Lawcruiters all have one thing in common that we don't like to publicize: We don't really know everyone. Conversely (and this is information we Lawcruiters have a hard time publicizing) - some of us are really effective in certain practice areas.
This is important information for client-side lateral-recruitment managers and partners - and should thus educate how they work with the 350+ legal recruiting firms vying for their business.
The proper response to this should be two-fold:
- Short-Lists or Horses for Courses?: Every firm has a list of "preferred-providers" (usually assembled on the basis of personal relationships and/or prior successes) which get first access to searches and the information needed to complete those searches. This approach begs the question as to whether the short-list has practice-area expertise that fully responds to the clients needs. In other words - if your firm is looking for private-equity attorneys (who isn't?) and your short-list is composed of recruiters who try to be all things to all people - shouldn't you be acting to revising that list or at least beating the bushes to find recruiters that specialize in private equity?
- Share that Information Better: Law firms are getting better and better at web-posting or emailing lateral search information to the Lawcruiter community. This is smart recruiting practice because - since your short list does not know everyone - there is definitely a Lawcruiter out there who knows precisely the right candidate for that one impossible-to- -fill lateral need. Which is why it is so crucial that web-postings and emails contain as much information as possible - presented as attractively as possible (these are marketing tools, after all). It is no help to a Lawcruiter if the posting says - as it all too often does - "Private Equity - 3-5 years - Top firms/Schools only". By comparison, a posting that contains a detailed description of the role, its responsibilities, the practice group description, the names of the supervising partners, the size of the group and numerical class-year breakdown, etc., is a joy to work with since - in these days of opaquely written job postings - it is easier to remember .
Ultimately - using Lawcruiters effectively is one of the best ways of ensuring your firm stays competitive in the lateral-hiring game. We may not know everyone - but we definitely know of someone you need.
