Could partnering with a recruiter be the perfect marriage?

Over the past few years, recruitment patterns could not have been more contrasting, the uncertainty and quietness of 2020 was soon replaced with one of the busiest recruitment markets many associates have seen in their careers. This has since slowed down but there is still a demand for an experienced lawyer. With associates receiving increased contact from headhunters, it’s easy to see they can have their pick of law firms, but when you’re in such high demand, why use a recruiter?

Market Knowledge

From speaking with associates, partners and HR teams, recruiters gain market knowledge that you can’t find on a job description or website. Law firms love to describe themselves as ‘friendly and collegiate’ but which partners actually have an open door policy and a great sense of humour? Finding a new job can be time consuming and with so many options to consider, whilst balancing your own case load, it makes sense for lawyers to find a recruiter they trust and spend time discussing what you’re truly looking for. Start with thinking about the bigger points such as salary expectations; hour targets and sector focus and then narrow this down to small details like team size, structure and flexibility. By meeting your recruiter for a coffee or taking some time out to have a thorough phone call, they will begin to understand which of their clients will be a good fit for you and your career goals and narrow down your search so you don’t have to spending time doing this yourself. It may also be helpful to have a trusted relationship with a recruiter for the long-term. You may not wish to make an imminent move, but having a recruiter who understands your history can be career-transformative, even if to give inside information on pay rises and promotion. Whilst lawyers are experts in their chosen practice area, we are the expects on your job search and can ensure this is seamless and stress free.

Interview Preparation

Lawyers don’t change roles often and therefore don’t get much practice with interviewing, in some instances you may not have interviewed since your training contract. It can be quite daunting if you don’t know whether the interviewee is going to give you a technical grilling or a whether they want to get to know you as a person and being thrown off by a question can throw you off the rest of the interview. Luckily, our market knowledge and intel on our clients allows us to coach you through this processes and prepare for any questions they may ask. We will set up a call and spend some time discussing how best to prepare for your interview; where to direct your research and how to phrase your answers to the standard questions such as ‘why do you want to join our team?’ We will make sure that you’re as prepared for your interview as you can be and help calm those nerves.

Processes Management

As previously mentioned, the market is still warm and experienced associates can have their pick of firms whether they’re looking for the high salaries of US firms, training and development within the Magic and Silver Circle or a work life balance and flexibility from the mid-city or west end firms. Once you have narrowed down what you’re looking for with your recruiter, you may be meeting with several firms who could be a good fit. Whilst securing several interviews is excellent, you could end up holding an offer with a deadline at one firm, whilst arranging second stage with another! We don’t want our associates to make snap decisions because their offers have a deadline, instead we will manage these processes to ensure they are running concurrently and ideally you will have one of two offers that you can thoroughly consider. Recruiters can ensure the processes is clear for both parties so your next move is right for your long term goals.

Negotiations

Most people assume negotiations refers to salary and with some law firms, they have a clear structure in place and are unable to offer flexibility on the salary for each individual PQE level. However, there are many other negotiations a recruiter can do on your behalf especially in such a competitive market, this includes start dates; sign on bonus; flexible working arrangements; title or even what your partnership track may look like. It’s always tricky to start these negotiations with your future employer but this is part of our job so leave the tricky conversations to us! Our goal is for our candidates and clients to find the perfect match and feel confident in their choice so we are happy to have these conversations on your behalf.

Whilst having so many opportunities to explore is hugely beneficial and allows associates to really explore all the options available to them, it can be rather overwhelming to navigate alone. If you are interested in finding out more about current opportunities available to you, get in touch with Sophie Burns at RedLaw.