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Collier Blog - Staffing Challenges 2022 Part 2

Staffing Challenges 2022 Part II

In an effort to retain employees and create a positive culture, employers find themselves with some staffing challenges. Because business must continue, employers are finding new solutions to keep the workflow going. Developing a strong relationship with a qualified staffing firm will aid in employee retention and create the culture you and your employees seek. Explore these ways to keep your organization staffed with competent, qualified workers no matter the circumstances. Problems Employers Face While building a positive work culture and accommodating employees and their families are excellent approaches, there are economic realities of running a business that companies face. You may encounter issues as you balance meeting your employees’ needs and completing your firm’s work accurately and on time. Business Needs to Keep Running If your organization works year-round, there will be times when it is challenging to keep the doors open and accommodate your employees. Major holidays, summer and winter school vacation seasons, and spring break will be times every employee wants to spend with their family. Hiring seasonal staff when your core employees want to be with their families offers an excellent solution to keeping your firm running efficiently. Employees Need Time Off Your employees will need time off unexpectedly. Family emergencies crop up, particularly when employees have children. While employers want to be flexible and accommodating, these unexpected days off can drain productivity and efficiency. Drafting an accommodative policy that still allows work to finish on time will be a sensitive process. Filling in the Gaps with a Staffing Agency One way to ensure that your company accommodates all employees, particularly those with families, is to fill in gaps with a staffing agency. The agency will dispatch competent, qualified workers to fill in for your regular employees when they take vacations or have family emergencies. While you could try to do this independently, using a staffing agency offers a streamlined experience for solving your staffing challenges. Find Permanent or Temporary Staff Not only can Collier Legal Search help with your ongoing staffing needs, but we can also provide temporary staff giving you the flexibility to have a compassionate leave policy while protecting your business and keeping workflows running smoothly. Keep Business Running With temporary workers, your business will function efficiently without disruptions while also keeping your workers happy. Temporary workers can cover unexpected gaps and times when many workers with children will be out, like major holidays or school vacations. Save Time and Money Searching for and vetting workers can be time-consuming. Without replacement staff, you may experience a costly drop in productivity. A staffing agency can source top-performing talent quickly, allowing your business to function seamlessly and without disruption. Develop a Relationship with a Staffing Firm The more you work with a staffing firm, the better they can fulfill your staffing needs. Building a relationship with a staffing firm allows them to understand your business, anticipate your staffing needs, and prepare workers who will match your needs. Knowledgeable About Your Business If you build a relationship with a staffing firm, they can learn the nature of your business and anticipate cycles when you might need extra help. This familiarity can help them have appropriate candidates ready to step in when needed. A staffing firm can work with you when you need temporary staff to cover employee vacations or personal days. Can Best Fulfill Your Staffing Needs If you have a relationship with a staffing agency, they can find the perfect workers for your organization. They will know what type of worker you prefer, what sort of experience and knowledge you demand, and send repeat candidates to your organization as substitutes. The more you work with one staffing firm, the better they can meet the needs of your staffing challenges. Saves You Time Sifting Through Applications Time spent sifting through applications is time you could spend doing more profitable activities. A staffing agency relieves that pressure and provides capable workers who can seamlessly replace your existing staff. With a staffing firm, you don’t need to conduct time-consuming interviews or go through pages of applications; instead, you receive qualified staff on demand. Always Prepared with Possible Candidates if Needed Unexpected absences happen, particularly if you have staff with children. Sudden absences can take a toll on your company and put you in a bind, unable to find a qualified temporary replacement. A staffing firm can have someone on standby, and your employee can be replaced on short notice, allowing them to deal with their emergency and for your company to still meet deadlines. How Collier Legal Search Can Help Collier Legal Search is a recruiting firm that offers solutions for your staffing needs. We can provide qualified legal administrators, IT professionals, attorneys at law, law firm partners, legal support professionals, and office personnel for your company when you need them. Our pool of qualified temporary workers can save you time and money while offering uninterrupted service to your clients with skilled, experienced workers. Contact Collier Legal Search today to find qualified professionals to build your team and improve efficiency at your law firm.

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Staffing Challenges

Staffing Challenges 2022 Part I

As children return to school in the fall, parents adjust to new routines and a different work-life balance. Once the school year continues, many employees have demands on their time outside of work. Companies must anticipate these staffing challenges and prepare to remain efficient for scheduled and unexpected absences. Ensuring your organization is prepared for employee absences is crucial. You can protect your company from staff shortages by attracting and retaining top talent and building relationships with a firm like Collier Legal Search. Retention of Top Talent 2022 has seen an overall shortage of workers in several fields, but the need for qualified workers is essential in the legal profession. Hiring and maintaining top talent is crucial to your organization’s success. Beyond finding and hiring these top achievers, you need to understand what will help them stay at your organization long-term and what factors might make them leave your organization. Top Concerns for Employers Studies have shown that an employee’s relationship with their bosses or supervisors is key to employee retention. Employees who feel respected and valued tend to stay in their positions longer. Treating your employees respectfully and having staff coverage for necessary family-related absences should be a priority. Flexibility For Family Needs A study by McKinsey found that a shared sense of community and empathetic feelings of togetherness were common at workplaces with high retention rates. Part of this feeling of community is an intuitive understanding of family needs. Companies that are flexible and accommodating of employees with families are more likely to keep them. Flexible Schedules The post-Covid work-from-home era has prompted a rise in flexible schedules. Many parents need flexibility regarding working hours to keep up with short-notice school closings or daycare staffing issues. Remain approachable for your employees to communicate personal scheduling demands. If temporary labor is an option to maintain production, consider calling a company like Collier Legal Search. Creating a Positive Culture Workplace culture has an enormous impact on your organization. According to a 2017 Gallup report, only 33% of American workers feel engaged at work. This low engagement results from poor workplace cultures where employees don’t feel valued or recognized. To combat these issues and retain talent, you must build a positive company culture by understanding your employees and implementing practices that meet their needs and combat this staffing challenge. Having a Supportive Culture Leads To Retention A supportive culture makes employees feel comfortable and at home in your organization. This culture includes: ● Treating employees as friends ● Offering kindness and understanding when someone is struggling ● Focusing on the meaning of the work ● Forgiving mistakes ● Sharing constructive criticism ● Embracing values like integrity, trust, gratitude, and respect Properly Recognize Employee Performance Beyond ensuring employees are supported and understood when they fail, companies must adequately recognize success. Proper recognition must be meaningful and tailored to the employee. Some employees like a quiet chat full of praise; others prefer public recognition. Offering distinction tailored to your employee’s preferences reinforces your company’s understanding and supportive nature. Know Employees Needs Anticipating the needs of your employees is a necessary part of fostering a community and a positive culture. Needs like respect, recognition, and understanding are universal, but a truly collaborative company will also cater to the individual needs of employees. Knowing all the people in your organization will help you know what they need as individuals and help you understand how to meet their needs. Accommodate for Employee Needs Employees want to be understood and appreciated. Each individual will have their own needs, and how willing an employer will go to accommodate that will affect employee retention. If an employee has children, this will be particularly true. Your organization should take steps to accommodate the specific needs of employees and their families, such as offering time off for family sick leave or flexible schedules. How Collier Legal Search Can Help Collier Legal Search, LLC is a legal recruiting firm with nearly 20 years of consistent, top service. For law firm clients, our veteran lawyer placement team specializes in recruitment and placement of all levels of attorneys, from equity partners to associates. Our legal staffing team works on hiring needs for paralegals, legal administrators, legal accounting professionals and more.  For company clients, we work on all legal departmental hires. Should you  need temporary coverage, our pool of qualified legal professionals can offer uninterrupted work production. Contact Collier Legal Search today to find qualified professionals to build your team and improve efficiency at your law firm.

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2019 Law Firm HR Trends

2019 is shaping up to be a solid year for law firms, according to midyear reports compiled by Wells Fargo, Thomson Reuters, and Citi Private Bank. Here are some 2019 law firm HR trends that will likely carry into 2020: Firm Challenges The Multi-Generational Workforce – Today the typical law firm has four generations of employees. This law firm HR trend can be a challenge. HR must balance a generation gap of more than 50 years. These differences include attitude, culture, and expectations. Inter-Firm Poaching – Finding skilled legal professionals is at an all-time high. Some firms poach a senior attorney or two. Other firms may plunder an entire practice group. It is more important than ever to have effective retention programs. Growing Practice Areas Cybersecurity – There is an increased demand for attorneys who specialize in cybersecurity. Blockchain technology, data privacy regulations, and heightened security measures are contributing to this law firm HR trend. E-Discovery – The paper trail is now the data trail. Corporations must navigate an ocean of ESI to locate and preserve information. Experienced E-discovery attorneys will continue to be in high demand. Cannabis Legalization – Cannabis is now legal in over half the U.S. Law firms must stay current on state and federal enforcement policies. Green Law – Environmental law or green law is a growing practice area. Many law firms are establishing sub-practices in fair trade, renewable energy, green building, and climate change. In-Demand Candidates Tech-Savvy Legal Support Staff – Legal professionals at all levels need strong computer skills. Litigation experience, document management, and E-discovery experience are in demand. This law firm HR trend is important to run a law firm. Lateral Hires – Many firms use lateral hires to grow practice areas. Consider enlisting professional help to attract quality attorneys. Temporary or Project Professionals – The majority of major law firms now use temporary or project attorneys. These qualified workers are cost-effective and help firms meet fluctuating caseloads. Changing Compensation Packages Money Matters – Money is often the first thing a candidate will consider. Law firms need to make sure salaries are competitive. Offering bonuses is also attractive to candidates. Other financial perks might include student debt repayment, retirement savings plans, and profit-sharing programs. Continued Development – Millennial workers want a defined career path and development opportunities. For older workers and support staff, continued training will maintain the firm’s competitiveness. Work-Life Balance – The legal profession is known for high rates of burnout. Some of the most requested items in compensation packages have to do with work-life balance: flexible hours, alternative work arrangements, telecommuting, part-time work, phased retirement, temporary leave, or compressed schedules.

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Contract Attorneys Can Help You to the Finish Line

The fourth-quarter is right around the corner and contract attorneys might be a great bet for getting to the finish line. From last-minute projects to planning for the new year, fourth-quarter can one of the busiest time of year. Like clockwork, law firms across the U.S. begin a flurry of year-end activities as attorneys are wrapping up projects. Administrative staff are billing and collecting to improve the bottom line.  Partners are evaluating associates and planning for the new year. During this hectic time, the business must continue to run smoothly. Contract attorneys or contract legal staff can help your firm finish the year strong and lay the foundation for a successful year to come. Race to the Finish During the fourth quarter, many law firms kick into high gear. Attorneys push hard to finish projects and tie up loose ends. Finishing complicated matters on a tight deadline can be a struggle without extra resources. Consider hiring experienced professionals for a few days or a few weeks. Document review specialists, project attorneys, and legal support staff can step in quickly and help your team get more projects finished and billed. Attorney Evaluations  Associate evaluations are a Q4 law firm tradition.  Consider using the evaluation process to identify weaknesses or gaps in the firm’s current practice areas. A specialized contract attorney can strengthen a practice group. A temporary project team can create a whole new area of expertise for the firm. Got a rainmaker or a high producer? It’s a smart business strategy to cut the time they spend on low revenue activities so they can focus on more profitable matters. Setting Budgets and Fee Structures Establishing the firm’s fee structure for the following year is a critical activity. Simply raising hourly rates is no longer the standard practice. Profit margins for law firms are shrinking as more clients demand alternative fee structures. Factor contract or project attorneys into the budget to gain flexibility in the firm’s billing options. Try Before You Buy Many new hires do not work out. Some don’t have the skill level required, and others don’t fit the firm’s culture. Bring on temp-to-hire contract attorneys during Q4 and see if they are a good match before making a permanent offer. By the new year, both the candidate and the firm should know if it is a good fit. Calm the Holiday Madness Deadlines, client obligations, holiday events, family activities. Workplace stress levels can soar during the holidays. Keep the firm running smoothly and reduce the stress load by evaluating where help is needed. Contract attorneys can ease the burden on permanent employees and reduce burnout.

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Benefits of Hiring a Project Attorney

Going to trial? Here’s how a project attorney can help. Much has been written about the use of a project attorney to maximize billing profits and minimize overhead expenses for law firms. Many firms use project attorneys to take on some of the day-to-day operations and smaller tasks to free up the time of staff attorneys and partners for higher profit activities. However, the versatility of project attorneys should not be overlooked in the case of trials. A major trial is a Herculean task, and even relatively simple cases can involve thousands of pages of documents, multiple witnesses and countless hours of preparation.  Consider the benefits of having the extra-legal talent for the following aspects of going to trial: Trial Prep The period leading up to a major hearing or trial can be overwhelming.  This phase of litigation is extremely time-consuming and often more detail-oriented than many lawyers tend to anticipate.  The deadlines get progressively tighter, and numerous details need to be settled at this stage. A project lawyer, brought in at the outset, can help with discovery, preparing witness questions and exhibit lists, trial briefs, jury instructions, anticipating evidentiary issues or objections, and any other preparations required for the upcoming trial. 2nd Chair Co-Council If the firm has a major case that is too big for one attorney to try alone or if the first chair attorney doesn’t have extensive jury trial experience, a qualified project attorney can guide the process from start to finish. A contract second chair attorney can help implement the trial strategy, offer support and ensure that everything runs smoothly throughout the trial. Fieldwork and Court Appearances Being in two places at the same time is impossible, but attorneys are often required to do just that. Required activities such as taking depositions can often consume entire days of valuable time that could be spent on higher-return activities. A project attorney can handle depositions, conduct interviews, and site visits, appear for routine court hearings, defend a deposition or represent clients at a settlement. Litigation Support Staff Document-intensive litigation can overwhelm a law firm’s daily operations. Furthermore, the increase in client communication prior to a trial can consume significant amounts of an attorney’s time and resources. Temporary paralegals, legal assistants or legal secretaries hired specifically for trial-related work can keep the documents organized, the parties informed, and the case running smoothly and on deadline. Office Support Sometimes a trial consumes the time and attention of the law firm’s entire staff and pulls resources away from day-to-day operations. Everything from billing to marketing to client communications can suffer. Hiring legal office support staff for the duration of the trial can minimize the disorganization and fallout when the trial concludes, and business must return to normal. 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 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 in hiring a project attorney.

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The Perils of Professional Ghosting

Has Professional Ghosting Crept Into Your Workplace? Halloween is right around the corner, and the streets will soon be filled with little witches, goblins, and ghosts. But what about the ghosts wandering the corporate realm? Ghosting was once a term reserved for the dating scene and used to describe a person who suddenly disappeared from the relationship by going dark on social media, chats and other digital communication. As with most digital trends, it was only a matter of time before the ghosting phenomenon crept insidiously into the workplace. Professional ghosting is just as unpleasant and unnerving as personal ghosting and can take many forms: Examples of Workplace Ghosting Managers ignoring job applicants, even after sending strong hiring signals. Candidates failing to appear for scheduled interviews with no explanation. Candidates accepting a job and never showing up. Employees leaving a job with zero notice and ignoring communication attempts. Candidates suddenly ignoring a recruiter that has been working on their placement. Reasons for Ghosting Employment professionals have identified many reasons that professional ghosting has become rampant: The job market is excellent and qualified candidates often have more offers than they can handle. Most people do not like confrontation or awkwardness, so they select the route of least resistance where no response is, in itself, a response. The younger generation of millennials and Gen Z are less adept at face to face, or even digital conversations, that are unpleasant. Some people can’t say no, and they overcommit instead of turning down offers. Consequences of Ghosting in the Workplace While the person doing the ghosting may feel that their disappearance is a harmless and inevitable part of doing business, the person who has been ghosted often has a bitter impression that isn’t quickly forgotten. Anyone who intends to build a career should consider these factors: Reputation– Most industries are close-knit, with the same professionals sharing information, advice and business leads. If someone has been ghosted, they will share the experience with others, and word will get around pretty quickly. Relationships– The job market is excellent today, but ghosting an employer or recruiter will burn bridges in your professional life. It’s risky to alienate a manager you may end up working with in the future or a recruiter who could be instrumental in developing your career. Respect– The Golden Rule applies in the workplace, just as in personal relationships. Treat others as you would like to be treated. A simple phone call or email explaining the situation may be uncomfortable,  but it is preferable to vanishing into thin air – like a ghost. Full-Service Legal Staffing You Can Depend On If you are ready to start developing a professional relationship with a trusted advisor, contact a consultant at Collier Legal Search to find out how we can help you attain your career goals. 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 unique approach to building our candidate database delivers dependable results. 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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