Top challenges in law recruitment

The world of law recruitment is changing all the time, and with that comes challenges that need to be faced head on by legal recruiters. We’re taking a look at the top legal recruitment challenges that are facing recruiters today and how the best legal placement agencies will keep up.
 
What are the key challenges in law recruitment?
 

1. Navigating a candidate's market

The current world of law is a candidate's market - that is, there are more roles than skilled candidates. Whilst this may be a challenge in law recruitment, it’s actually very beneficial for top talent looking to land their ideal law job. The skills shortage in the legal industry is prompted by law firms looking to spend money on talent to increase their firm’s growth.
 
Whilst this is great for candidates, it means that legal roles crop up all the time and need filling. According to the Global Legal Post 91% of lawyers said that finding skilled professionals is challenging and with the current legal market booming it’s more important than ever to fill these roles.
 
 
This is considered somewhat of a challenge in law recruitment, since there are more roles than candidates and yet the roles need qualified professionals. It is finding these qualified professionals and linking them with top law firms that is the goal. As top performers continue to move around and even relocate in order to advance their careers, the challenge for the legal recruiter is to keep up with current demand and keep placing the top candidates at the best firms.
 

2. Finding lawyers when the demands on employees are high

More so than in the past, the demand on attorneys is very high due to the skills shortage. A Frequently Asked Question is whether we hire candidates with little experience, or those looking for their first jobs and unfortunately there’s not much that law firms can do for those without experience since a lot of firms use a search partner to place top talent.
 
A major challenge in law recruitment is finding the talent that can deal with the high demands from the best law firms. If you’re going to succeed in a law career you’re going to need to be able to cope with pressure, stress and responsibility but finding the balance between working as hard as possible and burning out is a fine line. A big law recruitment challenge is finding attorneys who can deal with the stress of being an attorney when the demands on employees can be high.
 

3. Finding the right fit for candidate and firm

Once the first two challenges in law recruitment are addressed, it’s then up to the legal recruiter to find the perfect match. This applies to both the law firm and the candidate. The law firm might love the candidate, but the ethos of the company might not suit the legal professional. Similarly, the candidate might love the role, but the law firm doesn’t see them progressing at the company. Whatever the issue, identifying potential pain points during the recruitment process is a big challenge in law recruitment.
 
Ultimately, a legal placement agency isn’t serving anyone unless they place the right candidates in the right roles. Finding the right fit is about much more than just signing the contract, it’s about matching a company with a professional that is going to be successful in their development within the business.
 
One of the huge benefits of working with a legal search firm like BCG Attorney Search are that you can rest assured that whether you’re a candidate or a law firm, you’ll be connected with your ideal match.
 
 
How can recruiters adapt to challenges in law recruitment?
 
If legal recruiters want to be world class, it’s essential that they adapt to the changes in the industry. Here are the top ways that legal recruiters will need to tackle challenges in law recruitment.
 

1. Get to know law firms

It’s important that legal recruiters adapt by getting to know law firms and their needs in better detail. Whether they’re a boutique firm or a big corporate, they will have different requirements and can offer a different path for a candidate.
 
Understanding law firms in greater depth will enable legal recruiters to maintain good relationships, place candidates in the right setting and adapt to challenges in law recruitment.
 

2. Find a candidates USP

Even though it’s a candidates market, law firms are looking for tailored talent to suit their needs. Finding a candidates Unique Selling Proposition is a great way to adapt to the challenges in law recruitment that can disrupt placements. Once a recruiter understands what sets a candidate apart, they are better placed to differentiate them from other candidates and help them stand out. This will aid both law firm and candidate as they try to find the best match for the role they’re recruiting for.
 

3. Get to know what a candidate wants

Often recruiters won’t fully connect with a candidate, which means that they won’t understand what they are looking for in a role. This is a big challenge in legal recruitment, as if you don’t understand what your candidate wants, they probably won’t last long in the role you place them in. Getting to know what the candidate needs may involve questioning them on their goals and aspirations, understanding their experience fully and offering career advice to help them work out what they want.

About Harrison Barnes


Harrison Barnes is the Founder of BCG Attorney Search and a successful legal recruiter himself.  Harrison is extremely committed to and passionate about the profession of legal placement.  His firm BCG Attorney Search has placed thousands of attorneys.  BCG Attorney Search works with attorneys to dramatically improve their careers by leaving no stone unturned in a search and bringing out the very best in them.  Harrison has placed the leaders of the nation’s top law firms, and countless associates who have gone on to lead the nation’s top law firms. There are very few firms Harrison has not made placements with.  Harrison’s writings about attorney careers and placements attract millions of reads each year.  He coaches and consults with law firms about how to dramatically improve their recruiting and retention efforts.  His company LawCrossing has been ranked on the Inc. 500 twice.  For more information, please visit Harrison Barnes’ bio.
 
About BCG Attorney Search

BCG Attorney Search matches attorneys and law firms with unparalleled expertise and drive that gets results. Known globally for its success in locating and placing attorneys in law firms of all sizes, BCG Attorney Search has placed thousands of attorneys in law firms in thousands of different law firms around the country.  Unlike other legal placement firms, BCG Attorney Search brings massive resources of over 150 employees to its placement efforts locating positions and opportunities that its competitors simply cannot.  Every legal recruiter at BCG Attorney Search is a former successful attorney who attended a top law school, worked in top law firms and brought massive drive and commitment to their work.  BCG Attorney Search legal recruiters take your legal career seriously and understand attorneys.  For more information, please visit www.BCGSearch.com.