Grow Your Firm in 2019

Adding a legal staffing firm can help grow your firm. After a year of robust growth, many law firms are uncertain about what the coming year will hold. The increasingly fast pace of business, whip-lashing market movements and overall volatility has left many firm partners and managers scratching their heads about their 2019 hiring plans. Adding a legal staffing firm to your business strategy can help control expenses and manage unpredictable staffing needs. Whether your firm anticipates just a few specific hires or a sizeable contingent of contract attorneys, here are some ways that a staffing company can help you grow your firm while controlling the budget: Reduce the Cost of Hiring The cost of recruitment can exceed thousands, if not tens of thousands of dollars per employee. Much of that expense is the time that can’t be billed to clients because they are consumed with discussing the opening, placing advertising, screening, interviewing, re-interviewing, background checking – and then repeating the entire process over again. A legal search and staffing firm can return these billable hours to the firm by allowing the partners to focus on the business of law. Reduce Training and Onboarding Costs Training and onboarding are expensive and time-consuming endeavors. By employing attorneys who have already been identified as skilled and qualified for your firm’s particular needs, you can significantly reduce training costs and improve productivity. Some staffing firms can even create a tailored orientation and training program for new hires. Build Up or Scale Down Quickly For law firms, a complex case can suddenly necessitate additional attorneys and support staff. Conversely, when a significant case ends, there may not be enough work to go around. Through regular communication with your staffing partner and strategic use of contract attorneys and support staff, these transitions can be made smoothly. Control Benefits and Administrative Costs Benefits can cost 25% – 30% over payroll expenses. For workers contracted and paid through a staffing firm, those expenses fall to the staffing firm and not the law office. By utilizing temporary staff instead of direct hires,  you can transfer the costs associated with processing and administering payroll from your organization to the staffing firm. Protect Existing Staff from Burnout Many law firms have “down-sized” and “right-sized” to the point that associates and legal support staff are pushed to the limit. Partners expect staff to produce more with fewer resources. Additional contract attorneys will help your staff avoid burnout, reduce the cost of defects, avoid productivity losses, and limit turnover expense. Damage Control A bad hire can cost you several times the employee’s annual salary. A temporary employee can be vetted to see if they fit the corporate culture before making a final permanent hiring decision. Prevent Unemployment Claims Contract attorneys and staff are technically employed by the staffing partner—not the law firm. Consequently, any unemployment claims won’t reflect on the firm. 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 will deliver dependable results. Let us help you grow your firm in 2019.  Contact us at 832-239-5253.

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