With apologies to George Michael who surely did not have recruiter gatherings in mind, here is a list of "Why can't they do it this way" suggestions, pleadings and beseechments to the law firm community as to what they should be doing the next time they invite the Lawcruiters in to chat.
- Do You Really Want to Do it? Remember that a feeble effort to engage Lawcruiters is worse than making no effort at all.
- Small Groups / Personalized Pitches: Ask yourself what gets more attention - a mass mailing or a direct-personalized appeal. So it should be with Lawcruiter gatherings. There is no substitute for the personal touch to motivate your recruiters to work harder for you!
- Enthusiastic Focus. There are few things that are more inspiring for a recruiter than a compelling enthusiastic presentation by a partner as to why he or she is at a the firm, and why he or she thinks there is no better place to be.
- Give Detail Where Required: Good Lawcruiters can be better recruiters when they have the fullest understanding of what an opportunity actually entails. This means that your search gets filled faster, your partners become more profitable, etc.
- Be candid: Talk openly about your SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats). While there is always a risk that a Lawcruiter will misuse this information to your detriment - the risk is in losing a golden opportunity to frame the discussion in a way that shows your firm and its recruiting efforts in the best light is far greater. Remember - we've already heard the reasons why someone shouldn't join your team - or have thought of them ourselves.
- Avoid the Cliches: Ask yourself how compelling it would be for a time-pressed, critically-thinking candidate to hear that yours is a "fabulous opportunity at a fabulous firm working for fabulous people". Keep it real.
- Don't rest on your laurels. Just because your firm is at the top of the heap today does not mean that your firm will have the same value tomorrow. Remember Brobeck?
- Promote and Respect Your Recruitment Coordinators - These are the lynchpins of your effort. They can either facilitate a rapid rate of successful placements, or they can slow them down to everyone's loss. This question will be adressed in greater detail in future posts.
- Provide Relevant, Useful Written Materials - Firm promotional materials are generally self-indulgent and therefore useless. The more real information you give (biographies, deal sheets, group makeup as to class year, strategic needs), the better.
