5 Hiring Strategies Every New Law Firm Should Follow

law firm hiring strategies

Establishing a law firm is not a mean feat, and acquiring top talent is perhaps the biggest challenge. The legal market is highly competitive, and talent is scarce. You can expect to struggle to find the best resources in the first place. Securing them will be even tougher when you start. But having the right recruiting strategies and practices can take you a step ahead to building a diverse, high-performing legal team. Here are the strategies to pick and retain the very best legal talent for your new law firm.

Have a long-term vision           

Before you start looking for people to join your team, you must have a comprehensive long-term vision. The best way to do it is by listing the legal niches you want to grow in. Once you have a clear picture, you can write down the skills and core competencies you want. Consider the ones you need today and in the future, depending on your firm’s growth plans. If you have a vision of the team you want to build, hiring will be much easier.

Outsource recruitment

When you are new to the industry, securing the best talent may sound overwhelming. Since legal service is your core offering, you will probably know less about human resource management. Moreover, hiring a specialist HR team can easily burn a hole in your wallet. It makes sense to outsource recruitment rather than do it in-house. You will save time, money, and effort and have the best resources on board sooner rather than later.

Think beyond hiring

A legal startup must prioritize retention as much as robust hiring practices. It is vital to keep the talent you secure for the long haul. So you must know the best practices for employee retention and implement them at an early stage. Keeping employees happy requires much work. You have to create the best compensation models, give incentives, and focus on employee engagement. Go the extra mile with each, and the hiring pressure will be less because people will stay.

Create competitive compensation packages

Compensation is the key to securing the best talent around. It attracts candidates to join your firm over the others. But startups often run on tight budgets, and you cannot expect to pay a fortune to your team members at this stage. Creating competitive compensation packages is your best bet. The idea is to offer remuneration that is good enough but does not burden your wallet. Think beyond the money, and highlight long-term growth opportunities as you hire.

Work on employer reputation

A new legal firm wouldn’t have a long track record as an employer. It is vital to work on your reputation at an early stage so that you can showcase your firm as an ideal workplace. Build a strong and positive organizational culture that values employees. Let the existing workforce be your promoters and spread the word. Once you build a reputation as an employer, you wouldn’t need to work too hard to onboard a great team. Building the best teams requires hiring talented people, which is possible with a robust hiring plan. It may be a tad tougher for new law firms, but these strategies can take you a long way.