How to Fast-Track Your Legal Hiring Process
By Jamy J. Sullivan, JD, Robert Half
Question:
Recently, my company has tried to hire for two open positions and, each time, we missed out on promising candidates because we took too long to make a job offer or couldn't compete on salary with another employer. What steps can we take to improve our overall hiring process?
Answer:
You're not alone in facing this challenge. Robert Half research found that 83% of managers missed out on a good hire last year. Furthermore, 29% attributed this to a prolonged decision-making process. The average time it now takes to hire a new employee has soared to 11 weeks, up 57% from 2021. Here's how you can buck this trend:
Vague or overly broad job descriptions can attract mismatched candidates, which lengthens the time you’ll need to review the applications you’ll receive since there will be a larger volume of them. Avoid listing numerous "nice-to-have" skills that aren't crucial for the role. A clear, concise job description attracts genuinely qualified and enthusiastic candidates and reduces the time needed to sift through less suitable resumes.
Lean in to your network
Networking allows you to tap into a talent pool already familiar with your specialization or industry. Hosting networking events, attending industry conferences or encouraging employee referrals are ways to reach out to potential candidates directly, accelerating the hiring process. Candidates sourced through networking often come pre-vetted, meaning less time spent on validating their experience and more time integrating them into your team.
Accelerate the interview process
Consider conducting brief virtual interviews with people who interest you to shorten your index of potential candidates. When you arrive at the list of people you’ll invite for more in-depth interviews, line up multiple in-person interviews on the same day. Using collaboration and project management tools like Teams and Asana can keep your HR, hiring managers and senior partners on the same page, improving coordination and speeding up decision-making.
One pitfall that can seriously slow down the hiring process is having your most favored candidates drop out, which could force you to restart the search. Candidate attrition can often be attributed to a lapse in engagement on your part, making applicants feel neglected or uncertain about their status. Keep the lines of communication open by providing regular updates. Clearly inform candidates about the next steps and when they will occur.
Benchmark salaries accurately
Benchmarking salaries using resources like the Robert Half Salary Guide ensures you align with market rates. This attracts the highest skilled talent and prevents the slowdown that comes from having to renegotiate offers or losing candidates to better-paying opportunities.
Being swift doesn't mean being hasty in the race for top legal professionals. By reviewing and streamlining each stage of your hiring process, you don't just save time — you build a smoother path for exceptional candidates to join your team.
Jamy J. Sullivan is executive director of the legal practice at Robert Half, the world’s first and largest specialized talent solutions firm. Robert Half offers contract, temporary and permanent placement solutions, and is the parent company of Protiviti®, a global consulting firm. Visit RobertHalf.com.