Working with Pearn Kandola, a leading international Law Firm recently introduced a new recruitment process to enable it to make more robust and timely decisions in the best interests of both the business and it’s candidates. The move, which reduced the risk of costly hiring mismatches at partner level, supported the Firm’s growth plans while bolstering its’ reputation for innovation and professional excellence.
One of the largest full service Law Firms, with offices in many of the world’s major economic centres, it offers clients creative and cost-effective solutions. The Firm’s continued success and innovation depends on getting the right, high-calibre people on board quickly and efficiently. A wrong recruitment decision at partner level could result in a serious setback for the business.
The Firm’s Resourcing Manager explains: “An Equity Partner represents the Firm and is responsible for growing business in their area. It’s important that we make these key appointments for valid reasons and don’t just rely on the individual’s reputation or our recruiters being good judges of character.”
“In selecting best-fit candidates we need to engage our partners in the hiring decisions and to take responsibility for people’s on-going development.”
“The process also has to give our candidates the necessary information to make the right career choices. Wherever they are interviewed and whatever the outcome, we want people to have a valuable experience that leaves them with a positive impression of our Firm.”
Pearn Kandola met the Firm’s resourcing requirements with a solution that was thorough yet quick and easy to use. It enabled the Firm to make sound recruitment decisions, typically within four to six weeks.
Candidates shortlisted by the Law Firm’s recruitment agencies go through a three-stage process. This involves the Hiring Partner and other key stakeholders across the Firm, the HR team and, in some cases, the CEO and Managing Partner. Following best practice, everyone is well briefed to ask competence-based questions relevant to the role and to score the responses. Feedback is documented and shared at each decision point.
If the informal exploratory meeting with the Hiring Partner goes well, candidates are invited to prepare a business case and attend two formal interviews. These test their suitability in terms of business development and technical expertise, as well as their alignment with the Firms’ vision and values. From these discussions candidates can also gauge the Firm’s potential to fulfil their own ambitions.
Before a final decision is made, candidates meet with a panel of the Firms’ partners from other practice areas. The panel members are aware of feedback from the formal interviews and have the opportunity to probe further and to challenge or verify their colleagues’ views.
The Firm’s Resourcing Manager adds: “The Pearn Kandola team was passionate about doing an excellent job and took pride in our brand as well as their own. They consulted widely within our business and worked hard to iron out initial issues so that the final solution was as good as it possibly could be.”
