Finding The Right Recruiters

The search for great talent requires a lot more than a posting on a job board. To source, screen and hire the best attorneys, paralegals, administrators, human resources managers, IT professionals and support staff, consider partnering with an experienced legal recruiter.

Top recruiters are passionate, focused, ask insightful questions, listen, and spend the time necessary to deliver the best results for their clients. They can make the hiring process not only far more efficient, but effective, as well, providing access to high caliber candidates and giving employers more time to focus on priorities other than hiring.

But with so many choices out there, it can be hard to discern which recruiter is the best fit for your firm’s needs and goals. When you’d like to partner with an expert legal recruiter, what should you look for?

Experience.
Seek out recruiters that understand the nuances of the legal industry and have experience placing candidates with firms like yours. Ask what relevant searches they have conducted and see how those match the position you are seeking to fill.

Listening Skills.
Successful recruiters do more listening than talking. They ask questions to gain insight needed to deliver positive results. The best recruiters will dedicate time to gather information about your firm’s key selling features. They will also seek to understand the specific personality, skills, education and expertise desired in a future employee.

Passion.
Part of a recruiter’s job is to sell your employment brand. So if they’re not focused, passionate and knowledgeable about your firm, then they’re not going to be able to properly represent and promote your opportunity to potential candidates.

If you’re ready to partner with experienced legal recruiters in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland Bay Area, put Legal Specialists on top of your list.  Our team of placement specialists has the knowledge and proven processes to help you attract, evaluate and ultimately hire top candidates for your openings. Contact us today to learn more.

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Effective Recruiting Strategies

Recruiting is one of the most crucial roles of any human resources professional but it can be a game of chance if it isn’t done correctly. An organization’s success can largely depend upon hiring the right individuals. Therefore, the investment in time and effort in creating an effective staffing strategy can prove to be very valuable.

Where to Begin.  The first step is to determine exactly what the requirements are of the position to be filled.  The next stage is to define the best strategy for obtaining candidates. Advertising on  job sites, social networking, referral programs, and job search engines may be used to gather as many candidates as possible. However,  cost effectiveness must be evaluated as HR departments in conjunction with other managers will devote time outside their normal duties reading and screening resumes.

In-House Recruiting.   If done internally, it is important to keep track of several very important parameters like where candidates are coming from, which source provides the best candidates and how many applicant submissions it takes to develop an interview pool. Measuring this will help show the best way to recruit for positions in the future.  Applicant tracking software is a way to stay organized throughout the hiring process.

Using a Recruiter.  Placement services are often able to provide the right employee in the shortest time. A professional recruiter has the ability to search, read and screen resumes, interview potential candidates and deliver a select group for consideration.  It is also cost effective in a way that saves firms from having to maintain large internal recruiting departments.  Moreover, contingency staffing agencies don’t get paid until a candidate is successfully hired, and thus the risk is shifted almost entirely to the placement firms.

Putting it all Together.   Measuring results can quickly ascertain which methods are the most effective.  This will increase the chances of finding better candidates and reduce the time to hire and the costs involved.  In short, developing and following through with an effective recruiting plan should pay off significantly.

Generation Why?

Ever wonder why that 24-year-old new hire comes off as being a little too competitive, confidently eyeing your office as if it’s up for grabs?  Who is this kid acting like the boss on their first day?  Don’t worry, there’s an explanation for this and it’s called Generation Why. Also known as: Generation Y, Millennials, Gen I (Generation Internet), Generation Next, Adultolescents and Echo Boomers.  The work force is changing and this group will soon account for the majority of workers, especially as Baby Boomers start to retire.

The generation of workers born roughly between 1977 and 1995 rivals the boomers in numbers, and is proving to have a significant influence as well.  It’s not just their multitude that makes Generation Next important to the labor market.  They’re unlike previous generations, and that’s forcing a shift on firms and managers. From wanting to make an impact on day one, to independently tackling huge challenges, Echo Boomers are requiring employers to adjust, not only to their behavior, but also to what seems to be a whole new set of career expectations.

Adultolescents are more concerned with an organization’s culture, than the job.  They prefer open communication and to interact freely.  An uptight formal traditional business style of culture is not going to attract and retain Generation Next.  This is forcing human resource managers to adjust, for example, methods of recruiting and retention, especially in order to hire and keep the best young talent.  Don’t endorse the old factory mentality, “when you’re at work you work, no down time.” Encourage free communication and promoting teamwork.  Just a little fun will go a long way!

Along with seeking work to be more meaningful and challenging, Generation Internet also aims to make significant impact in a short amount of time.  They want to work faster and better than others.  Their work ethic, which can be viewed as competitive, may well be an outcome of being independent and tech savvy.  The Twentysomethings are like living, breathing search engines.  Not only do they ask question after question, they’re quick learners and quick to put together information.  In that way, they are incredible assets.

With the ever-changing workforce, understanding and adapting to the new values and demands of Generation Y will no doubt be an important factor. In the coming years, Millennials will be called upon to help fill the big shoes left by exiting boomers.  These workers could force you to rethink and improve methods of recruiting, training, and management – the lifeblood elements of any organization.