How does a law firm attract the best candidates to work at the firm? How does a solo or small firm attract an experienced lawyer to partner with? These questions have come up a number of times recently in various forms. Here are a few of my ideas, some of which were in response to a question about finding the right person to partner with, which was posted on a list serve for lawyers.
Attracting candidates to your firm, whether for professional positions, partnership, or staff, should be viewed the same you view your marketing – only your target market isn’t clients this time, it’s prospective partners (or associates or whatever).
The first step is to envision the kind of person you'd like to see in the position. Many people would say that this depends upon the position, but that may not always be true (you might want to read my recent post discussing Jim Collins' bus metaphor from Good to Great). Character and values are usually the most important factors, because they can't be taught. Skills can be taught. Of course, skills are also important, particularly for high level professional positions. If you're looking for a partner with experience in a specific practice area, this needs to be taken into consideration.
Build a profile of the kind of person you’d like to see in the position. Do this the same way you’d build a profile of your ideal client for marketing purposes. If the profile is detailed enough, it should give you a good idea of what kinds of things that person would want to know, and what things would attract them to your firm.
Next, you need to analyze the competition. In this case, the competition is your prospect's current position, as well as other employment opportunies (such as starting their own solo practice, working for a different firm, or obtaining a non-legal position, etc.) What are the advantages to your prospect staying where they are? What are the advantages for them of choosing another firm over yours?
Talk to some people that have the profile of your ideal prospect and ask them what it would take for them to change their situation (even if those particular people aren’t looking to leave at the moment). Get some insights into the pluses and minuses of where they are just like you’d ‘size up’ the competition in your marketing efforts.
Once you've analyzed the competition, figure out how to differentiate yourself, focusing on the prospect's wants and needs. Why should your prospect leave their current situation to work with you? Why should they choose you over another opportunity? Will they have more autonomy? Is there less bureaucracy at your firm? Are the people friendlier? Is the culture more in keeping with the prospect's values? Is your firm dedicated to helping a particular type of client? Do you have an inspiring vision and mission? Is the communication better at your firm? Will the prospect have a better chance for advancement? Could you find a way to duplicate the things your ideal prospect would be 'giving up' by choosing your firm? Can you offer something that's even better?
Consider why you've decided to start your firm, and what you like about your current arrangement. Talk to your current partners, associates and staff. What do they like best about working with you? What attracted them to your firm? What are the values that you and your firm share? Chances are that the person you’re looking for will be attracted to working with you for the same or similar reasons that others were.
Finally, consider how you can connect with your ideal prospects. Think about where the kinds of people you’d like to bring into your practice ‘hang out’ – what groups or associations do they belong to? What publications do they read? What kinds of events do they attend? If you’re in those same places, you can ‘market’ to them and get the word out that you’re looking for someone to join you.
For more about how to attract superstars to your firm, see my article with that title on my website, LawyerMeltdown.com.
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