Why Do Law Firms Use Recruiters to Find Talent?
If you’re an attorney-candidate interested in looking for a new position (whether at a law firm or in-house), then you may already be aware of the many advantages to be gained from working with an experienced legal recruiter. Legal recruiters can help attorney-candidates re-work their resumes, develop a more persuasive application, interview better, and present their career experiences in a manner that makes them a more attractive candidate overall. Still, for many attorney-candidates, the relationship of a recruiter to a given law firm can be rather murky, and this confusion may lead a candidate to question the underlying dynamic — after all, who is the legal recruiter working for, exactly?
Legal recruiters are paid by law firms (and in-house legal departments) on contingency for new hires, but recruiters provide career development services directly to the attorney-candidates. As such, it is not particularly accurate to say that the legal recruiter works for any of these parties, in the traditional sense. Legal recruiters are incentivized to connect attorneys with law firms, and to do so effectively — good hires lead to a positive reputation for the legal recruitment agency. Poor hires can lead to a loss of business.
If industry employers must shoulder the cost burden (i.e., paying recruiter-fees) to make use of a legal recruiter, why should they do so? Ostensibly, prestigious law firms and in-house departments already receive numerous applications when they are hiring for a position.
There are a number of ways in which legal recruiters provide value to law firms. Consider the following.
Connecting Firms to Talented Candidates
Legal recruiters connect law firms and in-house departments to talented candidates, and this reduces the administrative burden (and risk) during the hiring process. If a law firm receives hundreds of applications for a particular position, for example, then it can be rather challenging for the firm to differentiate the candidates and determine — on the sole basis of their applications — the higher-end candidates. Legal recruiters work with employers to understand their needs. As such, they are well-equipped to identify those candidates who have particular experiences and talents that make them suited for a position. Thus, instead of playing something of a “guessing game,” employers can rely on legal recruiters to push candidates that satisfy the desired criteria.
Legal Recruiters Are Hired on a Contingency Basis, With Safeguards
Legal recruiters work on a contingency basis — they are only paid if the employer hires one of the candidates introduced to them by the legal recruiter. If the employer chooses a different hire, then the legal recruiter will not be paid. Given this dynamic, legal recruiters are incentivized to work on behalf of the attorney-candidate to fully develop their application and really “sell” their candidacy to the employer.
It’s also worth noting that the employer-recruiter dynamic is further modulated by provisions that ensure that the employer can get their fees paid back if the new hire quits or is fired (within a specified period of time). As such, legal recruiters must not blindly advocate for any and all attorney-candidates. Legal recruiters will only be rewarded if they connect you with an employer such that the arrangement will benefit both parties. If one of the parties is unhappy with the arrangement, then this could lead to payment and reputation issues for a recruiter.
Legal Recruiters Can “Sell the Firm” to Ideal Candidates
Law firms are proactive in the hiring process, and seek out ideal, highly-talented individuals for certain positions. Even if an attorney is not certain about transitioning to a new position (but is simply exploring their various options), a legal recruiter can help them identify target firms and in-house departments that are suitable for the attorney’s skillset and experience. Because legal recruiters understand a great deal about the legal industry, and the employer who is paying a contingency fee for recruitment services, they are better able to “sell” employment prospects to qualified candidates.
This is good for all parties involved. Attorneys who may have skipped over an employer may be enlightened about the positive qualities that make the firm or in-house department a great next-step for their career. Skilled legal recruiters will never push a position on attorney-candidates. Doing so could lead to a poor fit, and could hurt the legal recruiter’s relationship with the employer and their reputation in the industry.
Fees Are Not a Limiting Factor
Some attorney-candidates worry that recruiter-fees will make them a less viable candidate than others who are not working with a legal recruiter. This is a myth, however. When firms work with legal recruiters, they budget for it. Further, fees are rarely a limiting factor as legal recruiters tend to work with employers looking to hire higher-end candidates. Fees could be a limiting factor in entry-level positions, but for mid-level and high-level hires, recruiter-fees are insignificant compared to the value that a qualified attorney hire brings to the table.
Contact an Experienced Los Angeles Legal Recruiter for Further Guidance
If you’re an attorney interested in making a career transition — whether to a new firm, or into an in-house legal department — it’s worth speaking with an experienced legal recruiter. Here at Garb Jaffe & Associates, our experienced Los Angeles legal recruiters have decades of combined experience placing attorneys with prestigious law firms and corporations throughout California, and will advise throughout the process to ensure that you are well-positioned to secure your desired placement.
Call today at (310) 207-0727 to schedule a consultation with one of the legal recruiters here at Garb Jaffe & Associates. Throughout the client-engagement process, we will evaluate your background and help you to identify ideal target firms and develop a competitive application.