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Psychological testing may just be the right tool to combat these outdated hiring techniques, and turn attrition numbers on their head.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.
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