March 2023 - Uncover Recruitment

Salary & Remuneration

The first factor to be addressed in your retention strategy is salary and remuneration. When it comes to money, a lot of companies will dance around the subject. Obviously, there are certain restrictions on smaller firms, meaning that they won’t be able to offer the highest rates of pay. Despite that, in order to be in the same game, these companies do need to be somewhat competitive.

Offering a clear structure for salary increases or bonuses will promote a healthy attitude towards money within the company. Having salary transparency when it comes to hiring is another important step towards improving retention. Whilst the other three elements are important, people will always need to put food on the table. A competitive salary is still arguably the most important factor in keeping your people.

Engaging Work

Exposure to interesting work is another important factor in attracting and retaining your people. In a firm’s day-to-day process there are certain tasks that are non-negotiable, but it’s important to divide these tasks to give your people opportunities for growth and keep them engaged. Taking an individualised approach to task distribution is essential to successful management. If you’re not offering your employees a progression plan or personal development goals, they’re not going to see a future within your company. Giving your people a personal growth strategy will foster a positive retention rate.

Flexibility

The next thing that candidates are looking for is flexibility. Law firms are typically able to offer a hybrid working environment, where their people can work from home for two or three days a week. In a candidate-short market, companies need to be conscious of the need for flexibility. Whether that means not having set working hours or taking advantage of hybrid models, it’s important to factor flexibility into your offer.

Personal Management

The final point may be obvious, but making your people feel valued will revolutionise your retention rates. Getting to know your staff on a personal level, and an outside of work perspective, will build a rapport that creates company loyalty. Find out what they enjoy, what drives them and what their family dynamic is like. Building real relationships is essential, because people won’t want to lose those deep relationships if they’re offered an alternative position.

To discuss a retention strategy for your company, get in touch with one of our consultants today.

In today’s candidate-short market, applicants have a lot of options. Because of that, recruiters and hiring managers are seeing a lower level of preparation going into interviews. This is an issue for candidates as well, because if you don’t perform in the interview, those options are going to be very short-lived. In order to get the most out of each opportunity, here are the steps you can take to effectively prepare for your interviews.

Explain your CV

First and foremost, you’ve got to know your CV back to front. You should be able to talk interviewers through your CV, giving tangible examples of the work you’ve done and the skills you used in each role. This will demonstrate your credibility as a candidate and convince the hiring manager of your qualifications for the role. It’s important not to skim through your points, but give concise examples for each one.

Know the Company

You should also know why you’ve applied to that company, and what drew you to the specific role. Are there any particular motivators, such as their mission, values or ethics? You should be able to demonstrate that you know who they are, what they do, where they operate and how you’re aligned with those things. Researching these areas will make you stand out in an interview, because your answers will articulate your suitability for the position.

Understand the Role

When it comes to the role itself, it’s crucial to identify elements of the job specification that you can add value to through your existing experience. It’s also helpful to identify aspects of the role that you haven’t done, which will allow you to develop your career. That’s an understated skill, especially in interviews. Communicating your abilities clearly and confidently creates a good impression, and explaining how you intend to grow in the role is an excellent way to suggest your own future in the company to the hiring manager.

Fine-tune your Technology

Remote interviewing has become a large part of the recruitment process, and it’s important to think about how this will affect your conversation. Basic things like checking your internet connection and investing in good-quality equipment will help you to do well. Consider your environment as well – do you look professional on camera? Is your background distracting or inappropriate? Is there a lot of background noise? Thinking about these things in advance will set you up for a positive interview experience.

It’s often difficult to convey enthusiasm and emotion over a video call, but it’s an essential skill in today’s market. If an interviewer has seen two people who are identical in terms of qualifications, they would naturally choose the more enthusiastic, engaged and eager candidate for the role. Don’t neglect your on-camera communication skills.

Investigate your Interviewer

It’s always worth researching the interviewers before you meet them. Get a feel for their professional background and how long they’ve been at the business, then ask them poignant questions. Enquiring about the people they work with and the company culture is a great place to start. You can also ask them about their experience at the firm; if they’ve joined recently, “how did you find joining?”, or if they’ve been there for a long time, “what is it that’s kept you here for so long?”. Not only will this make you sound invested in the company, it’ll give you a good idea of what working there will be like.

Prepare Questions

Always prepare a couple of questions that show your interest in the company and the role itself. While this is often common knowledge, it’s best not to immediately ask questions about leave and salary. That doesn’t create the best impression. Questions about training, growth plans and promotion potential are going to give you a much higher chance of success.

For more advice on preparing for an interview, get in touch with one of our specialist Legal Risk & Compliance consultants today.