Let’s get clear about one thing. Your team IS your business. You can have an incredible mission statement, an awesome marketing strategy and mad skills as a lawyer…none of that really matters without a solid, reliable team to back it all up. The true scalability factor in your business is the people. They are what makes the business scalable.
Suffice to say recruiting your team is one of the most important things you will do for your law firm. That’s why it’s so important to get it right. When you have the right people in the right place at the right time, the synergy of your office becomes a force to be reckoned with—and you’ll see the results in your bank account, as well.
Entire books have been written on the subject of effective team-building, but for now, let’s boil it down to three key tips for recruiting and hiring an all-star team for your law firm.
Hire based on people’s strengths, not on your immediate needs.
Too many attorneys simply hire staff to offload the “grunt work” they either don’t want to do or don’t have time to do. This approach frequently results in high turnover because the people you hire don’t enjoy that work any more than you do. They’re just in it for the paycheck, and we all know that’s not enough to keep morale high for any length of time. As an alternative, when you identify someone who has strengths that would be an asset for your firm, create a position for that person where their strengths can shine. That hiring approach not only results in happier, more long-term employees, it also means those players will bring their best work to the team.
Place Value on Employee Referrals
I love having employees recommend their friends. This is usually a good sign that they love your company. When you hire someone, they’re going to spend 8 hours a day in close quarters with other people on your team—so it makes sense that they should be people who get along well with each other. One great way to facilitate a good office culture is to hire people your teammates already know and value. Get your existing team involved in the recruiting process, and listen to their recommendations. Not every referral will be golden, but you’ll generally see higher quality prospects than simply by posting an ad on the Internet.
Leverage Social Media
Establishing an engaging social media presence can help your law firm in a myriad of ways—but it can be especially useful these days for finding and recruiting great team members. We’re not just talking about job-based networks like LinkedIn (although that site can be quite useful); we’re talking about platforms like Facebook and even Instagram (the current “go-to” social site for twenty-somethings with fresh ideas). Social media is where your largest potential pool of talent is hanging out—and even more importantly, these people aren’t necessarily actively seeking jobs, which means they won’t be desperate to put on a front for you. You’ll have the chance to get to know people for who they are before hiring them.
People are crucial to your business. Be sure you have a hiring plan for your growth.
To Your Continued Success,
Luis Scott
