The Foster Group Featured in NYKDaily on "The Latest Developments in the Legal Field on Return-to-Office Dynamics"
/The Latest Developments in the Legal Field on Return-to-Office Dynamics
Much like a ship suddenly forced to sail through strange waters, the legal field has been working to find its bearings since the COVID-19 pandemic. The unexpected demands of Covid forced law firms - like many other businesses - to stay afloat by going remote, and once the pandemic passed, getting attorneys to return to the office proved to be a formidable challenge.
“In many ways, it has been an ongoing tug of war since the effort to get attorneys back in the office began more than a year ago,” explains Drew Foster, Managing Director at The Foster Group. “Firms would like to see more attorneys back in the office, but they are being mindful of how they approach the issue. They don’t want to push in a way that makes their attorneys feel alienated or otherwise unhappy about the decision.”
As a legal recruiting firm offering a full range of legal recruitment services, The Foster Group has played a key role in helping both firms and attorneys navigate the recruiting and retention challenges the shift to remote work has introduced. The team at The Foster Group has spent decades building and maintaining solid relationships with top law firms and corporations around the globe, a practice that gives them access to the granular and often overlooked details about firms, including their culture, their search process, and the positions they offer. They know where firms stand on remote work and can help them find the right fit when top talent is needed.
For attorneys, The Foster Group offers insights into the methods firms use in return-to-office mandates and how these could affect an attorney’s experience. Every member of The Foster Group’s team takes a career -counseling approach to recruiting, which is focused on understanding the career goals of those seeking new positions to provide strategic guidance on how to achieve those goals. They appreciate the need some attorneys have for remote work and can help them understand the steps that must be taken to secure it.
Introducing more structure to hybrid work models
The shift from fully remote to hybrid work models was one of the first steps many law firms took when transitioning back to in-office work. The next step, which Drew says many firms are now taking, is to better define the parameters of the hybrid models.
“Many firms now expect their attorneys to be in the office three days a week,” Drew shares. “But they are not as flexible as they were in the past, allowing attorneys to select what days they are in. They are putting some structure in place that allows the attorneys’ in-office time to be as effective and strategic as possible.”
Having the full practice group in the office at the same time is one goal of having attorneys on a more structured schedule. By requiring attorneys to come in Tuesday through Thursday, firms ensure groups can have the interaction necessary for effective collaboration and team building.
“In the legal field, attorneys need to get elbow to elbow,” shares Michelle Foster, Managing Partner of The Foster Group. “That is especially true when training, but is valuable with any activities that involve connecting. Being together in the office maximizes the effectiveness of colleague-to-colleague interactions.”
Increasing the draw power of fully remote positions
As many firms are shifting from remote to hybrid, those who continue to offer fully remote positions have increased their draw power.
“The fully remote positions we are seeing come available today are highly sought after,” explains Drew. “We are seeing interest in those positions from attorneys at top law firms who are willing to take major cuts in compensation to have the remote opportunity. It’s a trend that is very unexpected.”
The trend translates to a rare opportunity for smaller and mid-sized firms that are willing to allow fully remote schedules. Those firms can bring great attorneys onto their team - attorneys who would have been out of reach before Covid - simply due to the flexible arrangements they are prepared to offer.
“We get asked regularly when attorneys reach out for positions about the in-office arrangements,” Drew says. “They want to know how many days are required, how strict the policy is, and how it might change in the future. Firms that can be flexible in that area will be pleased to see stellar candidates interested in the position.”
Creating clarity in recruitment communications
For firms seeking to attract top talent in this new season, The Foster Group recommends creating a structure that adds value to in-office time.
“Having a thought-out policy and clearly communicating that policy is important,” Michelle says. “Attorneys will be more willing to accept in-office requirements if they know those days will be dedicated to training, time with their group, or time with a senior partner who is providing valuable mentoring. Helping attorneys see that in-office time will pay dividends is important for attracting top talent in this season.”