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Legal Hiring Trends / 4th Quarter Outlook

Blogs, Candidates, Employers /

As job growth outpaces the rest of the nation, here is the local legal outlook and legal hiring trends in Texas. According to the fall figures released by the Dallas Fed, 2018 Texas job growth outpaced the rest of the nation, rising to 1st place, up from 9th in 2017. The hot local economy has also impacted the legal arena with law firms setting up shop and expanding operations in Texas at a frenzied pace. Dozens of firms opened offices in Houston between 2001 and 2018, lured by the strong economy, the high-profile energy sector and the growing list of corporate headquarters. Some of the fastest-growing practice areas in Texas include energy, corporate, real estate, international, employment, environmental, and immigration law. This explosion in law firms has created a frenetic lateral market and a near-constant churn in support staff. The growth has brought several recruiting and legal hiring trends into the forefront: Higher compensation To recruit candidates and improve retention rates, employers are increasing the starting salaries for attorneys. Some law firms seek tenured associates with proven track records; others are taking the opposite approach and recruiting attorneys with two to three years of experience and offering training. Amped up Benefits While salary will always be one of the top considerations, more firms are finding that attractive benefits and perks package can tip the balances in their favor. Some of the less traditional benefits and perks include holistic health and wellness programs, gender-neutral family leave, work-from-home options and paid volunteer hours. Focus on Firm Culture Large law firms are seeing Millennials leave to work at smaller law firms with a better work-life balance. Diversity, community service and how associates are treated are all essential aspects of firm culture. Personality Profiles Degrees and experience are essential, however, hiring managers must also determine whether someone will thrive in the organization’s culture. Hiring the right fit can dramatically reduce turnover and increase productivity, translating into higher profits for the firm. Personality assessments are becoming more common to gauge interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence. Tech-Savvy Support Paralegals who can perform multiple duties are in high demand since they can deliver some of the work traditionally handled by associates. Hybrid paralegal/legal secretary roles are more common as clerical responsibilities have become streamlined by technology. Non Lawyer Professionals To remain competitive and innovative, many law firms have realized that they must operate more like a business. Non-lawyer professionals are increasingly hired to handle key marketing and development operations. Some new positions in law firms include chief talent officer, chief pricing strategist, director of practice management and director of business development. Staffing Flexibility Even in a booming market, successful law firms must be flexible and agile. Many are turning to legal staffing firms to quickly scale up talent when projects demand and then reduce when the project is completed. Temporary hires can also be thoroughly evaluated for personality and skill before making a permanent, and expensive, final offer. This option allows firms to increase manpower without increasing payroll expenses. Full-Service Legal Staffing You Can Depend On Collier Legal Search is a full-service legal staffing company that specializes in placing well-credentialed partners, associates and legal professionals at every level in law firms and corporations. Our experience in the industry and a unique approach to building our candidate database consistently delivers results that clients can depend on. We are committed to maximizing success for our clients and our candidates.  Contact us at 832-239-5253 to give us the opportunity to work with you.

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Preparing for Your Year-End Performance Review

Blogs, Candidates /

Are you ready for your performance review? A proactive approach before, during and after your performance review can keep your career moving in the right direction. It’s that time of year when associates meet with senior attorneys, partners or management committees to discuss their performance over the past twelve months. The results of this review can impact salary raises, bonuses, mobility in the firm and prospects. Depending on the size and practice of the firm, annual reviews may be conducted by attorneys in your department, by managing partner(s) or by committee. Attorneys you’ve worked with throughout the year will fill out detailed evaluations of your performance, and the reviewing attorneys or partners will go through them with you. Some firms ask attorneys to submit a self-evaluation before their performance review. A proactive approach before, during and after your performance review can keep your career moving in the right direction. Before the performance review It’s important to know how you will be evaluated. Non-billing criteria can include relationships with attorneys and staff, ability to meet deadlines, willingness to take on work, written and oral skills, pro bono work, and administrative functions just to name a few.  Find out which of these matters the most to your firm prior to your performance review. Look back at your calendar, time entries, client lists, expense reports or any other records to refresh your memory about work completed. If you have a report from your last evaluation, be sure to review the information. In addition to your billable hours, you should keep accurate records of the following: New clients, you brought to the firm as well as new matters for existing clients. Other matters you handled such as recruiting, administrative work, articles or speeches, pro bono, etc. The positive feedback you received. Write down comments made about your work, whether it’s from partners, colleagues, clients, or support staff. Record exact quotes and the date, and save hard copies of complimentary emails and letters. Know your worth. Keep an eye on the market for your position, practice area or industry. A well connected legal recruiter can tell you what the going rate is for your position and the state of the legal market in your area. Keep all of this support material in a binder and take it to your evaluation meeting. During the performance review The immediate goal is to survive the review with poise and dignity! When you hear criticism, don’t whine, complain, challenge, or get defensive. Part of the process is to see how you handle negative comments and it may be one of the toughest challenges you face. Stay calm, respectful and responsive no matter what is said. Refer to your support materials when necessary and make it clear that you want to improve as an attorney. Positive comments will tell you what has made an impression with attorneys in your firm. Be humble about praise and build on it. After the performance review If you receive a written report, review it carefully to make sure the information matches your recollection of the meeting. If there are discrepancies, send a respectful email requesting clarification. If the performance review was oral, immediately write a memo summarizing what was said, and your understanding of how you need to improve. As difficult as it may be, seek out people who criticized you in their evaluations, and thank them. If you believe you were given an unfairly negative evaluation of your work or your prospects, it may be time to consider looking outside your current firm. Conversely, if you received glowing reviews but no raise in pay or position, you may want to find out if you are fairly compensated. Talking to an experienced legal recruiter may help you find out if there are better options available to you. Collier Legal Search is a full-service legal staffing company that specializes in placing well-credentialed partners, associates and legal professionals at every level in law firms and corporations. Contact us at 832-239-5253 to give us the opportunity to work with you.

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Growing Your Staff in 2018

Candidates, Jobs /

Are you growing your staff in 2018? Here are a few hiring tips.  In the coming year, successful law firms will further experiment and innovate to add depth to their practices, develop more profit centers, and deliver cost-effective service to clients. Legal recruiting in this competitive market is challenging, but doable, with the right recruiting partner. Firms who intend to add legal resources in 2018 must carefully weigh the cost of a new hire against the return on investment. Hiring in any of the following categories is far more efficient, plus easier, with the help of a seasoned legal recruiter with in-depth knowledge of the marketplace: Partners A recent study found that over 30 percent of equity partners are currently at or approaching retirement age. Firms who are losing experienced talent to retirement often look to competing firms to replenish the ranks of high-level partners. Established partners with profitable practices, in-demand skill sets, and portable clients are the most sought after. Whether it’s a single partner or an entire practice group, adding these tier-one attorneys is a way to expand a firm’s client base and expertise. HOW COLLIER LEGAL SEARCH CAN HELP We are focused entirely on your specific needs and can discreetly approach partners and identify practice groups that may be a fit for your organization. Associates Identifying and recruiting qualified, experienced mid- to senior-level associates continues to be challenging because there are fewer available candidates. In the wake of the 2008 recession, many firms hired fewer associates. Those who were hired during the lean years are now rising through the ranks with their collective eye on equity partnership. Adding one or more seasoned associates to your firm can impact productivity since these associates need minimal training. Additionally, maintaining a robust team of junior talent allows a law firm to deal with partner retirement issues more efficiently. The Power of Temporary Attorneys Corporate legal departments and law firms of all sizes greatly increase profitability by utilizing contract (temp) attorneys to handle overflow and project work. By using Collier Legal Search  (CLS) employees as your temps, your liabilities and costs disappear because CLS (as the employer) absorbs those expenses. Support Staff The role of paralegals is evolving. They now perform legal research and discovery—activities for which the firm can bill their clients. During times of work overflow, contract (temp) paralegals make a lot of financial sense as opposed to hiring someone permanently. Outstanding and efficient Legal Secretaries allow the billers (attorneys and paralegals) to be more productive, greatly enhancing the bottom line of the legal entity.  Here again, the efficient use of temporary legal secretaries brings great value. HOW COLLIER LEGAL SEARCH CAN HELP We can help you expand your talent pool. We have an expansive database and network which constantly draws in outstanding associate legal talent at all levels. Once we know your specific hiring needs and goals, we will identify the best candidates saving you time and money. With regard to all temporary recruiting and staffing, Collier Legal Search handles all costs including taxes, benefits, and payroll.   Specialists Many managing partners have stepped away from daily operations and now rely on experienced professionals in finance, strategy, business development, marketing, technology, cybersecurity, pricing, knowledge management, and talent. A legal technology specialist provides technical support for large e-discovery projects, document production, and document reviews. A legal technology specialist requires advanced knowledge of document management software programs and database manipulation as well as a thorough understanding of federal and state rules of civil procedure. A pricing specialist is one of the fastest-growing support roles in law firms. Law firms are facing increased pressure from clients to alter their pricing from the traditional billable hour. How matters are priced is becoming a central support function within law firms. The ability to evaluate different types of legal work and apply the appropriate pricing models is becoming increasingly valuable. HOW COLLIER LEGAL SEARCH CAN HELP We are on top of the latest trends and developments in the legal industry and can help your firm identify specific needs and specialists that can elevate your firm from the competition. Full-Service Legal Staffing You Can Depend On Collier Legal Search is a full-service legal staffing company that specializes in placing well-credentialed partners, associates and legal professionals at every level in law firms and corporations. Our experience in the industry and a unique approach to building our candidate database consistently delivers results that clients can depend on. We are committed to maximizing success for our clients and our candidates. Contact us at 832-239-5253 to give us the opportunity to work with you.

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