Recent reports surrounding the Great Resignation of 2021 found that employees across the globe are rethinking their priorities when it comes to working. Around 58% of the 10,000 workers surveyed by Bain/Dynata reported that the pandemic prompted a reevaluation of current work-life balance standards, among other concerns. As a result, companies are in the midst of a talent war as the current workforce seeks to attain their ideal working conditions by considering opportunities beyond their current employers.
Attracting talent to your law firm
The ongoing talent war gives law firms an opportunity to secure new talent. However, law firms must make a concerted effort to attract this talent by updating their existing practices and policies to better meet the modern workforce’s priorities.
Aligning talent with law firm vision and values
Revisiting and recommitting to your firm’s core values, mission statement, and overall vision can help attract top talent. By getting clear on these aspects of your firm, and the concrete steps you are taking to pursue them, you are in a better position to communicate them clearly to prospective hires. Job candidates who best align with these aspects will likely feel energized to join your firm, contribute the most while employed, and stay committed long-term.
Promoting open positions that attract top talent
When advertising open positions at your firm, make sure to first get clear on the essential workloads that your firm needs covered. Both short-term and long-term work can factor into a given position’s essential duties and expectations. You should also consider what range of education, prior experience, and skills are necessary for a given position.
When including these metrics in a job description, be as clear and thorough as possible; attracting the right talent for a given position will go a long way in preventing talent attrition.
Making a positive impression through strategic interviewing
A strategic interviewing process is easy to recognize and gives the impression that a firm is organized, engaged, and efficient. These qualities will undoubtedly appeal to talented candidates.
To boost your interviewing process, carefully consider who to appoint to the interviewing team. Play to the unique strengths of each individual by giving them a specific role in the process that is best suited to their position or talents. Offering tools like an interview kit, instructions, a set of questions, and a scorecard, can help facilitate the interview, leaving no awkward gaps or feelings of unpreparedness.
Retaining law firm talent
Simply attracting talent is not enough. Law firms seeking to retain top talent should consider the modern workforce’s ideal set of working conditions and adjust where necessary. Such adjustments can help reduce talent attrition and boost employee retention, which can have a positive impact on company costs.
Importance of culture in reduced law firm attrition
Once a firm has made its hiring decisions, it’s important to integrate any new hires thoroughly into the company culture. As many individuals in the modern workforce prioritize culture fit, this integration process is integral to preventing law firm attrition. A thorough onboarding program can help jumpstart this process, and ongoing efforts to keep employees active and engaged in the company and with their fellow employees can keep individuals invested long-term.
At the same time, efficient onboarding and integration measures are crucial for a hybrid or remote workforce that may otherwise feel isolated. Proactive attention must be paid to including remote and hybrid worker within the organizational culture even after onboarding. Everyone must be immersed in the culture for it to make an impact.
Flexible work options prioritize work-life balance
The modern workforce prioritizes flexibility when it comes to their work environments; a study conducted by LiveCareer found that of employees today:
- 81% enjoy working remotely
- 65% believe remote work is a positive change in terms of work-life balance
- 60% state that working from home has made them more productive
To address these priorities, law firms should consider making flexibility in work schedules and work environments a priority. The option for remote work, or switching to a hybrid model, may address the goals of a modern workforce.
New benefits packages enhance law firm talent retention
To retain your associates, consider adjusting the way your firm handles employee pay and benefits. If possible, you may want to offer bonuses, additional sick leave, or paid time off, or add extra perks, like home office stipends or commuting benefits, to your employees’ benefits packages.
Manage your law firm for talent retention and growth
In the wake of the Great Resignation, attracting and retaining talented law firm associates is a high priority for many firms across the U.S. right now. To make the most of this opportunity, firms can adapt to changes in the workforce’s goals and values.
