If you’re reading this, then chances are you’ve managed to succeed in doing two things:

The first, is finally getting that legal role you’ve worked long and hard to land, for which you owe yourself a massive pat on the back and a huge congratulations once again.

Now that your foot is firmly through the door and you’ve been introduced to your colleagues and starting to get on with the job at hand, this next 3-6 months (or perhaps longer) is crucial to ensure you breeze by the next milestone in your career – passing your probation.

Probationary Period: A Definition

According to the CIPD, a probationary period is the time where your employer will be assessing your suitability for the role and general capabilities identified at the interview stage.

As a general rule in the UK legal sector, probationary periods last anywhere between three and six months, depending on the level of the role – and is also a period where you too are assessing your own suitability and ‘fit’ as a new employee.

I’m sure at this early stage in your new role, a thousand and one things must be running through your head at this thought, such as your hitting your objectives, impressing your manager and peers, and generally meeting their expectations – and it’s probably taken up quite a bit of headspace already. The truth is that a lot of these worries can be quelled by taking a few simple steps to ensure you’re on the right trajectory to become a bonafide part of the furniture.

The first thing to say is that you’ve already got this far by making a killer first impression – talking about your skillset and suitability for the role throughout the interview process. However, this next crucial stage is about demonstrating that suitability.

And, whilst the first few months in a new role can often be somewhat of a rollercoaster as you settle into your new team, the environment, and the workload, our top 6 tips below should help to ensure you tick all the boxes as you head towards that all-important probation meeting in a few months’ time.

1. Don’t forget the basics

Dress code, punctuality and the right attitude are all non-negotiables if you’re serious about standing out to your manager and colleagues. Make sure your appearance is neat and professional and in line with the firm’s dress code policy. You should also be mindful of avoid unnecessary absences, if at all possible, as well as frequent tardiness. Getting to work and meetings prepared and on time is important at all stages in your career, never more so than in these first impactful first few months.  Basic as they may seem, having these things covered can do a lot to calm the nerves and help you settle in well in those first few weeks.

2. Consider the ‘double-A criteria’

I’m sure one of the first things that spring to mind when thinking about your probation is how you’ll fare compared to expectations regarding your ability and competence when doing your job – after all, that is the crux of what you’ll be assessed on during your end of probation review. However (believe it or not) your competence in your role is less likely to be the reason you’d fail your probation.

During your hiring process, your legal recruiter as well as those hiring at your law firm, will have assessed your CV, qualifications, experience, and skills aligned to the job role – and this first few months are now how you demonstrate what we call the ‘double-A criteria’

• Attitude and
• Aptitude

HRmagazine in the UK and LeadershipIQ in the US shared extensive data that confirms that attitudes drive over 89% of hiring failures, while a lack of technical ability came in at only 11%. Career Builder shared similar alarming research that 30% of managers had sacked staff for poor timekeeping.

Therefore in summary, it will be your mindset, your can-do attitude, and your positivity that will hugely impact your success over this critical period.

Plus, if there are things you are perhaps struggling with technically, it is highly likely your new firm will offer training and support to upskill. A positive attitude and will to succeed however can’t be taught – so you need to ensure you bring this to the table yourself.

3. Be obsessive about organisation

Staying on top of your work is paramount in any context and your first week or two in your new role is no different. As you’re gradually eased into the job and given more responsibility, staying organised will give you the opportunity to not only show your boss you’re productive but also that you’re capable of handling the workload and are completely on top of things.

There are many productivity and ‘work management’ tools out there that can help massively with this, too, such as Monday.com, Asana or Trello  – many of which offer free access (for the basic product) or at least a free trial period.

These powerful 3^rd party tools are great for cross-team collaboration, reporting and project management, yet it’s also worth saying that even an Excel spreadsheet or a notebook that helps you keep track of tasks and to-do lists are a great starting point.

4. Don’t be afraid to speak up

Particularly if you aren’t sure how to do something, have questions, or generally need help. I’m sure you’ve heard this one over and over and undoubtedly it can be easier said than done when all you’ve got on your mind is how to impress your manager and peers.

The reluctance to ask questions often stems from new recruits not wanting to come across as incompetent or being unable to use their own initiative, however being inquisitive is a truly positive trait that can have the opposite effect. In your first few weeks for example, you’re going to have a lot of information thrown at you and unless you’ve got an unusually great memory, you’re simply not going to be able to remember every single thing you’re told (even if you’re able to get most of them down on paper). Asking questions or simply saying ‘I don’t understand’ can and will show your colleagues and employers that you’re invested in learning more about your role and giving yourself the best chance of succeeding in it.

Plus, according to a recent article in Forbes, there may actually be a ‘risk’ in assuming you do know – so always raise your hand, put your head above the parapet, and be vocal to get clarification (and demonstrate your enthusiasm and willingness to learn).

5. Be proactive

The first few months of your probation present an excellent opportunity to raise your professional profile via networking, whether it be with colleagues at the workplace or with other legal professionals at external events.

Depending on the size of your firm, there may also be internal committees, programmes or steering groups to get involved in such as those focused on Corporate Social Responsibility, business improvements or pro bono projects in the community. Getting involved in things like these early on will undoubtedly help to solidify relationships with others in the business – and more than likely, other individuals outside of your direct team or department. As well as demonstrating that you are passionate about the business, it also, by proxy, raises your profile throughout the firm as someone who (already) has a vested interest in its future.

6. Leave time to prepare for your review

With all of the above to consider, as well as the job and workload itself, those first few weeks and months will undoubtedly fly by – yet it’s so important not to leave any preparation for your official ‘probation review’ until the very last minute.

Hopefully your manager engages regularly (either informally or through more formal 121s perhaps) on your progress and how you’re settling in, but either way, this final meeting is usually the chance where the ‘pass’ decision comes to a head.

There are various steps you can take to ensure you feel fully prepared:

1. Re-read the job description:

It will help remind you of the tasks and responsibilities of your role and you can use it to gauge whether you’re meeting expectations or are falling short. You can also use it to see whether there are big discrepancies between what the job description says and what your experience has been. It can help you to know ahead of time what you’ll be assessed on in the meeting.

2. Review your work so far:

Focus on three key questions that are almost guaranteed to come up in the meeting:

• what have you enjoyed working on?
• Is there anything that you haven’t enjoyed working on?
• What have you learned so far?

3. Speak to your co-workers:

Be aware that you’ll receive critical advice aimed at helping you improve. Use it as an opportunity to make improvements where you need to (and try not to take it personally).

And finally,

A probation period is often quite daunting as you do your best to settle into a new firm, engage in new professional relationships, and work hard to build on that great first impression your employer had of you back at the start of the process.

However, it’s also a great time for you personally to reflect on what you have learned so far at this juncture, how much you have already added value to your new employer, and how far you have come since that first day walking into the office (or logging on to the IT system).

Passing your probation is the final milestone that will see you become an official member of the team and for that reason should be treated as a crucial step in your career advancement – yet with a few simple steps and preparation, should be one you pass with flying colours.

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.

Congratulations – you’ve landed a new legal role, and after a busy period of applications, interviews, and meeting your new employer, you are no doubt looking to the future and the next steps in your career.

But even with the excitement of a new legal position looming, more often than not, there is still a notice period to consider with your current firm. The average notice period for legal professionals in our experience tends to be around 3 months, and it is highly likely that there will be a number of objectives to deliver before you set off for pastures new.

Here we offer our top 5 tips on how to navigate this ‘halfway house’ between your current role, and your new one to ensure you leave on good terms as well as feel fully prepared for your next challenge.

1.  Be prepared for conversations around negotiation

Whatever the reason or reasons for leaving your current firm, it is always worth having a preliminary conversation before you start looking for new opportunities, to see if those initial reasons may be overcome. If, however that conversation didn’t take place, you should nevertheless consider what you would do should a counteroffer be on the table once you make your intention to resign clear.

In the current market, where demand for legal professionals is outstripping supply, this is exceptionally common, so you need to at least be prepared for such a scenario and ask yourself, would you actually accept a counteroffer? The answer to that lies in ultimately revisiting the reasons you wish to leave in the first place.

Counteroffers take many forms including increased pay, a promotion, enhanced benefits, or a combination of all of those, and there is no doubt that it can feel flattering to be in that position. However, research suggests that 80% of people who accept a counteroffer tend to leave within 6-12 months of accepting. Is it likely you’ll also be part of that statistic?

Assuming you’re still set on moving on, resigning gracefully is key – ensuring you cover all bases with and address these often-uncomfortable initial conversations – and ultimately remain professional, and on good terms as you prepare to exit the business.

2.  Tie up all loose ends

Whilst it may be an easy option to go into cruise control once you have formally resigned, it will also destroy any goodwill and reputation you have no doubt worked hard to build on during your tenure with your current employer.

Making sure you remain committed to fulfilling your obligations and deliverables is key – not least because it means you aren’t leaving your colleagues ‘high and dry’ and left to pick up the pieces.

Generally speaking, there is never a ‘good’ time to leave a company, in that there will almost always be projects still ongoing, case loads still being actively managed, and future meetings in the diary.

Therefore, it is a good idea to:

• Confirm expected deliverables (and revised deadlines) with your current manager
• Ask who will be responsible for taking on your various tasks, caseloads, projects, and expectations around a formal handover

Practically speaking, once colleagues are aware that you are leaving, you can start to clear your desk so that it’s ready for the next occupant. Removing paperwork, filing and archiving, binning wastepaper and taking personal items such as photographs home will ensure your workplace is ready, clean and welcoming for the next person.

3.  Give a robust handover

Scheduling time to plan for a smooth transition further demonstrates that you are a true professional and not someone who leaves a law firm or a colleague in the lurch, or projects unfinished. Think about your specific areas of responsibility – current caseloads, unfinished assignments, urgent jobs and upcoming commitments, as well as information on your clients that your successor or wider team will need.

Even if projects or caseloads are likely to be ongoing, giving detailed instructions on where things are up to will be invaluable to your successor – especially if that individual is new to the business. Depending on your role and responsibilities, this may include

• A directory of key contact details
• Process documentation – ‘how to’ guides, or more detailed process maps
• Detailed notes on specific cases
• Duties detailed by frequency – daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly etc
• Project documentation including

If your firm decides to advertise your role and bring in a replacement as it were, it may be that you meet this individual to handover for a period in person. Going the extra mile here will leave a lasting impression, especially if you take on some of the responsibility for training and helping that person settle in quickly. Mitigating any disruption, especially where clients of the firm are concerned, is paramount and if you are able to ensure the handover is as smooth as it can be, you will certainly leave with a reputation for professionalism and hard work intact.

4.  Keep connected

With an exciting new role to look forward to, you’ll no doubt want to tell close colleagues and friends about your new opportunity, and it is likely that news of your intention to leave will be communicated more widely around the business.

That being the case you will be asked both why you are leaving and where you are going to – so it’s wise to have a response planned. The temptation to tell people how amazing the new opportunity is, or how you’ll be working for a ‘better’ employer or company will undoubtedly be there, but tread carefully. Keep the message positive, but keep in mind the colleagues (and long-term legal network) that you will be leaving behind.

Your professional reputation will follow you out of the door on your final day, and if you are continuing to practice in the same sector, work for a competitor, or even work in the same region, chances are your paths will cross again at a networking or social event. It’s therefore imperative that you don’t burn any bridges as you exit.

Rather, use this opportunity to preserve your professional network. Building and maintaining relationships with co-workers right up until the point you leave (and then thereafter) will pay dividends – so use this time to connect on social platforms, ask for endorsements and recommendations, and share new contact details.

5.  Start onboarding early

As seasoned legal recruiters, we always press the point of the importance of maintaining contact with your prospective employer as you work your notice period. This applies to both parties in the equation, and hopefully you will already be in continual dialogue with your new manager, the HR team, or even the wider team you will soon be a part of.

Regardless, it is good practice to consider the following steps ahead of day one:

• Follow your new employer’s social media accounts- helping you keep up to date with any news as well as get a feel for the kind of messages and communication they broadcast.
• Connect with your new team members on LinkedIn- even better, message them with a short message saying how much you are looking forward to joining.
• Attend any events organised by your new employer- your enthusiasm to get involved ahead of you starting in your new position will be duly noted and help to cement relationships from the outset
• Confirm and check your logistics- travel routes, train timetables, parking arrangements all need to be reviewed ahead of your start date if you are traveling to a physical office. If however your new role involves you working from home, it’s still a good idea to check your WIFI connection for the inevitable Teams or Zoom meetings, and make sure you have a suitable working space if you haven’t already.
• Be proactive- ask if there is any training material, staff handbooks or similar that you can read ahead of day one. There may be specific paperwork you need to complete perhaps. Getting ahead of the game shows you are committed to the new role, and helps to free up the first week from some of the administrative tasks.

Granted, you are also physically working your notice period (and busy tying up those loose ends) meaning time may be at a premium, but any effort you put in during this period means you can hit the ground running and will undoubtedly start to impact your new working relationships even before you’ve set foot through the door.

Finally

Handing your notice in can often be a bittersweet process. On the one hand, you will no doubt be looking forward to starting with your new employer, yet on the other, you still have legal obligations to fill as well as the emotional impact of saying goodbye to colleagues and friends.

Leaving a lasting (good) impression is vital and taking the steps above to demonstrate commitment to the very end won’t go unnoticed and will likely impact your personal reputation as you take these next steps in your legal career.

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 3,000 placements from partners to legal executives, solicitors to paralegals and legal IT personnel to practice managers – and have helped to guide many legal professionals through the offer process, through their notice period, and beyond as they start their new career.

If you are considering your options at the moment, we can help to navigate the market and present realistic options. Call us on 01772 259 121 or email us here.

Attracting and hiring the most suitable candidates for your law firm or business is becoming an increasingly complex process. In the age of the “Great Resignation”, and still in the throws of a post-pandemic society, legal professionals have grown more discerning about where, how, and when they want to work.
This shift has meant, by proxy, today’s top talent has endless opportunities for employment, not just from local businesses, but global teams hiring remote employees.

Yet a much documented skills-short market, and a seemingly permanent loss of talent from the labour force means that even despite more flexibility from employers, future employees need to feel ‘wowed’ to have their heads turned.

To thrive in this competitive landscape, business leaders need to know how to create the most compelling job offers, in order to stand out to the most suitable candidates.

The question is, as legal employee preferences and priorities continue to evolve, how do you ensure your job offer has the right impact? Here are some of the top strategies you can use to improve your chances of your candidates saying “yes”.

1. Revisit and Asses Your Company Culture

Culture is growing increasingly important to today’s legal candidates. 46% of employees say company culture is vital to inform their decision of which business to work for. Top performers are consistently attracted to organisations that share their personal values, ethics, and priorities.

What’s more, many of the best candidates in the market today want to see evidence they’re going to be employed in a purpose-led job with genuine meaning. Assessing your company culture and how you highlight your values to your candidates is an important step in making your offer more compelling. Ask yourself what kind of values you highlight in your job descriptions, your business website, and even the reviews and testimonials shared by existing employees.

Does your business reward teamwork and innovation? Do you have a strong focus on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, to ensure everyone feels aligned in your workforce? Making a company ‘culture’ tangible isn’t easy, but should run through the DNA of your business, including any externally facing communications and collateral where possible.

2. Refine Your EVP

After you’ve ensured you’re communicating your company’s ‘culture’ through self-written messages as well as social proof through employee testimonials, it’s time to start looking at your Employee Value Proposition (EVP). Your EVP is essentially everything you offer your candidates that sets you apart from other employers in the specific practice area and/or region in which you operate.

While there’s more to a good EVP than salary, it’s worth making sure you’re paying your employees what they deserve. Research the typical pay rates for the kind of jobs you’re trying to fill, and make sure you take the value of your candidate’s knowledge, skills, and experience into account.

Recruiters in particular have a wealth of knowledge here and can offer pragmatic guidance on salary averages based on the specific role(s) you are hiring for. Many actually publish Salary Guides to download for reference as well.

Beyond a competitive pay package, you can also improve your EVP by looking at your wider benefit offerings, flexible working patterns, and more.

Once you’ve defined your EVP, make sure it stands out wherever you’re going to be interacting with candidates. Share information about your benefits and opportunities on your website, and discuss options with potential talent during the interview process (a great way to test how they land and would be received by potential new hires).

3. Focus on Empathy and Flexibility

In the last couple of years, the priorities of many legal candidates have evolved in a few key areas. Perhaps the most important factors most jobseekers are looking for today, are empathy, and flexibility. Demonstrating empathy as an employer shows individuals that you respect their needs, and want to contribute to their general good health and wellbeing.
Creating wellness initiatives designed to keep employees healthy and happy is a great way to make your job offer more appealing to all kinds of candidates. Share information on your site about mental health days you’ve offered for your staff, or the on-site support you offer for the personal needs of your employees.

From a flexibility perspective, think about how you can adapt to the new working styles of top legal candidates. Many of today’s professionals are looking for opportunities to work from home, even part-time, to give them a better sense of work/life balance – while others also relish the chance to collaborate in an office environment. Are you able to tap into these needs?

You could even go a step further and experiment with concepts like the four-day work week (a pilot of which is running in the UK at the moment) to give your employees the potential of longer, more rejuvenating weekends. One great way to show empathy and flexibility at the same time is to ask your candidates about their specific needs during the interview process.

4. Demonstrate Opportunities for Growth

Today’s lawyers want to know there’s a future in any company they’re going to be working for. According to Gallup, 59% of millennials prioritise opportunities to learn and grow when deciding which jobs to apply for.

Making sure your candidates are aware of the opportunities they’ll have to grow in your business will make your job offer more compelling. You can discuss the promotion paths you’ve offered in the past with your candidates during the interview, and outline the training and educational opportunities offered within your job description.

You might even let your possible hires know about the onboarding process you’ll use to welcome them into your organisation, during which you can both work together to outline a path for progression through the company.

It’s also helpful to share information about the development opportunities you offer online. Videos and written testimonials from employees who have achieved their personal and professional goals with your business can make a huge impact.

5. Work with a Specialist Recruiter

Finally, if you really want to ensure your job offers pack a punch (and are accepted!), it’s worth investing in some specialist support. A sector specialist will know exactly what it takes to align the right candidates with the correct employers from day one. They can help you to seek out people who are actively looking for the benefits, and culture you offer, and already have a bird’s eye view of general market conditions and who else is hiring in your vertical.

Recruiters can save you time by sorting through your job applications and eliminating anyone who might not fit well with your company. They can also provide advice on how you can position yourself to your candidates when you’re writing job descriptions and conducting interviews.

With a specialist recruiter, you can boost your chances of a “yes” when you need it most by building a pipeline of suitable legal candidates, all carefully chosen to match your business needs.

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.

1. Do your research.
Lawyers are known for being good researchers. You spent countless hours in law school researching and scrutinizing information. Before every interview, know who you will be speaking with and research their background. Find them on LinkedIn, and conduct a light Google search to find any commonalities between you and your interviewer(s). Note down their accomplishments, awards, and accolades. Bringing it up during your interviews will show them you took the time to get to know who they truly are and gives them a sneak peek into your research capabilities.

On top of knowing the interviewers, walk into your interview with a deep understanding of the firm itself. After all, this is where you plan to dedicate your next several years. Having a good understanding of the firm’s founding story and partners will give you a good sense of the culture the firm builds.

Know what role in the firm you would have if you got the job. Knowing this in great detail will help you craft your narrative on where you want to take your career and how the firm closely aligns with your goals.

2. Be presentable and dress your best.
A Solicitors core job is to represent their clients, and coming to your interview polished and presentable bodes well. First impressions are powerful, and making it extremely important to you as you prepare for an interview will heighten your chances of being well received by your interviewers. The good news is law fashion has loosened up over the years.

3. Come prepared to ask questions.
What kind of lawyer would you be if you were not naturally curious and thorough? Let your curious nature shine through during your interview by coming prepared with well-thought-out and intelligent questions. Avoid questions that are related to your personal benefit. For example, don’t talk about money, vacation time, billable-hour logistics, and other related questions.

Think big picture and ask about the successes of the firm, where the firm is headed, and how you can contribute to their growth. Promote positivity in the interview and avoid any negative sentiment. If they were in the press for a controversial case, avoid bringing up uncomfortable topics that could sour moments in your interview.

4. Be personable and show enthusiasm.
Good Solicitors know how to build relationships. It starts with trust and one way to build trust is to be personable and get to know your audience. Show interest and enthusiasm for meeting your interviewers. They are taking time out of their busy days and their billable hours to meet with you.

Show respect by fully engaging in the conversation. Show up on time or early even. Being late is the kiss of death in the interview world. Be polite and courteous to support staff, such as secretaries, front desk receptionists, and other non-attorney staff. No need to come across as pretentious in the interview or ever for that matter.

5. Be genuine.
Repeat after me: Never, EVER, lie in an interview. There is no quicker way to bomb an interview than by starting to tell lies—even little white lies.

If you are invited to lunch during your interview day, don’t let your guard down. Those lunches are often strategically placed in the interview process to test how you interact in a casual setting. Be your usual genuine self, stay professional, and represent yourself just as polished over lunch as you would in an interview room. The same goes for virtual interviewing.

Sample interview questions and answers

Review these sample interview questions and answers to form your own responses:

Why do you want to practice law?

This question allows you to talk about what attracted you to the legal field. Your answer to this question can position you as the best person for the role and can provide the hiring partner with a glimpse of the knowledge and experience you can bring to the job. Employers want to hear how important this field is for you, so show your genuine interest in law when providing an answer.

Example: “I want to practice law because I’m passionate about bringing justice to clients and upholding the law of our country. I believe it’s important to be fair and unbiased, and I’d like to help someone experience that in their case. Being an attorney is more than filing paperwork with the court—it’s a chance to represent someone who needs help.”

What are your strengths as a lawyer?

Employers want to know your strengths so they can see how you could work with their current team. Since your strengths are unique, you can use your response to stand out from other candidates. Answer this question by relating your strengths to the job you’re applying for and the tasks you expect to be responsible for. Use the STAR technique to give a specific example of your strengths.

Example: “One of my biggest strengths is perseverance. I once represented a client who filed a suit against their employer for failing to pay for injuries they sustained while on the job. It was a difficult case to gather evidence since no employees claimed to witness the accident and there was no video footage. After performing some in-depth research and interviewing several employees, I was able to find out that there was a delivery driver present who corroborated my client’s story. Thankfully, we were able to settle quickly after that.”

What do you want your clients to know about you?

This question helps a hiring partner understand more about your client relations. Think about how you want a client to feel after an interaction with you in the office or courtroom. Consider what attributes you have and how you work that makes a client happy to have you represent them. Employers want to make sure that you treat clients well and represent their law firm in a positive light.

Example: “I want my clients to know that I’ll work hard in their case because they matter to me. I care a lot about their personal outcome and do my due diligence in researching their issue to offer solutions, file the appropriate paperwork and represent them in disputes. My clients should know that I am their advocate, and they can be honest with me about their situation and take comfort in the fact that I’m providing a safe space for them.”

Describe your approach in the courtroom.

How you perform in the courtroom can be the determining factor in winning your case. Answering this question is your chance to share how you interact with members of the court, present your case and represent your client. Give a detailed, step-by-step answer that shows exactly how you prepare and work in a courtroom.

Example: “Either the night before or the morning of a case, I study all of my notes so I’m fully prepared for the trial. I make sure any witnesses or evidence I need to present are confirmed. I usually take an aggressive stance during proceedings so my client gets fair representation. When the opposing side is presenting, I take thorough notes so I can counter effectively.”

Law firm interview tips

Here are some interview tips to consider so you can present yourself well to the hiring partner:

• Familiarise yourself with recent court rulings.
• Research the law firm.
• Bring examples of papers you’ve written.

Research the law firm

Especially if the law firm is well established in the community, the partners want to make sure you will continue to bring good representation to them. It’s important to show that you have researched the firm and are excited to work there. You’ll also be able to better explain what makes you a good fit for the firm and why you chose it as your new place of employment.

Bring examples of papers you’ve written

A large component of working at a law firm is being able to articulate your case in a clear, concise and professional way. Hiring partners may want to see evidence of your writing, so bring some examples. This could include court documents you have prepared, an extensive legal research paper you wrote in school or a legal memo.

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.

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

Look the part.

Dress to impress regardless of the level of the role that you are going for. Make an effort and dress in a suit or if you don’t have one, your smartest interview clothes. (Remember 1st impressions count)

Know where you are going.

If you don’t know where you are going it never hurts to do a dry run prior to your Interview, failing this make sure that you leave plenty of time to get to your destination. It is better to arrive early and go over your research than to turn up late and flustered.

Know you target audience.

Research the company that you are going to interview for and use any additional knowledge that your consultant may have gained to improve your chances to blow them away!!

Don’t rely on the interviewer being a mind reader.

Ensure that you sell yourself to the best of your ability; the person interviewing you may have had nothing to do with short listing you and has only seen your CV 5 minutes ago, not having time to digest it. Use this opportunity to sell yourself into the job.

Smile!!! Be happy to be there.

Employers are not just looking for excellent skills but someone to fit into an existing team, smiling will help overcome your nerves and show the employer that you are a happy, enthusiastic individual that they should have on board.

SAMPLE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

• Why do you want to join our organisation?
• What would you do if …….. happened? (hypothetical questions)
• Describe a situation in which you dealt with confrontation (for example a difficult customer).
• Describe a situation in which you influenced or motivated people.
• What other roles have you considered/applied for?
• Describe yourself in three words.
• Describe a situation in which you used your initiative.
• Describe a situation in which you solved a problem.
• Describe a situation in which you took responsibility.
• What are your hobbies?
• What was your biggest setback? Or how do you deal with adversity?
• Describe a situation where you had to plan or organise something.
• What is your usual role in a team?
• Describe a situation where you had a difficult decision to make.

EXAMPLE ANSWERS FOR QUESTIONS

Please note Clayton Legal does not advise that these are the correct answers to the questions listed but are a guide on how they may be approached.

Why do you want this job?

One of the most predictable questions and very important! You need to demonstrate that you have researched the employer and tie your knowledge of them into the skills and interests that led you to apply. Try to find some specific features on which the employer prides themselves: Their training, their client base, their individuality, their public image, etc. This may not always be possible with very small organisations but you may be able to pick up something of this nature from the interviewer.

Describe a situation in which you lead a team.

Outline the situation, your role and the task of the group overall. Describe any problems which arose and how they were tackled. Say what the result was and what you learned from it. Try and keep the examples work related and as relevant to the role you are applying for as possible.

Describe a situation where you worked in a team

Most jobs will involve a degree of teamwork. The interviewer needs to assess how well you relate to other people, what role you take in a group and whether you are able to focus on goals and targets.
Outline the situation, your particular role and the task of the group overall. Describe any problems which arose and how they were tackled. Say what the result was and what you learned from it.

What are your weaknesses?

The classic answer here is to state a strength which is disguised as a weakness, such as “I’m too much of a perfectionist” or “I push myself too hard”. This approach has been used so often that, even if these answers really are true they sound clichéd. Also, interviewers will know this trick. If you feel they really apply to you, give examples: you could say that your attention to detail and perfectionism make you very single-minded when at work, often blotting out others in your need to get the task done.

A better strategy is to choose a weakness that you have worked on to improve and describe what action you are taking to remedy the weakness.

Don’t deny that you have any weaknesses – everyone has weaknesses and if you refuse to admit to them the interviewer will mark you down as arrogant, untruthful or lacking in self-awareness, This question may be phrased in other ways, such as “How would your worst enemy describe you?”

Who else have you applied to/got interviews with?

You are being asked to demonstrate the consistency of your career aims as well as your interest in the job for which you are being interviewed. So if you have applied to one large Law Firm it is reasonable to assume you will be applying to them all.
What you can certainly say in your favour, however, is that the present employer is your first choice. You may even answer the question by explaining you have yet to apply to any other organisations for this very reason. Perhaps your application to the other firms is imminent, depending on the stage you are at in the recruitment cycle.

Give examples that are:
• Relevant – related to the business you are presently being interviewed for
• Prestigious. They will reflect well on the firm interviewing you
• Consistent. Not from lots of different job areas or employment groups of less interest to you than the present opportunity
• Successful so far. Do not list those firms who have rejected you.

What are your strengths?

This allows you to put across your “Unique Selling Points” – three or four of your key strengths. Try to back these points up with examples of where you have had to use them.

Consider the requirements of the job and compare these with all of your own attributes – your personality, skills, abilities or experience. Where they match you should consider these to be your major strengths. The employer certainly will.

For example, team work, interpersonal skills, creative problem solving, dependability,
reliability, originality, leadership etc., could all be cited as strengths. Work out which is most important for the particular job in question and make sure you illustrate your answer with examples from as many parts of your experience, not just university, as you can.
This question may be phrased in other ways, such as “Tell me about yourself” or “How would a friend describe you?”

Have you got any questions?
At the end of the interview, it is likely that you will be given the chance to put your own questions to the interviewer.

• Keep them brief: there may be other interviewees waiting.
• Ask about the work itself, training and career development: not about holidays, pensions, and season ticket loans!
• Prepare some questions in advance: it is OK to write these down and to refer to your notes to remind yourself of what you wanted to ask.

It often happens that, during the interview, all the points that you had noted down to ask about will be covered before you get to this stage. In this situation, you can respond as follows:

Interviewer:

Well, that seems to have covered everything: is there anything you would like to ask me?

Interviewee:

Thank you! I’d made a note to ask about your appraisal system and the study arrangements for professional exams, but we went over those earlier and I really feel you’ve covered everything that I need to know at this moment.

You can also use this opportunity to tell the interviewer anything about yourself that they have not raised during the interview but which you feel is important to your application:

Don’t feel you have to wait until this point to ask questions – if the chance to ask a question seems to arise naturally in the course of the interview, take it! Remember that a traditional interview is a conversation – with a purpose.

Examples of questions you can ask the interviewer

These are just a few ideas – you should certainly not attempt to ask them all and indeed it’s best to formulate your own questions tailored to your circumstances and the job you are being interviewed for! Make sure you have researched the employer carefully, so that you are not asking for information which you should be expected to know already.
• I see it is possible to switch job functions – how often does this happen?
• Do you send your managers on external training courses?
• Where would I be based – is this job function located only in …?
• What is a typical career path in this job function?
• Can you give me more details of your training programme?
• Will I be working in a team? If so, what is the make-up of these teams?
• What are the possibilities of using my languages?
• What are the travel/mobility requirements of this job?
• How would you see this company developing over the next five years?
• How would you describe the atmosphere in this company?
• What is your personal experience of working for this organisation?

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.

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

The last few years have created a shift in how we work like never before. Working away from the office became the norm in 2020, with hybrid working being adopted by many last year.

New’ human centric’ ways of working have been a topic of conversation for some time. Iceland was one of the first counties in the world to trial the four-day week between 2015 and 2019.

This took place in trials run by the Reykjavík City Council in Iceland, between 2015 and 2019 to move workers to four-day weeks. Over 2,500 workers were involved across multiple industries.

The trial reports revealed less stressed workers and a lower level of burnout.

Many employees moved from a forty-hour week to thirty-five hours, working longer on the days they did work. Iceland’s working patterns are overseen by a significant union presence who have negotiated different working patterns for over 85% of the population.

Similar trials are now being held in various counties worldwide, including the U.K.

The U.K. Uptake of a Four Day Week

The four-day working week campaign started in earnest as this year began. The Guardian shared that several U.K. companies had signed up to a six-month trial to work a four-day week.

Other companies, including several law firms, have spontaneously changed their working hours.

The organisations in question spread across many sectors, training, telecoms, software, video games producers and medical imaging. All are moving from a forty-hour working week to thirty-two hours without loss of pay.

Academics will facilitate the trial at Oxford and Cambridge plus Boston College in the U.S. and the think tank ‘Autonomy’. The campaign group, 4 Day Week Global, oversees the research project.

Companies taking part in the U.K. study vary from twenty to over a hundred staff.

Let’s explore the rationale behind this move and discuss if this truly is an option for busy law firms across the U.K.

The Evidence For a Four Day Working Week

The four-day campaign cites many reasons why working four days is beneficial for all, and I’ll share them in a second.

However, surprisingly the campaigners haven’t shared that historically our ancestors didn’t work very hard at all. Before capitalism hit the world, we had a lot of leisure time, though, to be honest, not a lot of money!

Daylight drove our working hours alongside regular breaks and, drum roll, an afternoon nap. If you want to read more on this subject, look at this fascinating report on working hours from MIT.

Coming back to today, the four-day campaigners cite many logical reasons to shift the way we work in the U.K., not least the fact that we work longer hours than most of Europe.

In light of what has happened with remote and flexible working, is it time for a review?

The five-day working week was developed over a century ago here in the U.K. when John Boot was the chair of the Boots corporation.

He demonstrated that two days off each week reduced absenteeism and positively affected productivity. Therefore, the weekend became official Boots policy in 1934; maybe as we approach the 90th anniversary of this change, it is time to shift again.

Both employers and employees can experience the benefits of a shorter week.

We all get a better work-life balance. The four-day week can give us time to live happier, more fulfilled lives and allow for those non-work parts of life that often are neglected.

For example, spending time with friends and family, on fitness pursuits or time in nature.

Then, of course, there’s always that life admin that we all have to deal with, like; shopping, cleaning, sorting out the bank, along with the many parenting duties we can experience.

As an employer looks out for higher performance and profits, trials have demonstrated that a shorter working week can increase productivity. A Henley Business School study pre the pandemic found that 250 firms participating in a four-day week saved an estimated £92 billion a year because their employees were happier, less stressed, and took fewer sick days.

Our economy could benefit too, which is undoubtedly needed. Incredibly, the U.K. suffers simultaneously from overwork, unemployment, and underemployment. A four-day week could be an intuitively simple way to rebalance the economy and address many problems.

Productivity is a concern for many. Google how to improve productivity as a critical business driver, and you will find multiple research papers that reveal that working less could be the answer to achieving more.

The Four Day Working Week and Law Firms

We are currently in the grip of a skills shortage in many sectors, especially when it comes to finding legal talent.

We are receiving more role instructions than ever at Clayton legal, and many firms we work with are reviewing their EVP to make their role offer irresistible. If you want to attract dynamic lawyers, could a four-day week work?

A recent post in The Times also suggested that firms keen to embrace flexible working might even be persuaded to abandon the billable hour.

In a post on Legalfutures, the CEO of one law firm in Kent revealed that his 22 strong team had started working a four-day week at the end of 2020, except two customer service staff who worked Friday and took Monday off.

His underlying premise of the four-day week was that productivity gains could be found by reducing or eliminating unproductive time in the traditional five-day week.

He gave as examples “unproductive meetings”, meetings with “too many people who did not need to be there”, unnecessary social conversations or staff spending time sending personal messages or on social media.

All logical observations considering a U.K. study in 2018 had found that up to 40% of workers’ time in a traditional working week was unproductive.

Admittedly moving to a trial of a four-day week would also mean additional work for your firm, at least initially, as you outline the process, including delivering billable hours, customer service and other vital business drivers.

However, it is clear that the world of work is changing for all professional service sectors, including law. The pandemic has undoubtedly accelerated changes into where individuals work – is it time to review how, when and how often?

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.

Rejection rarely feels good.

I am sure we can all remember that amazing boy or girl we thought we would be with forever who then unceremoniously dumped us.

Ouch!

On the upside, although being rejected for a role in a firm hurts, it’s rarely personal, unlike Mr or Miss Right, who cuttingly informed us they didn’t feel the same way we did.

Over the years, we have placed thousands of candidates, and the law of averages naturally suggests our clients have rejected many more. In today’s post, we wanted to share insights and ideas on how to bounce back, learn the lesson and move on to something even better.

Managing Your Mind

Our minds are amazing. They keep our body working like clockwork most of the time and enable us to do the most incredible things. For example, inventing technology that allows us to speak to our friends in LA or design our new fitted kitchen online with one click.

All good, although unfortunately, our brains always want to keep us safe and consequently swerve towards the negative more times than the positive, evidenced by the latest neuroscience research.

So, how does this relate to your interview rejection?

Candidates torture themselves when the hiring manager says no, often forgetting the bigger picture. Rejection is regularly blown out of proportion and viewed as a huge sign of failure.

By thinking objectively, you can use the experience to build on your strengths and address development areas, which helps you find the next role and law firm that suits you best.

Being objective, let’s start by asking for feedback to plan your next interview in an informed way.

Ask For Feedback

Always ask for feedback.

It might not be easy to hear, yet it is the best way forward if you want to make improvements.

Ideally, you will receive this from either the hiring manager or your legal recruitment consultant. If you are working with another recruitment consultant, not Clayton Legal, ask for it.

You might be surprised that there isn’t any feedback because the explanation might be as
simple as:

• another candidate might have additional or relevant skills, or
• worked in the role slightly longer, or
• had gained more experience in a specific sub-sector.

All logical reasons why now wasn’t your time.

On the other hand, maybe there were gaps in your CV that you didn’t explain.

Perhaps the examples you shared were not relevant to the questions asked. Maybe interview nerves got the best of you, and your presentation floundered.

The key here is to use this useful data to hone your approach next time. With practise and focus, all of these areas can be improved.

Plan Your Future

The most common reasons for rejection are lack of technical skill, capability, experience, cultural misalignment and poor interview skills.

Let’s look at each in turn.

Technical skills and experience take application and time. It might be that additional training and self-development are required or looking at a sideways move to gain additional experience before moving upwards.

Cultural misalignment isn’t something you can always predict and in honesty, being turned down is probably a good thing. If you are very friendly, bubbly and enjoy a practical joke, being with a super analytical firm isn’t going to work long term for either of you.

Poor interview skills can be improved. These can range from being more confident, answering questions in detail about the results you have achieved for other law firms and communicating your worth.

It is not uncommon to find out that a candidate hasn’t shared some of their results or specifically how good they are at one part of the role.

Interview skills work both ways, and surprisingly your interview may be carried out by a partner that isn’t experienced in interviewing or remembered to ask you what you can bring to the role.

Always be prepared to answer questions in detail and have your top three results you are proud of that align with the job description you are working to.

Then communicate these achievements during the interview.

Knowing which areas need work is a great opportunity to create your plan, which can be in conjunction with your recruitment consultant.

Here at Clayton Legal, we work with our legal candidates confidentially, often years and months before they are ready to move.

Knowing the goals for their legal career, we can map out a logical approach and next steps. This might include suggesting a sideways move before going for a Head of Practice role or staying put for a year to gain stability and experience that specific law firms are looking for.

Finally, Look For The Gain

Though it isn’t always easy to see, rejections are often good for us. They help us identify what we are missing and do better next time with more knowledge and awareness.As recruitment consultants, it’s not uncommon to see a candidate rejected who, a few months later, gets an even better opportunity; imagine if that could be you?

How Can We Help?

Here at Clayton Legal, we have multiple clients looking for skilled and ambitious candidates like you. For a confidential conversation about your legal career goals and your next move, please get in contact with one of our team here.

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 or email us here.

As I sit down to write this post, my phone has pinged to let me know that the UK economy has rebounded with the fastest growth since World War Two. A 7.5% increase despite falling back in December due to Omicron is a positive situation for business in the UK.

In contrast, our cost-of-living worsened in December after inflation jumped to 5.4% – its highest level in almost 30 years – driven by the higher cost of clothes, food, and footwear; this is likely to get worse as the cost of fuel doubles for many.

Andrew Bailey, the governor of the Bank of England, says to ask for a pay rise now is to cause further economic decline.

In fact, according to a recent analysis by the Office for Budget Responsibility shared in the Newstatesman, the UK is on course to endure two more decades of stagnant wages, revealing the negative news that we should expect to earn less in 2026 than 2008.

Confusing when we consider the legal sector.

The last two years have seen many law firms report their best year ever, which we can confirm with the number of recruitment instructions we are receiving from our clients.

As a hard-working and productive legal professional, what are your options? Let’s share a few suggestions in this post.

Know Your Facts

The legal candidates we work with here at Clayton Legal are switched on. They know how their firm is faring in the market and what growth is anticipated in future years.

When law firms plan growth, they also understand that they will need to plan financially to increase headcount and ensure their current team is engaged and recompensed appropriately.

Well, hopefully, that is the case.

Though not in every firm.

Taking your time to research salary packages puts you a step ahead because it demonstrates that you have evidence to back up your pay raise request. This data is vital because it will give you leverage when starting the negotiation.

The question then is where your current firm sits on the spectrum, and are you being paid the going rate?

This brings me to the next point.

Know Your Value

Pay and remuneration is a prickly subject, and we aren’t guaranteed a pay rise every year for simply turning up and delivering on our objectives.

Remember, no legal manager likes being held to ransom and at the same time, they appreciate honesty. If you aren’t happy with your remuneration package, you have to tell them; as uncomfortable as that conversation feels.

At Clayton, whenever a candidate comes to us where pay is a problem, we always ask if they have had a discussion with their manager first.

It’s surprising how many people haven’t.

Sometimes a straightforward conversation like this works. Sometimes it doesn’t, and this is where honesty with yourself is important. Here are a few questions to consider.

• What value are you delivering to the firm?
• What results did you achieve last year that were above what was expected?
• Is your manager or HR fully aware of your contribution to the firm?
• Considering this, how will you demonstrate how valuable you are?

As a first start, use your performance objectives showing all your achievements. This way, you will let your firm appreciate your worth and what it might cost to replace you.

You could take your manager through the goals that were agreed upon together and what actions you have taken to achieve the results you have.

You will be surprised how well this works. Your manager could be responsible for a lot of people. They are human too, and might not have all your performance wins etched in their memory.

Know What You Want

This final point is key; know what you want, and here are a few things to consider.

• Do you have a figure in mind?
• Is this based on your personal need?
• Your analysis of the current market?
• How much you think you are worth?

It is important to know what you want and why and have justification for the figure you are asking.

Here is something else.

Is money your real motivator, or are there other options to consider? The world of work is changing, and many firms could consider hybrid working for day weeks and sabbatical leave. These are all options that are now on the negotiating table that wasn’t just a few short years ago.

Know Your Walk-Away Point And Your Options

You might be pleasantly surprised that your pay rise suggestion is accepted, especially in the current talent market.

However, be prepared that it might not. Therefore you need to consider your options.

The upside is that we are currently in a candidate-driven market because of the skill shortage fuelled by Covid-19.

For you, this means that your options are open, and if you are prepared to move, you can potentially join a new law firm and continue to develop your career while being appropriately rewarded.

And this is where we can help.

The team here at Clayton Legal have placed literally thousands of legal professionals.

Our twenty + year record of success has enabled us to develop trusted relationships with many of the UK’s law firms, including the Legal 500, Top 200 and smaller and independent regional law firms. We work in partnership with all our customers to deliver on both career expectations and business drivers.

Depending on your role and experience, we may be able to personally represent you to our clients too. If you would like to have a confidential conversation about you and your legal career then do get in touch. You will find all our contact details here.

What Next?

Though many workplace sectors experienced poor growth last year, the legal sector wasn’t one of them. Here at Clayton Legal, we have multiple clients looking for skilled and ambitious candidates like you. For a confidential conversation about your legal career goals and your next move, please get in contact with one of our team here.

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 or email us here.

I suspect if you are reading this article, you are wondering if working as a recruitment consultant in the legal sector might be for you?

The answer is it could be.

Yes, there are some specific traits to have that will be incredibly useful; and a huge plus point about this role is there are so many transferable skills you have that will help you be the high performer you want to be.

I’ll share more on that later.

Let’s clarify the opportunity here; a career as a successful legal recruitment consultant, is possible for anyone with a positive approach and attitude and an aptitude to work hard and apply themselves.

Your rewards, on all levels, can be exceptional.

Imagine being in control of your financial security? That might be finally moving out of mum and dads and renting or buying your place, possibly getting married without worrying about the cost! The opportunities are endless when you are earning more than all your friends.

Money is one thing and helping others is another.

There is nothing like the experience and buzz of helping someone find their dream job and making that phone call to say the legal firm they want to join said, “yes!”

This is one part of the role.

Then there is the exciting feeling of working with law firms across the U.K., some of which are household names, being the respected recruiting partner supporting them to build their teams.

Sound interesting?

Then let me share more about what legal recruitment is about, what is involved in becoming a success and then, if you are ready to start your recruitment career, why Clayton Legal is the best company to join.

What is Legal Recruitment About?

In a business context, legal recruitment companies provide services to law firms to help them find suitable candidates for their job vacancies and help them plan their ongoing talent growth.

As the U.K. economy improves and demand for legal talent increases, many firms need specialist help to identify and attract skilled candidates.

In return, the firms pay the recruitment company a fee, usually based on a percentage of the role’s salary.

As firms consistently comment that their most valuable commodity is their people, this is your chance to make a real impact on their economy and business growth.

When it comes to legal candidates, the service of the recruitment company to find them a role is free. Though not all legal recruitment companies work in the same detailed and consultative way Clayton do, here is how we help candidates.

We will advertise roles for our clients which candidates apply for. Our duty of care means that we identify what our clients AND candidates want to create the ideal match for both parties.

For legal candidates we work with, we carry out a career consultation. This includes identifying what they want based on their current and future goals. As we work with different law firms across the U.K., we can often find a better fit for their career plan.

Exciting and involved, isn’t it; being a successful recruitment consultant is a real career.

What Makes A Successful Recruitment Consultant?

You won’t read this on many other legal recruitment company websites, and one of the most critical criteria for succeeding in this role is a love and fascination with people.

If talking to different law firms and legal candidates daily and being curious about their professional life, goals, and aspirations fills you with dread, this isn’t the role for you.

Recruitment is a relationship business.

Knowing you are a people person, we can move on to what else will support your success in this role.

Let’s talk about the S-word; selling. The ability to master selling is a superpower in recruiting.

Let me reveal more.

The fact is we have all sold and influenced people at some point in our lives.

Negotiating that first sleepover at a friend’s, borrowing the car keys, to saying: “will you go out with me?”; these are all forms of selling.

Selling and influence make the world go round, and the upside is there is no such thing as a born salesperson.

Selling and the ability to influence are processes anyone can learn, which goes back to earlier in this post when I talked about attitude, application, and aptitude.

By the way, at Clayton Legal, our consultants have access to selling skills training that takes you from being a novice to learning advanced techniques that, when you use them, mean you could be earning over six figures a year.

Liking people and knowing how to sell is foundational, and in addition to this, you have to learn the art of being a good communicator; you’ll be doing a lot of it.

Our recruitment consultants spend a lot of time speaking on the phone and meeting with people either on Zoom or MSTeams and now, post-Covid, face-to-face meetings.

Emails and text messages are all additional parts of the process; you will be representing the Clayton Legal brand in everything you say and do.

Sector knowledge in any profession is useful, though not necessary. What is vital is a thirst for knowledge and the ability to immerse yourself in learning.

Finally, you need to have the drive and tenacity to be a goal achiever.

Being a successful legal recruiter isn’t about turning up at one minute to 9 and going through the motions, and then leaving at 4.59 pm.

It is about creating your economy and making the days count.

A standout legal recruitment consultant will always have in mind professional growth. This is not limited to their career development but also their company’s growth.

Truly successful recruitment consultants love smashing targets; they manage their minds and always look for even better opportunities.

Why Joining Clayton Legal is a Logical Choice

Clayton Legal consultants describe themselves as strong and passionate experts driven and inspired by success, motivated by achieving goals, and never giving up. They believe that together there is no limit. They encourage others and share successes – and they make the days count.

We admit Clayton Legal standards are high – but so is the support and the rewards.

We have our performance and development manager, and we invest heavily in the training and development of all our people, including CPD and study leave options.

We offer a competitive salary and bonus scheme and individual commission and have an unrivalled range of benefits.

At Clayton, after comprehensive training, you will run your own recruitment vertical market in a niche area and have full ownership whilst being part of a successful and driven team where the rewards you receive are spectacular.

Not only do we offer above average basic salaries, but we also deliver financial rewards on so many other levels, including:

• Above market-rate salaries and an uncapped bonus structure
• 23 days holiday plus bank holidays; with your Birthday off
• Employee awards and recognition
• Access to training and development with our own in-house L&D team; including CPD and study leave options
• Career progression opportunities
• A modern office space with nap pods
• A friendly and supportive team
• Early finish and dress down day on a Friday
• Company mobile (role-specific)

This is a successful, honest, hardworking, and supportive organisation – could you be our next new starter?

What Next?

Though many workplace sectors experienced poor growth last year, the legal sector wasn’t one of them.

Here at Clayton Legal, we have multiple clients looking for skilled and ambitious candidates, and we are growing fast.

We are looking for enthusiastic and driven new recruitment consultants like you. For a confidential conversation about becoming a legal recruitment consultant, please watch our video and fill out our contact form here.

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 or email us here.

If you’ve never heard of an employer value proposition or brand before, now is the time to expand your education.

According to the CIPD, an employer value proposition is a way your law firm will differentiate itself from competitors when it comes to attracting talent.

The question is, what characteristics do you need to demonstrate to attract talent in the legal sector today?

The U.K. is currently in the grip of one of the worst skills shortages in the last twenty years. Skilled candidates are in the driving seat of their careers, and many will naturally  pick a company based on their brand presence in the market and the narrative related to how they treat their employees.

The last few years have seen talented people re-evaluate their careers and the expectations of the companies they work for. Today, employees will consider moving to get what they want, as highlighted in our recent great resignation post. That might be better pay and conditions, development opportunities and the option to work remotely, amongst other reasons.

Considering the commercial value good legal talent brings to your firm, perhaps it’s time to energise your current employer brand to attract the talent you now want to take your firm forward.

Let’s explore this more in today’s post.

Definitions: EVP versus Employer Brand

According to various sources online, employer branding became prevalent in the early 1990s. Since then, it has become a recognised term in both H.R. and recruitment circles.

An employer brand is an impression your law firm gives as a good place to progress your law career to current employees and key players in the external market. From a talent perspective, these would be active and passive candidates.

So, EVP versus employer brand, what is the connection? The CIPD reminds us that we have an employer brand whether we have consciously developed it or not.

If we were to sit around a table and talk about Wetherspoons or Uber, we would all have an opinion about their brand and how they treat their employees.

The employee value proposition for both these brands could potentially do with some work when it comes to their EVP; in other words, “why would I want to work for Uber of Wetherspoons?”.

EVP is, therefore, the conversation and communication points around why I would want to work for this brand.

Building a Stronger EVP

The topic of this post relates to energising your current EVP to attract and keep legal talent.
Fundamentally an employer value proposition is a list of specific and unique benefits an employee can expect to receive when they join your firm.

Vision, motivation, development, acceptance, a diverse and inclusive environment , benefits, pay, wellbeing, and community. The CIPD defines EVP in a simple and jargon-free way: “The value proposition describes what an organisation stands for, requires and offers as an employer.”

If your people are leaving your firm, your recruiting partner is offering feedback about your perception in the market, and your job offers are being turned down, it’s time to look at your EVP and how you are communicating ‘why you’ into the market place.

Considering the changed expectations of legal talent today, which parts of your EVP need a revamp?

If you want some ideas, look at Microsoft’s Workplace Trends Index. The report highlights an important point that over 40% of the global workforce are considering leaving their current employer for an opportunity to work remotely.

Remote work has created new job opportunities for some, offered more family time, and provided options for whether or when to commute.

Review and Redefine Your EVP

The much-used term related to talent wars is based on the current volatile market and a shortage of skilled applicants for your roles.

More now than ever, it is critical to communicate your compelling offer and make the connection in a candidate’s mind that you are the firm to join.

As a specialist recruiter to the legal sector for over twenty years, we have seen past clients struggle because they have not given their EVP the importance it deserves.

Our role is to showcase your firm to prospective candidates, but it’s not easy if your EVP isn’t an attractive offering in today’s marketplace.

So how do you become more attractive?

As a starting point, review your current state and EVP as you plan your journey.

• What is our vision and mission; has it changed?
• When did we last conduct an employee survey?
• What is our purpose and ‘why’ as a law firm?
• How engaged is our current legal team?
• Do we have a strong leadership team to represent our brand?
• Why would people join us, and why do they stay?
• Do we have an attractive development culture?
• Is our current offer relevant and on point for the talent we want today?
• Do we have an experienced legal recruitment partner that can support our growth goals?

Create an Action Plan With Milestones and Timelines

Once you have assessed where you are, it is vital to take the necessary action. It is all too easy to procrastinate and blame what has happened and assume the current market will change; it won’t.

We are in an age of rapid innovation and digital disruption, with a workforce expecting more from their employers, including support, vision, direction, and development.

Knowing that candidates’ expectations from you, their employer are different, how will you change?

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 or email us here.