By: Nik Korba

Complex. Intimidating. Time consuming. The job search process in today’s legal industry is all of those things for both attorneys seeking positions and firms seeking to bring on new talent.

But those who choose to embrace the process will find that the rewards for both sides have never been higher. For lawyers, making the right move to a new firm promises considerable increases in compensation, significant opportunities for practice growth and development, and advancements into leadership positions. For firms, recruiting new talent is empowering higher profitability and the capability to continue to ensure a high level of service for clients.

“In today’s market, the sophistication of what attorneys and firms are looking for has increased across the board,” explains Drew Foster, Managing Director at The Foster Group. “Both candidates and law firms are looking for synergies that can be very granular and nuanced and that vary by practice area and geographic region. Identifying opportunities and engaging with them effectively requires significant market insight, which often only flows from conversations with Practice Group Leaders and Hiring Partners.”

The Foster Group offers attorneys and firms the insights and experience they need to successfully navigate the complicated processes involved in legal hiring. It is a leading full-service professional legal recruiting firm that specializes in placing partners, groups, counsels, and associates in synergistic positions that support a firm’s growth while also advancing an attorney’s career.

“In today’s saturated employment market, it is difficult for lawyers to get an ‘inside look’ into other firms while also keeping up with their professional and personal responsibilities,” says Elaine Oh, Senior Legal Recruiter at The Foster Group. “Working with a legal recruiting firm provides that inside look. A legal recruiter understands where client demand lies, what makes each firm unique, and how to navigate the complicated application and hiring process.”

Gaining a guide with experience and wisdom

Legal recruiting firms do more than identify opportunities and introduce applicants to firms. They also provide invaluable guidance throughout the recruitment process — guidance that is essential for finding the right fit and securing the position.

“Legal recruiting firms are advocates who have their clients’ best interests at heart,” explains Michelle Foster, Managing Partner of The Foster Group. “Legal recruiting is a complex but highly rewarding process that involves multiple rounds of meetings with multiple individuals. It can take months to execute successfully. Having a recruiter who is your partner in the search — guiding you through the logistical and emotional elements of switching jobs and preparing you for the more challenging interview questions and discussion points from the firm — can make all the difference.”

The Foster Group goes above and beyond when it comes to advocacy by taking a career-counseling approach to legal recruiting. This approach, while not the standard for the industry, seeks to guide applicants through each stage of the process with thorough, in-depth, and custom-tailored advice.

“We routinely hear from our clients that we invest the most time and effort into the attorney search, as compared to other recruiters they have worked with,” Drew shares. “There is a real partnership between our recruiters and the attorneys we work with and a true understanding of their short and long-term career goals.”

The team at The Foster Group has found that having an ongoing dialogue with their clients is the ideal path to successful placements. The approach is essentially a partnership, in which our firm takes the time to understand what a client wants to accomplish, both now and in the future, so we can effectively position them to attain it.

“The best recruiters are career counselors,” Michelle argues. “If you are simply receiving job openings from a recruiter on a weekly basis, you shouldn’t expect to see effective results.”

Gaining a career counselor with meaningful connections

Law firms benefit greatly from the services legal recruiting firms provide. These firms can streamline the process by utilizing their networks to identify elite talent that meets a firm’s needs and prescreen candidates so that only those who are most qualified are presented for further consideration.

Recruiting firms also streamline the process for attorneys. By leveraging their connections, they can get valuable information about opportunities that are not available to the average applicant.

“The best firms are those with a track record of making placements by building relationships with law firms,” Michelle says. “Recruiters who have relationships can call a firm’s hiring partner directly to obtain the kind of information that will be most beneficial to an attorney pursuing a position. Our commitment to building long-standing relationships with law firms allows us to provide suggestions that are built upon a deep knowledge of firms, their cultures, and the opportunities they offer.”

Michelle knows firsthand the value that long-standing relationships bring to the recruiting process. The solid relationships she has with senior management in many great law firms have been cultivated over decades, allowing her to provide her clients with the granular and often overlooked details regarding the firm, culture, position, and search process. As described in the testimonials of past clients, those types of relationships provide “market intelligence” that is essential for identifying a “perfect fit.”

For both attorneys and legal firms, the hiring process involves a long list of challenges. Legal recruitment services provide the insights and expertise needed to navigate and overcome those challenges.

“The level of competition that exists in today’s market makes it essential for attorneys and firms to engage in the hiring process in a way that gives them an advantage,” says Michelle. “Partnering with a recruiting firm — especially one that takes a career-counseling approach — is one of the best ways to gain that advantage.”

Published By: Aize Perez