The most commonly asked question so far in 2022 by lawyers looking to change roles

We’re one quarter in to 2022 and the Associate recruitment market seems to be busier than 2021! Candidates now have their pick of roles from all areas of the market and with all of this choice it’s completely understandable that candidates are ruling options in/out based on their key motivators. Over the past twelve months the one question that is continuously asked is “what are the firm’s plans around agile working?”

It's a big question and I can appreciate why it causes so much discussion. I think some people incorrectly assume that this question is an indication that the candidate wants to work remotely full time, and although this may apply to a few people I actually think it’s an open question that helps candidates assess a myriad of factors, including:

• The firm’s approach to training and development, particularly for junior candidates. If the firm intends some form of hybrid work pattern it’s also essential that a junior/mid-level Solicitor then understands how the firm will ensure that Partners are offering the training required, participation in client meetings, transparency around work allocation and clarity as to what factors will be taken in to consideration for promotions etc;
• The suitability of the firm for a long-term career move. If the firm have plans to return to the office 5 days/week that might still be attractive to a solicitor who lives close to the office or has no dependents/childcare requirements. But things can change, and we do speak to many candidates that are keen to secure a long-term move where they can see that the approach of the firm suits their current needs but potentially will also offer a degree of flexibility at future stages of their career;
• Career paths within the firm. Historically the path was very clear: train and qualify and then progress to Partner. Times have moved on and there are many excellent lawyers in private practice that don’t aspire to be a Partner. The justification of working in a fully remote capacity holding back someone’s career development is less likely to sting if the candidate doesn’t want to build their own team; it might be that they are just excellent technical lawyers who do a great job utilising their own network and developing existing relationships of the firm. Many firms have acknowledged other career paths/titles to reflect this.

My point is that we should all feel comfortable discussing agile working and understanding if there is a particular motivation behind the question. It’s difficult to see how a “one-size-fits-all” approach could work, but also this could result in candidates ruling themselves out of the perfect role or a client missing out on a perfect candidate. Given that the discussion around agile working is still very much at the inception stage for many firms it’s clear that people want to engage in discussions around this.

If you have been considering a move but are hesitating or ruling out options based on agile working policies then do get in touch for a confidential discussion as to what we are hearing from specific firms about this topic.