Why I'm Happy to WFH

What's great about suddenly finding ourselves in a virtual world

Photo by Farrel Nobel on Unsplash

Earlier this year I wrote an article arguing that the idea of a nine to five work day was outdated not only for the lawyer, but also the legal professional. At the time, I perceived those boundaries to be already changing in some industries and my intent was to continue the push for the legal industry. I imagined that change to gradually assert itself over time after many articles like mine, podcasts, discussions, management trainings, etc, etc, until such time when it became an accepted self-evident truth. What I did not expect was that there would be a giant virtual experiment that has the potential to change minds much, much faster.

But I can’t say I’m entirely unhappy about that.

To be clear, I’m not happy to be in a position where I have to worry about losing my job - and I’m not happy about the many people who already have. I’m just as concerned as everyone else about a contracting economy and overfilled hospitals. I don’t want myself or my family to get sick, and I certainly don’t want people to die. This is not about that. But all of those things can still be true while on another hand I see a very clear potential benefit to professionals such that I am.

The ability to work virtually has been around for a while now.

We’ve had video conferencing for years, the internet for even longer, and tools like webcams and microphones have only gotten better and better over the past few years. We have the ability to communicate globally, instantly, and constantly - and it’s fair to say we were not using even half of that ability as fully as we could have. Some companies, particularly those in tech, probably were doing a better job of it, but certainly the legal industry was not.

Now suddenly we find ourselves thrust into a completely virtual world, and what do I think is great about that? It works! A lot of jobs that are typically done in offices really can be done from anywhere.

Working from home is making that a fact so obvious you can’t argue it away.

Instead of having numerous conversations weighing the pros and cons, arguing about whether people will be more productive or less, and disregarding tangential benefits such as reduced traffic in cities and cleaner air for us all, we are now in a position where this MUST work. The show must go on, and the virtual world is where it’s going to happen.

So, yes, as someone who had the ability but not the opportunity, I am happy to work from home. I look forward to seeing the results of this experiment, and I believe they will be (unsurprisingly) favorable.

3 Strengths All Recruiting Coordinators Need to Be Successful

Examining 3 main areas that every Recruiting Coordinator needs to be strong in to be successful in Legal Recruiting.

The field of legal recruiting is great for people who enjoy helping others reach their goals. Assisting law students through the hiring process of a firm, the coordinator’s role is integral in shaping a decision that will have a lasting impact on their career path.

“This multifaceted and constantly shifting role requires the legal recruiting coordinator to be strong in three main areas: communication, time management, and organization skills.”

Additionally, the legal recruiting coordinator’s role isn’t just scheduling interviews and setting up travel arrangements/reimbursements for candidates, although that is a large part of it. Planning and running the summer program and on campus interviews in the fall, as well as coordinating sponsorship efforts with law schools throughout the year are significant moving pieces that the legal recruiting coordinator will assist in managing.

Recruiting Coordinator Strengths

This multifaceted and constantly shifting role requires the legal recruiting coordinator to be strong in three main areas: communication, time management, and organization skills.

1. Communication: Whether at a small, medium, or large firm, the coordinator will communicate at various times with partners, associates, law students, legal professionals, legal staff, facilities staff, vendors, caterers, career services professionals, and even family members. The broad range of backgrounds and expectations makes it essential for the coordinator to be comfortable as well as efficient with their communication style and practices.

2. Time Management: Managing time on a daily basis is standard for everyone who expects to be successful at their job, but the legal recruiting coordinator must think bigger. Conceptualizing time by the year should be a strength of the legal coordinator, as many of the most essential programs have major pieces that must be put in place far in advance, and cycle yearly. Not to mention the firm is likely competing for the best spots, and being on top of early registration dates, or the first to inquire about a particular venue, can have a significant impact on the outcome of programming later in the year.

3. Organizational Skills: Being a legal recruiting coordinator can feel a lot like juggling, which is why it is imperative to have the organizational skills to keep everything moving in the right direction. An organized coordinator will approach daily tasks with a specific methodology, and have a system to keep track of everything that needs to be done. They’ll know where everything is, and how to prioritize the most important tasks – such as hiring partner requests or a candidate’s arrival.

Legal recruiting can be a rewarding career path with these skills, and a great place to showcase the mastery of them. Let us me know your thoughts in the comments below!

Legal Recruiting Turns to Psychology

The trend of using psychological testing in law firm hiring.

Finding the right talent to fit the job is a predominant focus in all industries, and a top concern in law as well. To address this, many corporate firms and companies have turned to psychological testing. Psychological testing has been regarded for years as an important tool in hiring, and has consistent relationships with multiple facets of success in life – namely academic and job performance. And finally, finally, we’re beginning to see this important tool coming to the law firms.

“Psychological testing has been regarded for years as an important tool in hiring, and has consistent relationships with multiple facets of success in life – namely academic and job performance.”

As legal professionals, most of us have the opportunity to “see behind the curtain” when it comes to the hiring process. So we’re well aware that the hiring process in most firms is largely an unstructured, one-on-one informal (read: subjective), freewheeling process. And while firms have relied on this process for years, it isn’t working for today’s hiring goals and focuses.

Why Psychological Testing Matters

According to 2017 statistics from NALP, 24% of lateral partners leave the firm that hired them within three years, and 17 out of 25 new associates hired will end up leaving the firm as well. Add to that disappointing diversity retention numbers, and the picture isn’t pretty.

Psychological testing may just be the right tool to combat these outdated hiring techniques, and turn attrition numbers on their head. There are already a few law firms using psychological testing in their hiring process, and the results have been promising. Thompson Hine, a first mover in using psychological testing for all hires, reported in a law.com article that their summer associate class was the most diverse they had ever had after using the psychological tests.

Right now the percentage of law firms using personality assessments is only at about 3-5%, but with the way these tests have infiltrated the corporate market (88 of Fortune 100 companies use them), as legal professionals we should be prepared for them to start trending in the law firms soon.