When interviewing job applicants, you evaluate their skills, abilities, legal knowledge, and work ethic. But remember, candidates, are also interviewing you and your company simultaneously. So how do you attract the best candidates?

CULTURE

You will need to sell your law firm’s culture in the interview. Also, you want to ensure the candidate’s career goals match your Firm’s culture. As Peter Drucker says, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.”

What is culture? Culture is the atmosphere and norms at your office created by the leadership and positivity of owners and managers with active participation by all employees in that culture–success models success. Start with a well-thought-out Mission Statement. Please include it in your Employee Handbook, on your internal Intranet, and keep it visible in employee gathering areas such as the copy room or kitchen.

ORGANIZATION

Employees want to know what is expected of them, how to do their job to the Firm’s satisfaction, and who to ask for help. In addition, they want the tools and legal technology sufficient to support their efforts to produce quality work for you. Please discuss with your applicants what you offer in terms of helping them succeed at your law firm. Lay out the details of how you operate as an organization and see how they react initially to fit into such an environment.

TRAINING AND EDUCATION

Craft your job posting about not only what you need but what you will offer the right candidate. For example, if you provide ongoing training and education opportunities, and we hope you do, place that in your job description. Also, if you value a paralegal’s Florida Registered Paralegal certification (or your state’s equivalent) or national accreditations like via NALA, list that information as well, and talk to candidates about what assistance you can offer them regarding their legal career in general.

SYSTEMS FOR ADVANCEMENT

One of the areas many candidates are looking for is room for advancement at the law firm. If your Firm has a system of promoting legal secretaries to legal assistants, legal assistants to paralegals, or paralegals to senior paralegals or paralegal managers, let the applicant know you are open to rewarding leadership and advanced skill sets in these areas. As to attorney candidates, lay out your progression plan for Associate Attorneys to advance to Senior Attorney, Junior Partner, Nonequity Partner, and Partner or law firm owner. Attorneys want to know what it will take to make partner precisely at some point at your law firm.

FEELING INCLUDED AND VALUED

Regularly solicit employee feedback and provide team-building activities and social gatherings. Develop systems for recognizing stellar work ethic and contributions to the success of your law firm. Once you implement a dynamic culture and a clear picture of what you have to offer, your employees are your mouthpiece for your great law firm to attract the best candidates.

ABOUT

Founded in 2013, Monzingo Legal is a national legal recruiting and law firm management and marketing consulting agency. For more information, call (239) 770-8823 or see www.monzingolegal.com.