Articles From the Team
When working as your legal recruiter, do you trust me?
As a client, do you think when working as your legal recruiter, I would lie and tell you to offer a higher salary than required?
Generally, recruiters get paid their fee on a percentage of a candidate’s annual salary. Therefore, recruiters have a vested interest in pushing a candidate’s salary requirement to as high a number as possible?
Right?
Wrong! I would never ever do this – for many reasons.
Morally
It’s just plain wrong. And from a young age, my parents taught me that once you lose the trust of someone it can take years to re-build (and often it’s never truly found again).
Therefore, trust is a precious commodity that should be held in high esteem.
Going back to my Scottish roots, Scottish author George MacDonald quotes: “To be trusted is a greater compliment than being loved.”
Everything comes out in the wash
Although we act as the middle person when helping to negotiate salaries etc. there will come a time when both parties speak again. It’d be extremely easy to find out I’ve miss-represented information for my own gain.
I might make a quick buck in the short term but you’ll never use me again; I lose out on the possibility of recurring revenue. 2019 is my 23rd year in recruitment – I’m in it for the long game, not the short gain!
In the war for talent, talent has won – for the time being anyway!
The supply of lawyers is at an all time low, with the demand as high as it’s ever been. Most of the individuals we work with have more than one option/offer on the table. Lawyers are pushing (upwards) their own expectations – they definitely don’t need me to do so on their behalf!
Where does my salary advice come from?
I often get asked by clients and candidate lawyers alike for my advice on salary and package. I’m always honest in my appraisal of what a role should pay in the market, or what a lawyer’s salary could/should be. My advice is not dependent on the benefit to me – it’s market info led.
In conclusion
If you can’t trust my advice, then my gut feeling is that I’m pretty worthless to you and we shouldn’t be working together. It’s as simple as that!
More from Mark Levine
For recruitment to work, recruiting client and recruiter need to work in partnership