Working with a legal support recruiter offers unparalleled benefits. Your staffing partner can revitalize your job postings, reach out to the best hidden legal support talent, and cultivate candidates who offer both the skills to do the job well and the cultural “fit” to thrive with your existing team.
To maximize the benefit of your relationship with a legal support recruiter, it’s wise to choose one who demonstrates the attributes of an outstanding recruiter. Look for these five elements:
Market and Industry Knowledge
How well does the recruiter know the market in which you work, including the types of clients you seek and the practice areas on which you focus? Can your recruiter identify your major competitors and articulate how you stand out from them? The best recruiters know their markets, and they know what makes their clients unique.
Geographic Knowledge
Some recruiters boast of a “national” or “coast-to-coast” reach. While this can certainly help broaden the candidate pool, it often does little for firms that want to hire a legal support professional who is already familiar with the Toronto area and its key players. Choose a recruiter who knows your geographic terrain well.
Candidate Knowledge
Who are the top names in your industry or practice area right now? Who are the “rising stars”? Which legal support professionals at competing firms would bring their skills to your team if the fit was right? A recruiter who knows the answers has the relationships and connections to make a difference in your hiring.
Communication
How easy is it to reach your recruiter? When you send an email or leave a message, how quickly do they respond to you? Top recruiters prioritize communication, because they know communication is how relationships are built—and they know relationships produce recruiting results.
Focus on the Long Term
How well does your recruiter understand long-term strategic staffing? Does your recruiter seek feedback on candidates they recommend, or do recommendations just seem like “one thing after another”? The best recruiters know the best candidates are the “best” within the context of your organizational culture and long-term goals—so they work on building a long-term relationship with an ever-deepening understanding of your organization’s needs.
At Kent Legal, our recruiters strive to embody the essential attributes of outstanding legal support recruiters in everything we do. To learn more, contact us today.
