In a Rush to Hire a Legal Assistant? Don’t Sacrifice Quality

Despite your best attempts to plan ahead, many situations may result in a need to hire a legal support professional as soon as possible. As with any project, hiring done in a rush can create the temptation to cut corners. In your hurry to get someone in the position, you may find yourself settling for just anyone.

But there’s no need to settle. Here’s how to hire the legal support staff you need now without sacrificing the quality talent your organization needs:

Plan your dates and deadlines in advance.

Get a calendar, choose the latest date by which you’d like to have a decision made and work backwards. For instance, if the 30th is your “acceptance” date, you’ll need to make the offer two weeks before that. You may want to give yourself another week to make the decision after the final interviews, a week to hold interviews and a week to review resumes.

By setting dates at the beginning, you achieve two goals. First, you hold yourself to a clear deadline, which can help you avoid the pressure of choosing just anyone. Second, you can provide candidates a clear idea of when they can expect to hear about the next step in the process, keeping the best candidates interested and engaged instead of losing them at the last second—and forcing you back to the starting line.

Focus on essentials.

What must the new candidate have to succeed on the job? What would be great to include, but isn’t essential? Don’t focus solely on technical skill or knowledge. Success in a job often depends on cultural fit with the rest of the team and the organization rather than raw ability. Look for the candidate who will fit well with the team and has sufficient skills to get immediate tasks done.

Call a recruiting expert.

Once you know who you need and how soon you need them, call a recruiting firm that specializes in serving clients in your industry and geographic area. Because recruiters focus on building relationships, your staffing partner may know exactly the right candidates to recommend to fit your immediate needs. Legal recruiters also have deep talent pools which allow you access to passive job candidates who have already by vetted by the firm, which will help to expedite the process. When you partner with the recruiter, you’ll find the people you need, greatly reduce your search time and preserve the quality you desire to pass on to your own clients.

At Kent Legal, our recruiters help you find the high-quality legal support candidates you need, even when you need their help on short notice. Contact us to learn more about our work supporting law firms throughout the Toronto area.

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