Toronto is one of the cities in North America experiencing exponential growth. Business forecasters expect the city to have 1.72 million jobs for 3.4 million people by 2041.
For law firms, this growth can be a boost to their lawyer recruitment efforts. But, for this to happen, Toronto legal recruiters will need effective hiring strategies. With the right approach, recruiters can hire top legal talent easier and faster.
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Create an Onboarding Plan
When employees join a law firm, they’ll want professional support. You need to provide them room to grow and help them advance in their careers.
Develop an onboarding plan in place for each staff position. This can help new staff members acclimate to your firm’s culture.
Ask new lawyers what they expect from your company. Know their professional goals and inform them how you can help reach them.
Asking these questions will let you know what type of support and resources you need to invest.
A good onboarding plan can make new employees feel welcome. It’s also a sign of professional support.
Having an onboarding plan shows a new employee that they will be a valued contributor. It sets the tone for their professional relationship with your law firm.
Stay on Schedule
Set a timeframe for your recruitment plans. It’s important to have a final date when your new lawyer joins the firm.
You should consider all the timeframes for the different phases of recruitment. These phases include:
- Shortlisting CVs
- Initial interview
- Second interview or final interview
- Offer and acceptance stages
Staying on a schedule allows you to assess where the process may get held up. This can help you fine-tune your recruitment process in the long run.
Following a schedule also allows your team leaders to manage employee workloads.
Offer Flexible Work Options
Offering flexible work hours can help boost employee retention. This shows that your company values your employees’ work-life balance.
You can offer remote work options a few days a week for lawyers who have a longer commute. This can help reduce employees’ stress and travel costs.
You can also offer a shorter workweek with longer hours per day. But, you need to make sure that this is something that your lawyers will appreciate.
Encourage your employees to take personal time offs if they can. This can show that you value your employees’ personal and mental health. Remember that encouraging people to work while they’re sick sends the wrong message.
Keep in Touch
Keep in touch with candidates throughout their notice period. This makes the recruitment process as seamless and stress-free as possible.
Keeping in touch allows you and the candidate to know exactly what to expect of the new position.
Doing this can also prevent candidates from backing out from the position. Staying in contact can remind them of exciting new opportunities in your law firm.
Reward Employees
It goes without saying that a recognition program is important for employee retention. But, some firms still develop the attitude that employees are fortunate to have a paying job.
This thinking at your workplace can cause strain and stress in your employees’ lives.
You need to recognize staff members when they do a good job. You can reward them for working hard on a new case.
You need to reward professional milestones to show that you appreciate your employees.
Take the time to check in with each of your lawyers to see how they’re doing. This way, you’ll know if they need help or more resources.
The most important thing to remember is to treat your lawyers as people first and workers second. Keep this in mind and you’ll hire and keep employees easier.
