of one’s tenure) present in a virtual meeting compared to a physical one, can lead to a disconnect between trainee/manager and employee and make integration an even bigger challenge, exacerbating burnout as a result. Employees already part of the furniture aren’t immune to this intrinsic issue within flexible working either, as the nature of virtual collaboration dictates that working relationships are the focus of any interpersonal interaction made, with any informal talk kept to a minimum to prioritise productivity. 

So, when the evidence points to a clear trend, counterintuitive as it may seem to imply that flexibility can be detrimental to overall professional wellbeing, it is pertinent to ask at this junction: what are the reasons it’s doing more harm than good?  

The work-life balance conundrum

Employers are falling into the all too common trap of defining what work-life balance means for their employees, when one of the most pertinent things about flexible working is the term’s inherent applicability to all lifestyles – whether that be in the form of a fixed hybrid schedule, a malleable working schedule or a fully remote one. Not every employee wants the lines between their work and personal life blurred, while some need the two to be closely linked, in order to allow for a work pattern that best supports their preferred style of working. 

 A study conducted by Gallup to investigate the preferred work styles amongst the U.S. workforce highlights the importance of allowing employees to decide what a healthy flexible working arrangement is for them. When asked what work schedule would be the most ideal out of a choice of a 9-5 job (with a clear divide between work and personal life) and a blend of the two throughout a working day, the results showed that out of all participants, 50% preferred the former (termed splitters) while the other 50 chose the latter (termed blenders). What was even more interesting was that out of a survey of large-company CHROs, they found that HR leaders repeatedly underestimated how much of their workforce wanted to be splitters. 

While the former set of results did vary by work-type, the key takeaway from the research was that employees not working in their preferred ways were more likely to report experiencing burnout, be less engaged and most importantly to hiring managers – on the market for a new job. Making the choice for your workers or team regarding what manner of flexible working suits them best is counterproductive to individual productivity and can cause the aforementioned issues exhibited by individuals struggling with burnout – issues that, out of all the burnout symptoms, have been shown to be among the top 10 that impact health and longevity.  

Your legal team: understanding your ‘splitters’ and ‘blenders’

Your goal therefore as an employer when approaching flexible working should be to understand on what spectrum each member of your workforce lies – whether they lean towards the splitter or the blender type – and devise an informed solution that best addresses their needs. This is especially important where a neurodiverse employee is concerned, as they largely depend on this kind of support and understanding from their employer in order to thrive at their job. The best way to approach doing this is to make it a leadership problem first before an employee one, as due to the systemic nature of the problem of burnout, its root causes must be tackled at the top first, before any resulting effects can be seen on the workforce.   

As such, the onus is on a firm’s leaders to begin by cultivating an environment that prioritises strong relationships and builds autonomy, belonging, competence and individual gratification from work, as this has been shown according to research, to mitigate burnout in workforces. This can and should be done by incorporating this into any programmes undertaken by leadership figures in the firm, and going a step further to make it part of formal coaching, as this helps to make the concepts of risks and consequences of burnout real to leaders, and offers a more bespoke and systemic approach to resolving individual-specific challenges with resolving burnout in one’s team. A core part of this is involving and utilising employee perspectives and experiences, as this will best inform the solutions you intend to craft for your own workforce. 

When this is done, you put the control and autonomy that can otherwise feel out of reach, back into your workers’ hands, thereby enabling them to work in a way that best suits them, and tighten any gaps present in employer-employee/colleague relationships to build the support systems that a workforce needs to keep them afloat should things become difficult to manage individually (which is often the case among lawyers in the industry). And most importantly, you heal that fracture that appears in their self-worth as a result of the sense of professional inadequacy burnout causes, as well as the physical and mental exhaustion it can lead to.   

Perhaps most pertinent to the discussion hiring-wise, is its profound impact on retention efforts – as at the end of the day the simple math is – the less unhappy and burnt-out employees are, the less likely they are to be watching out or actively searching for a new job – an undesirable situation for any employer to be amidst a widespread skills shortage problem. As far as recruitment is concerned, it significantly broadens your reach to otherwise shut-out segments of the legal talent pool unable to find what best suits their needs flexible-working-wise, and keeps you front of mind to the kind of legal professionals your firm may find annoyingly elusive. 

About Clayton Legal  

Clayton Legal has been partnering with law firms across the country since 1999 and has built up an enviable reputation for trust and reliability during that time. We have made over 5,000 placements from Partners to Legal Executives, Solicitors to Paralegals and Legal I.T. personnel to Practice Managers.  

 If you are building your legal team or looking for your next career move, we can help. Call us on 01772 259 121.  

As one of the most important documents in the first stage of a legal candidate’s job search (alongside the LinkedIn profile), the CV is arguably an inexhaustible topic of discussion for hirers and legal professionals alike, particularly where relevance, structure and formatting are concerned. And although these are still very much pertinent, an equally crucial – and often overlooked – aspect of CV crafting is the skill of knowing what has no place on it, and what can be detrimental to its effectiveness.  

Spending time reviewing and improving your CV is undoubtedly time well spent, although you should never just cram it with additional points if they aren’t going to add value to any application or to enhance your profile. 

Ensuring there is the right amount of information on the document to demonstrate suitability for the role is important, but it’s a fine balance to ensure that it is to the point and not full of distractions or waffle – especially when you consider that hiring managers and recruiters take only a few seconds to scan the document and make a decision to progress, or not. 

As such, it’s always worth considering what information serves little to no purpose in your CV and worse, is potentially squandering your prospects altogether…  

Less is More 

Starting with the often-overlooked but opening information, things like your age, marital status, and arguably personal hobbies should not be in your CV as they not only hold little relevance to the position (and thus, little value to a hirer ) but they can potentially prove detrimental to your efforts, as in having them present they waste the precious time your CV has been afforded to catch a hiring manager’s eye, and can introduce an unconscious bias towards applicants of certain age groups or demographic.  

If you do want to add in a short section about interests outside of work, it’s usually best to give this no more than a few lines – you can always leave talking about this personal element in your profile to the interview itself. These should also fit in with the professional persona you wish to portray = so talking about how you love going out with your friends on an evening, or a vanilla ‘I like doing exercise’ are taking up precious real estate on the page that can be much better-utilised. 

Cull the Obvious 

Similarly, any notices informing employers that ‘references are available upon request’ are unnecessary and should be taken out. This is already implied through your job application itself and so is an obvious fact that doesn’t need reiterating in your CV. The same thing applies to any ‘salary negotiable’ statements – this is not new or unexpected information to employers and is needlessly taking up space. Ultimately, any generalist information that doesn’t communicate what the hiring firm will be looking for in your CV shouldn’t be included and failure to keep your CV clutter-free can give off the impression that little effort has gone into tailoring it for the role, and that it is being used as a catch-all document for multiple job applications. 

If you’re wondering why that might be that off-putting to recruiting firms, it is because it is one of the tell-tale signs of a spray-and-pray job application approach. And whether intentional or not, it is a surefire way to get yours binned. 

Avoid the Jobseeker Jargon Trap 

Pertinent to this is the common mistake of peppering a CV with all sorts of jargon and cliches, which is just as damaging to a candidate’s prospects if not more. When writing a CV to present as compelling a narrative of your professional journey as possible, the use of certain phrases or buzzwords to ‘doll up’ one’s profile can be a tempting move (and it may be the case that these have slipped into your vernacular simply due to ignorance); however, is an all-too-familiar ploy to employers, and an eyesore they will readily want to avoid, especially if such statements or phrases aren’t backed up by any quantifiable evidence.  

The language you use to highlight your skills and suitability is every bit as important as the information it is trying to convey and requires just as much thought and consideration. As such, a sense check of where your CV leans more on generic statements instead of measurable results, and how it can be better-written is essential if you’re aiming to craft one that catches the eye. 

With the widespread adoption of the likes of ChatGPT and other AI tools, it’s also worth considering how such tools can help (or hinder) in this regard. 

If you do choose to utilise an AI tool to support, it is a well-known no-no to write the whole document from scratch, simply because it increases the likelihood of fabricated details being added to your draft. A better approach would be to do it section by section, beginning with your personal statement, then your experience & responsibilities, then your achievements, and so on. This not only helps to avoid having false information but it also makes it easier to spot it as you work through your draft section by section, should it still be added in, and allows you to better format your CV while doing so. 

Click here for more information on how to avoid the jobseeker jargon trap. 

Filter Out the Chaff 

This applies to any other kind of passive language present in your CV or anything speculative, such as extensive lists of job roles and responsibilities without any relevant accomplishments. A career is not something that just happened to you and should never be treated as such by the language you use to describe why you are a good fit for the role.  

Your CV should be filled with examples where you actively take credit for your work and achievements to quantify your value as a potential hire, and where this is absent it signals a lack of confidence in your suitability as a candidate to hirers, which can seriously hurt your chances of employment. Remember that firms want to ensure their investment in a candidate is going to yield encouraging results, and if your CV doesn’t give them the impression that you are worth that investment, they will waste no time with time consuming interview process. 

Finally, 

When it comes to the communication of information through any media, what is said is so often what comprises the subject of discussion, when it is really how such information is structured and conveyed and – at times, what is omitted – that tends to make the difference in how it is processed and interpreted.  

This is what underpins the skill of CV crafting and where the ones that top the pile shine – no matter the role, specialism or sector in question. When every second counts with your prospects on the line, your CV needs to sell you in as clear and compelling a manner as possible – a feat we as recruiters are very much aware can be tricky at times, even for the most experienced of legal professionals. That’s why at Clayton Legal, our expertise goes beyond  the often perceived ‘transactional’ process of matching CVs to open roles. 

We are every bit as committed to empowering the legal professionals we work with to present themselves as the first choice hire, whether that be at the initial screening or interview stages. If your next career move seems to be very much on the horizon but needs clarity with regard to the way forward, we are here to help. Give us a call on 01772 259 121 or contact us here.