One of the biggest challenges in the legal industry is attracting and hiring great talent. With the industry being extremely competitive (*with more than one million active lawyers in the U.S.) and economic changes shifting the way we think about building a high performance team, it’s important to adjust the way we view employees and staff. Sometimes higher salaries and bonuses are just not enough.

“Time spent on hiring is a time well spent.”

Hiring and attracting talent is a necessary investment and can change the trajectory of long-term employees. So, how do you attract the right employees, keep the employees that you value, and still maintain a competitive edge? We have provided four tips that can assist with this process: creating a positive work culture, promoting work-life balance, using technology, and providing growth opportunities.

Creating a Positive Work Culture

Creating a positive work culture starts with who you hire. Focus on “A” players who enjoy what they do and cultivate a high standard within your law firm. Hire staff members that believe in the same values as you do. A positive work culture also includes offering a competitive salary and bonus structure, so you don’t lose your hard-working employees to a competitor.

Promoting Work-Life Balance

With the way the economy has shifted the last three years, remote work and flexibility are key factors when looking for an employer. Before 2020, most businesses wouldn’t consider remote or hybrid work as an option but with major shifts in the economy, remote work is here to stay. Being flexible and offering remote or hybrid workplaces can promote a healthy work-life balance for an employee. Before offering a hybrid or remote option, make sure that it makes sense for your business.

LiveCareer studied 1,000 Americans about their experiences with remote work and 65% stated that remote work has positively affected their work-life balance.

Current workplace trends include flexible schedules, mental health days and less office work. Adapting to what employees are looking for is an important part of creating a high-performance team.

Using Technology

Innovation and technology are changing the way businesses run. The pandemic has had a major play in shifting the way that employees work. Technology allows them to work from home and stay connected to the law firm, their team members, and clients. Using the latest technology to perform legal tasks not only shows employees that you are a strong competitor but “you’ll also gain all the business benefits that come with using technology that allows the firm to operate at maximum efficiency, productivity, and profitability.“

Providing Growth Opportunities

Growth opportunities in the law firm show employees that they are valued and assists with creating and maintaining a positive work culture. Through an Employee Development Plan (that includes short-term and long-term goals), employees can feel invested in both the law firm and themselves. Growth opportunities empower employees.

According to a study of millennials by Gallup, 87 percent of millennials cited access to professional development or career growth as important to them in a job.

Although the hiring and retaining process can be extremely tough and time consuming, it’s important to have a good system in place so you can avoid staffing nightmares and damaged reputations. Before you start the hiring process, we suggest you take a DISC Assessment – a behavioral profile that examines communication and management styles.
This includes how ones personality profile shapes their marketing activities, interactions with staff, and the impact of their change efforts in their life and practice. These insights help you to become more aware of how you influence your surroundings and how to better handle situations you encounter.

Read more about the DISC Assessment here: https://atticusadvantage.com/disc-assessment/

*As of 2020: https://www.clio.com/blog/lawyer-statistics/

• Author Details

Abbie Guerrero

Abbie Guerrero

Assistant Marketing Manager/Resource Advisor

Abbie joined the Atticus team in 2021 with more than a decade of digital marketing experience. She is results driven and has an extensive background in content creation, lead generation, understanding the customer development process, solving problems, and advertising. She is an expert at building relationships and sets high quality expectations. She loves to set and exceed personal and professional goals.

Abbie is currently the Resource Advisor for Atticus livestream webinars and workshops. In addition to her Resource Advisor role, she is the Assistant Marketing Manager. In this role she leads the strategy for digital marketing, creates content for weekly newsletters, all advertising campaigns and executes many ad hoc marketing projects.

Abbie has her bachelor’s degree in Marketing from Utah Valley University. She is a blogger and published author and enjoys spending time with her family in both Utah and California.