From TLOMA November, 2009 Newsletter

Many people do not fully understand what exactly a legal recruiter does. Even less understand what they are entitled to expect and require of their legal recruiter when they call upon them to assume the important task of managing their career or representing their firm’s staffing needs. Although widely accepted around the world, legal recruiting is still a developing industry. And with development, there is always room for improvement. A good legal recruiter can create a successful career path for a legal professional to follow and help a hiring manager staff their firm with the industry’s top talent. A bad legal recruiter can just as easily damage a career or blemish the credibility of a law firm.

Before entering the legal recruiting business, I was a lawyer for many years and was headhunted by both good and bad recruiters. As a supervising and senior lawyer, I was responsible for working with recruiting companies who staffed legal professionals in law firms. Having had the unique ability to see recruiting from three different roles, I know that recruiting is a business, and like any other commission-driven business, you have to choose carefully.

So how does one recognize the commission-driven salesperson from the true professional? You start by understanding exactly what a legal recruiter does, learn what you can legitimately expect, then make an informed decision.

Do recruiters really make all that money just to email resumes?

Well, it depends. In any commission-driven industry, most people work hard to earn their money; unfortunately, there are a few that do not. Some do little more than collect jobs, place ads and forward resumes without getting to know the candidate or understanding the position fully. However, a recruiter that earns their fee is an invaluable resource to both a law firm and a job applicant.

In a typical scenario, a recruiter receives instructions from a law firm looking to hire a lateral employee. A good recruiter takes the time to get to know everything about that employer and position. He or she becomes the face of the law firm, marketing it to attract quality candidates. Without adequate knowledge of a firm, it is difficult to convince a candidate that this is the right place for them. An uninformed recruiter can actually damage a firm’s chances of recruiting top talent. Quality recruiters will spend an equal amount of time getting to know the candidate to ensure that the position is one that meets their needs, too. This is followed by careful screening and packaging. Packaging is important, especially when you are presenting lawyers and senior law clerks, and is one aspect that many less-qualified or commission-driven recruiters neglect. These packages provide the firm with interview notes, the recruiter’s personal observations, background information on the candidate, explain why he or she wants to change jobs as well as anything in their resume that requires clarification. They may also include litigation
summaries, transaction sheets and books of business. The recruiter will then schedule and prepare their candidate for an interview, then follow up with both their client and candidate post hire to ensure a smooth transition. This is how a recruiter earns their fee.

Some basic things a hiring manager should expect from his or her recruiter.

1. A guarantee of six months
A good recruiter stands by their work.

2. A reasonable time frame for filling the position and frequent status reports outlining efforts and response rates
Some recruiters may take a job order that they cannot reasonably expect to fill, in order to prevent clients from taking their business elsewhere. Although no one can guarantee how long it will take to find you the perfect hire, a good recruiter can provide a strategy for how your search will be conducted, how much time can reasonably be devoted to it and periodic status reports.

3. Only highly-qualified, carefully-screened lateral candidates that meet all of your qualifications
Logically, people only pay for services they cannot do for themselves. A recruiter is there to seek out the hard-to-find top talent and screen them properly to make sure they are appropriate for your particular firm and position. Many recruiters have their consultants meet with candidates for less than 30 minutes before presenting a resume to a client and usually, if they have already met with a candidate, will not call them back in if they have a new job order. Make sure your recruiter knows your expectations from the onset and, if you are not satisfied, inform them of your concerns immediately.

4. A recruiter that has worked in a law firm or legal department for a reasonable amount of time prior to recruiting
This is discretionary; however, it is very difficult for non-lawyers to interview lawyers or for someone who has never worked in a law firm to understand what it takes to be successful in that environment.

5. The name of the recruiter that will be assigned to your law firm and their qualifications
You may have a relationship and place your orders with the president, but you should also know the individual who is handling your firm’s matters and that they are qualified to do so.

6. A recruiter who can demonstrate that he or she understands the position they are staffing and what it will take for a candidate to be successful in that position
Some recruiters don’t understand enough about the job, or specialized area of practice, to ask
the right questions in an interview or even target appropriate candidates when headhunting
and reviewing resume submissions. Clients often end up with poor resume choices, or worse,
miss out on resumes from qualified candidates due to uninformed recruiters. Discuss the position
with the recruiter that will be staffing your position in detail, and have them demonstrate that they
are knowledgeable and comfortable enough to interview highly qualified candidates.

7. A presentation package on the candidate unless you request otherwise
As discussed earlier.

8. Complete and accurate knowledge of your firm
If a recruiter appears uninformed or does not promote you properly, then not only are they not doing their job, they could actually tarnish your firm’s reputation. Provide your recruiter with adequate information about your firm before they begin your job search and make sure you are comfortable with this person representing you.

What every job applicant should know before speaking to a recruiter.

1. Never agree to work with one recruiter exclusively
Not only does this foreclose potential opportunities through other recruiters, it is unlikely that you will know at the initial stage whether you like and trust this recruiter.

2. When a recruiter tells you about a job, ask questions
Weaker recruiters will respond in generalizations. That is when you know you are dealing with a salesperson who is playing musical chairs with your career and not a legal professional. A good recruiter will know everything about the firm, the position, what it takes to succeed in the job and more.

3. Beware of a recruiter that sells you an opportunity before first asking you questions
Make sure your recruiter spends enough time getting to know you and what you want before even discussing a position with you. How can someone tell you that they have found you the perfect job if they don’t even know you?

4. Find out whether your recruiter has any previous legal experience
Most believe they are better represented by someone who knows exactly what they are going through.

5. Ask your recruiter what you can expect from them
A good recruiter will review your resume and suggest revisions, meet with you for a substantial period of time to discuss your goals and career strategies, craft a cover letter and package you properly, prepare you for interviews and provide information on the firm and job.

6. Demand confidentiality
A recruiter should guarantee you complete confidentiality. Ask what steps he or she is taking to keep your search confidential. Never sign anything that allows a recruiter to send out your resume, under any circumstance, without your express consent first. Unauthorized submissions are not only unethical but also severely compromise your confidentiality.

7. Recruiters are not for everyone
Recruiters are paid a fee by their client to seek out the hard-to-find and highly-qualified candidates. Until you have accumulated enough experience and training in your field, most law firms will not pay a fee for you. Those with under a year of experience are probably best served by applying directly to law firms.

8. Know where your resume is going
Once a recruiter has determined that you meet all of the necessary requirements for a position, you have the right to know where your resume is being sent. Over submission is to be avoided. I currently have a candidate that most recruiters are refusing to work with because, in the past, they diluted her resume by submitting it all over town without telling her where it went. Now, because too many of them have engaged in this unethical practice, no one knows where she has been submitted to, thus rendering her virtually unmarketable.

Conclusion
The next time you are in the market for a legal recruiter, take time to find out exactly who it is that will be working on your behalf. Remember, it is never really a company that represents you; rather, it is the individual or individuals assigned to your job order or career. Many are well-qualified agents that are up to the task and will be happy to answer any questions you may have. You have invested a lot of time and money in your career and business–no one will fault you for wanting to protect it.

Joanne Conflitti has been a lawyer for over 15 years working for law firms and in-house legal departments in the United States and Asia. It was during her last two years in the United States, while working as a supervisor for a large recruiting firm in New York on the Enron litigation, when she decided to make the transition into permanent legal recruitment. She worked briefly for a Toronto recruiting company and is now the founder and owner of Conflitti & Associates, a legal recruitment firm specializing in the counseling and placement of lawyers, law clerks and legal administrative staff. Joanne Conflitti can be reached at 416-840-5583 or joanne@conflittiassociates.com or visit her website; www.conflittiassociates.com