Articles From the Team
The changing face of legal recruitment – what do you think?
The recruitment industry and the way people look for a new legal role has changed dramatically in the last few years. The development and increased use of technology have had both positive and negative effects on businesses who seek new talent and candidates seeking new employment.
Like in any other industry, recruiters are adapting their value proposition; rolling with the punches.
It pains me to say it but recent times has seen some law firms lean towards a direct recruitment model – utilising platforms like LinkedIn to draw in candidates. Justifiably, some recruitment agencies have gained a bad reputation as a result. I completely understand why a company may feel their investment is better invested in technology.
There are some great tools on the market, which we use every day, but the consensus from candidates is that if you rely too heavily on tech, the recruitment experience suffers and both client and candidate lose out on the consultative approach taken by most agents.
There are some great tools on the market, which we use every day, but the consensus from candidates is that if you rely too heavily on tech, the recruitment experience suffers and both client and candidate lose out on the consultative approach taken by most agents.
This being said, if done correctly, it’s undoubtedly the most cost-effective way to hire someone. In challenging times like these, companies will often look at agency fees as an operating cost rather than a potential opportunity, but this discredits the experience and skill that goes into running a thorough recruitment process.
Conversely, those who see the value in instructing an agent and are willing to pay a premium know that we’ll leverage all the gadgets at our disposal as well as dive in to our network to approach passive job seekers (who very rarely apply to adverts) and positively challenge the brief, ensuring best person at the end of the process.
These businesses also appreciate that candidates have more choice than ever before and as a result, they need both internal and external partners to communicate their unique selling points and push them to the front of the queue.
At BCL Legal, we believe that making a successful placement isn’t shuffling masses of CVs to a client who realistically speaking, is unlikely to have the time to read them. We work on the following basis: matching candidates and employers through thorough insights and strong networks. It’s impossible to do this with any level of reliability without taking the time to create a proper understanding of both candidates and employers.
We always try to go beyond online relationships and get to know people in the real world. Talking but mainly listening and preferably face-to-face rather than just emailing (or whatever happens to be the preferred online channel that week).
We take the time to understand what makes an organisation a great place to work and likewise, we try to establish what candidates are really about, rather than simply taking their CVs at face value.
Our value proposition doesn’t suit everyone but the people who are drawn to our model love what we do and will often work with us time and time again. Of course, I’m a little biased… but I believe that by going the extra mile, a recruitment fee is worth its weight in gold! This is how we’ve built our reputation over the last 16 years…
If you’re reconsidering your recruitment strategy, or you’re looking to make a strategic hire, then please feel free to get in touch. We’d love to hear from you and we’ll always do our best to help.