The Lawyers Weekly - September 30, 2011

BUSINESS
CAREERS

Time is of the essence, and when it comes to hiring lawyers that time essentially amounts to six to eight weeks, a new survey from Robert Half Legal has determined. Human resources experts say it may be time well spent.

“When a law firm decides it needs to add a body, a two-month time frame is very reasonable. The cost of mis-hiring is very high,” said Warren Bongard, vice president and co-founder of ZSA Legal Recruitment in Toronto.

The Robert Half survey, which includes responses from 350 lawyers at the largest law firms and corporations in the United States and Canada, found it typically takes eight weeks for employers in the legal field to fill management-level legal positions and six weeks to fill staff-level roles.

Beyond entry-level positions,
hiring lawyers requires time to
act — and to think. “[This] ought
to be a strategic move for the
applicant and a strategic acquisi-
tion for the firm,” said Carol
Fitzwilliam, president of Fitzwil-
liam Legal Recruitment Inc., in
Montreal. “Each party needs to
have a good idea why this is
beneficial. That takes time.”
“I have seen a good many
hires where someone has joined
a firm quickly and within six
months both sides realize this
was a mistake,” she added. “This
is equally detrimental to the
firm and the lawyer.”
Hiring is a two-step process,
noted John Ohnjec, division dir-
ector of Robert Half Legal in
Ottawa. Initially time is required
to find suitable candidates to
interview. Then there is the hir-
ing process itself, which spans
the period from first interview
to job offer.

The latter may be where
speed matters. “With firms not
hiring liberally, the types of pos-
itions they are usually looking
at filling sometimes require
very specific and specialized
areas of expertise,” Ohnjec
said. “Once such a candidate is
found…they need to realize that
it may very well be the case that
the candidate has more than
one firm interested in them…
The quicker [firms] are in mak-
ing an offer, the more a candi-
date will feel wanted.”
But firms should not rush to
judgment. A well-considered
process is essential, said Fitzwil-
liam, noting that this includes
ensuring the required skills are
accurately identified. “You need
to determine first and foremost
if there is a match on the skills
side. This is the quickest part of

Inside the INTERVIEW

INTERVIEWS CAN BE nerve-wracking — for those on both sides of the boardroom table. According to a new survey from OfficeTeam, an international staffing service, there are five things most hiring managers may be thinking about during the interview but won’t tell you:

1. They’re not prepared. You may have spent hours creating your resume, but there’s a good chance the hiring manager doesn’t remember exactly what’s on it. So have an extra copy of your resume handy, and offer to walk the potential employer through the highlights.

2. They’re wary of phonies. Think again before you claim that your greatest weakness is that you “work too hard.” Instead come armed with job-related anecdotes that reveal the real you and speak to how your specific talents can help the firm.

3. They want to talk about the firm and themselves. Although interviewers are advised to let the candidate do most of the talking, they may go off on a tangent. Ask a question that will give you important info and let them have the floor for a moment.

4. They may intentionally make you uncomfortable. Job seekers often rush to fill in awkward pauses between interview questions. Rather than rambling, collect your ideas before you begin to speak.

the process.”
“Once you begin a search,
you’re actually creating a job
description. You need to get it
right,” said Bongard.

“Fine-tune the job descrip-
tion,” advised Ohnjec. “If a job
posting is too vague or general,
it will attract a flood of appli-
cants, many of whom may not
possess the necessary require-
ments. Highlight the job’s key
responsibilities and summarize
the skills needed for success in
the position.”
Another factor is at play: fit.
“There really is a huge differ-
ence from one firm to another,”
said Fitzwilliam. “Find a place
where you will shine.”
And firms want the bright
lights, noted Ohnjec. “Employ-
ers in the legal field are seeking
precisely the right candidate for
their vacant position. They want
to ensure that the potential
employee is a good fit for the
organization, particularly at the
management level.

“The most marketable can-
didates possess legal know-
ledge, high-demand practice
area expertise, professional
experience, business acumen,
and client-service skills,” he
added. “It can take time to find
such a person.”
If due diligence is done,
chances are the hire will be a
good one for both the firm and
the lawyer, said Bongard. “There
is a 75 to 85 per cent chance the
person will be a good fit if the
resumé shows experience, the
interview goes well, and the ref-
erences check out.”
The process can be given a
boost, noted Ohnjec. “Employ-
ers should consider bringing in
top candidates who make it past
the first round of interviews to
meet with a hiring committee or
key members of the team or
practice group they’ll be work-
ing with. This approach can
help expedite the screening and
interview process.”
Fitzwilliam also recommends
firms allocate one person to be
responsible for the recruit-
ment—and not necessarily the
ultimate decision-maker. “A
great many firms now are desig-
nating a senior attorney as a
director of recruitment and pro-
fessional development. The
critical piece in a recruitment is
that it be thorough and timely.”
Firms also need to determine
how they will recruit, Bongard
pointed out. “That can dictate
your timing.”
Recruitment can be handled
in-house or conducted by an
outside party, he noted. “The
more unique and more import-

5. They’re going to ask their assistant about you. Six in 10 executives surveyed by OfficeTeam said they consider their assistants’ opinions important when evaluating new hires. Make sure you treat everyone you meet with respect when you arrive for an interview. You never know who may be weighing in on the hiring decision.

ant and confidential, the more
firms will turn to outside exper-
tise and the anonymity that that
third party brings.”
The third party also brings
with it the time to do the job.
“There can be a wide variety of
reasons why law firms and legal
departments are being so thor-
ough in filling open positions.
One reason may be that the firm
is very busy and can’t conduct
an aggressive search for candi-
dates,” said Ohnjec.

If a firm is going it alone, he
added, add a little gusto to the
process. “Try a variety of recruit-
ment tools. In addition to refer-
rals from current employees and
colleagues, more employers are
using a variety of resour-
ces — from personal connections
and alumni groups to online
networks and social media—to
reach prospects and advertise
open positions.”
It’s about time. n