Global Talent Manager, Carmen Grossman, Interviewed by Law.com on How a Hot Legal Market Presents Transformational Opportunities
/Texas Takeaways: How a Hot Legal Market Presents Transformation Opportunities
What’s Happening:
The riddle of who wins the battle between the irresistible force and the immovable object has finally been solved. Over the past two years, the COVID-19 pandemic, remote work and legal tech have created the dynamics necessary to force a once-conservative legal industry notoriously resistant to change to finally try new ideas, and the results have produced unprecedented opportunities for legal professionals, say two legal recruiters at The Foster Group.
The market is incredibly transformational in terms of people’s careers right now, says Michelle Foster, founder and managing partner of The Foster Group.
“This type of market does not come along every day,” Foster said. “For example, my legal recruiting firm [work] is up 50% compared to last year.”
Texas Lawyer also spoke with Carmen Grossman, managing director and global talent manager at The Foster Group, about what to expect and how you can get ready to capitalize on these opportunities.
More firms are open to hiring talent in areas where there is no physical presence, says Grossman.
“Law firms are not the fastest when it comes to embracing change, but once they had to figure out remote everything (remote work opportunities doubled in 2021), they are seeing some of the advantages that those lessons taught them,” Grossman said.
What Does This Mean for Attorneys Wanting to Make Career Moves?
The Foster Group’s candidates are moving to larger and potentially more prestigious firms; there are more opportunities for “senior candidates” (partners), and there are more options for senior candidates “with small portables,” says Grossman.
“Clients have made some impressive moves such as hiring candidates without interviews, hiring candidates on the spot, and generally tidying up their recruiting process so they don’t lose out on landing the talent they want and need,” Grossman said.
How Long Will It Last and How Can Attorneys Take Advantage?
This hot market is going to get hotter in 2022, and that is the dominant opinion of professionals in a variety of legal professions, says Grossman.
“I would urge all clients to streamline their recruiting process and put thought into the lineup of their recruiting team so that their best firm representatives are involved,” Grossman said.
“I would also strongly counsel law firm clients to work closely with a select recruiter or two, so they know that details about their need and the firm are being optimally presented and worked on,” she said. “By passing needs to 100 or more recruiters [a recruiting firm] is really doing nothing but throwing out information.”
How Can Hiring Law Firms Take Advantage?
In order to be competitive they will need to be thoughtful about their “sell” and recruiting process, coordinate the firm’s value proposition throughout their recruiting team, and move quickly and decisively on candidate selection, says Grossman.