Articles by Amy Shanks

Experienced recruiter with a passion for the business - always striving to improve the level of service and innovation for our clients. I believe in acquiring talent beyond expectations resulting in a strong client partnership that allows us both to focus on what we do best.

May 25, 2022 by Amy Shanks Leave a Comment

3 Tech Trends Affecting 2022 and Beyond

The legal profession leads the way in some of the first implementations of new technologies.

Our dependence on technology has made big changes in the legal industry. Whether an increase in automated tasks, the growing field of artificial intelligence, or the need for better cybersecurity, we expect these tech trends to affect legal firms’ workflow and reputation moving forward. For example, a shift toward higher “tech literacy” will send signals to your clients and potential clients about who can best serve their needs.

Stay current with technology by watching these tech trends:

Automated Tasks

Since lawyers will always be around, documents are here to stay. In fact, that’s how automation began to take over in the law business. Also, it’s created more jobs with eFiling, eDiscovery, and more. In 2017, researchers from the Mckinsey Global Institute stated that 23 percent of lawyers’ tasks could be automated.

Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is a technology that assists a user to send emails, automate logins, prepare documents, and copy data from document scans. Those that support RPA technology claim that firms can save somewhere between 30-40% of their time with automation. Because of the time saved, use of RPA in the legal sector is expected to rise in the coming years.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

More than half of all legal work done in-house is repetitive and easily repeated by a program. Allowing artificial intelligence to manage data and perform document analysis is the way of the future. It’s cost-effective in lowering the number of human mistakes and time dedicated to those tasks. As standard data storage increases, AI programs will index file volumes and streamline data management. Plan for an increase in your firm’s need for Tech-savvy employees who know how to work with AI to your advantage.

Cybersecurity

The amount of information that moves through an office network has reached critical mass. Since firms handle sensitive client and corporate data, there is always the risk of a network breach by profiteers. Attackers can pull off ransomware attacks with few resources. Due to this threat, it’s no surprise that network security, response plans, and crisis management have seen renewed attention.

By providing dedicated resources to privacy and data protection, the firm protects clients’ rights. Also, a firm that cherishes privacy boosts its reputation. Make sure to include IT professionals in your personnel plan that know how to keep your legal software up to date. Even if you hire out cybersecurity, you will still need employees able to communicate with your cybersecurity company to keep your firm running seamlessly.

At Strategic Recruitment Solutions, your success is our success. Our reputation for client satisfaction results from our commitment to clients’ objectives and beyond. We are the legal and tech recruiting firm for top employers in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and the Gulf Region. Our focus is on building a long-term relationship with companies that employ the highest-quality professionals. Call us today at 888-366-6508. We can help you find the best fit to join a legal or IT team.

May 9, 2022 by Amy Shanks

Hire the Best Job Candidates in a Legal Competitive Market

Strategic Recruitment Solutions — Two tips to hire the best hire candidates

As discussed in our recent posts, market trends for the legal and IT sectors have transformed due to the pandemic. Despite job availability decreasing in some areas, Above the Law reports that the legal job market “is hotter than ever – with companies expanding and hiring at massive levels.” However, even with a hot market and more potential candidates than positions, some firms are reverting to their outdated and unproductive pre-COVID hiring practices, leaving roles empty that could otherwise be filled.

Want to avoid becoming obsolete as an employer in this brave new market? Here are two important things to consider:

Remain Candidate-Focused

Here’s the hard truth: It’s no longer about you. Your firm’s reputation is not the sole incentive for a prospective hire. You should start asking what you can offer the candidate, not the other way around. Ask yourself, what does your staff want: Bonuses? Perks? Child Care? Of course, they do. If you’re not offering an enticing hiring package, then the expectation of luring in star talent is nothing less than a wish, and an empty one, at that.

Common mistakes to avoid are all about communication: You’re not responding to candidates after they send a resume, or you refuse to follow up with an interviewee about their status or rejection. Trust us, the word will get out about your application and interview process, and you will continue to lose out on the rock star candidates in the future.

Your Lack of Engagement Will Hurt Your Chances for Hire

Your staffing organization works very hard for you, but all that effort is wasted if a lack of engagement with your agency costs you candidates. You’re busy, and we understand that. At the same time, taking longer than a week in the search process is pretty much guaranteed to make a candidate lose interest in today’s market. When jobs close, be sure you’re letting your agency know. Otherwise, it’s time and money down the drain.

At the end of the day, agencies like Strategic Recruitment Solutions (SRS), follow your firm’s directives, it’s easier for job seekers to choose another firm that will communicate with them quickly and consistently. After all, what works for our business works for your business.

At SRS, your success is our success. Our reputation for superior client satisfaction results from a tireless commitment to exceeding our clients’ objectives. We are the recruiting firm for top employers in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and the Gulf Region. Our recruiters will partner with you in searching for highly talented legal, management and technology hires. Furthermore, our recruiters will lend their industry knowledge, experience, tools, and technology to enhance your recruiting strategy. We have been matching top companies with top talent in the Gulf Region for over a decade. Our focus is on building a long-term relationship with your company. Call us today at 888-366-6508. We can help you find the best candidate to join your legal or IT team.

April 6, 2022 by Amy Shanks

Now Is the Best Time to Make Your Legal Career Move

If you are looking for a job change, now is the best time!

As the saying goes, “timing is everything”. While there may be a lot of competition, the volume of interest on the employer side has consistently been higher than the number of people looking for work. Translated, that means right now, it is a great time to make your legal career move.

Why The Best Time to Seek Employment is Early January to April?

Twice as much hiring goes on at law firms and corporate counsel departments from January to April than at any other time of the year due to:

January’s new hiring budgets
In December, hiring and firing decisions are finalized.
For lawyers and partners who considered a career move last year waiting for their end-of-year bonuses before searching

The Second-Best Time for a Career Move

August to October is also a great time to make a career move, as staff members have completed their fall vacations, and the summer internships have ended.

Here are a few things to give you the competitive edge:

Stay Current

Stay up to date with what’s happening in your industry so you will be ready when a new position is available. Consider how a particular practice area may be affected by current events. For example, when if there is a oil spil or class action against a major corporation (big pharma), the firms that land the case, will be looking for experienced litigators.

Economic Growth

Another driving force within a given geographic area is how well the economy performs. Some practice areas, such as real estate, experienced rapid economic growth in the past 2 to 3 years.

There Are No Lack of Jobs in the Legal Industry

The 2021 Leopard State of the Industry Report reveals that the legal industry is hyper-competitive and shows no signs of slowing down in 2022. Firms have pulled out all the stops to attract the top-level talent they need. From raising salaries to offering signing bonuses to paying off law school loans to allowing lawyers to work remotely for the first time and hiring lawyers to work in cities where they did not have offices, firms were forced to step outside of their comfort zones to meet their hiring needs.

Remember that finding the right job for you may take some time. Not every job you apply for will be right for you. If you receive a job offer and are unsure, carefully consider your next move. The career that fits you is waiting for you.

Good Legal Recruiters Place Candidates Full-time, All Year Long

Timing and qualifications trump time of year for talented attorneys seeking a career change. Several other market forces also influence hiring if you’re a potential employer. Good legal recruiters grasp these trends and work as advisors whenever career advancement openings become available. Local recruiters have insider information, networking contacts, and candidate-vetting capabilities to serve the interests of all parties involved better.

At Strategic Recruitment Solutions, your success is our success. Our reputation for superior client satisfaction results from a tireless commitment to exceeding our clients’ objectives. We are the recruiting firm for top employers in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and the Gulf Region. Our focus is on building a long-term relationship with companies that employ the highest-quality professionals. Call us today at 888-366-6508. We can help you find the best fit to join a legal or IT team.

March 15, 2022 by Amy Shanks

How Employers Can Navigate Around “The Great Resignation”

It’s a job candidate’s market, as employees request higher pay, flexibility and work-life balance.

For employers, the pandemic’s economic crisis caused plenty of revisions in employment policies and procedures. Most organizations found innovative ways to retain talent while keeping their employees safe and productive. However, not every employer successfully kept the economic fallout at bay. Many had to face impactful changes to their workforce. As of January, an estimated 4.5 million Americans quit their positions and sought employment in a new role or another industry.

The Achievers Workforce Institute reported in 2021, 52 percent of employees did not intend to stay in their current roles and were seeking new employment. In addition, 64 percent of employees polled thought about leaving. And a shocking 77 percent of those employed in their current position for less than a year said they were open to seeking employment elsewhere.

Recruiting and Retaining Talent In Law Firms

Employers lost workers and had trouble replacing them as other companies offered more incentives. As employees continue to request higher pay, flexibility, and work-life balance, it is undoubtedly a candidates’ market.

In its 2021 State of the Legal Industry Report, Thomson Reuters Institute and the Center for Ethics and the Legal Profession at Georgetown University stated law firms could lose up to 25 percent of their legal talent annually.

According to the report, here are some of the actions employers can take to improve a firm’s position for retention or recruiting:

provide resources for lawyer and professional staff support through wellness and mental health programs;
take a flexible approach to remote work, part-time work, and flextime arrangements; and
develop policies and procedures to assure equity and fairness in an assignment, evaluation, compensation, and promotion decisions;
make appropriate investments in technology to keep the firm on the cutting edge of technology; and
find additional ways to foster social engagement and camaraderie within the firm.

Finally, it is time for law firms to think beyond financial incentives. To effectively recruit and retain law firm talent today, you must continue to elevate the employee experience.

What Can Employers Do?

Listening to direct input from employees is one of the simplest ways to retain talent. If an action plan develops with employee concerns in mind, its success is more likely. Showing appreciation to a demoralized workforce is crucial. Seventy-nine percent of people leaving their jobs say they feel unappreciated.

The truth is the solution to keeping your best talent is not scientific. Employers willing to offer growth and opportunity within a high-performance work culture will incentivize employees to stay.

The solution is to bolster retention while ramping up your recruiting efforts immediately. Does your firm have recruiting marketing strategy? If not, now is the best time to create one.

Harvard Business Research suggests that employers take note of the following when retaining and recruiting employees:

The Best Employers Elevate Their Employee’s Purpose

Prove to employees that there’s more to your organization by defining your purpose. Don’t just talk about purpose. Use it to shape what you do and how you do it.

Provide Opportunities for Advancement

Give employees new opportunities to advance. Employees want to stay if you give them a reason to stay. Most importantly, each time you provide a chance for advancement, you provide incentives to the other team members to do their best work.

Prioritize culture and connection

Take the time to connect and build relationships. Research revealed that the social connections within an organization during the pandemic positively impacted productivity.

Our recruiters will partner with you in searching for highly talented legal, management and technology hires. Furthermore, our recruiters will lend their industry knowledge, experience, tools, and technology to enhance your recruiting strategy. We have been matching top companies with top talent in the Gulf Region for over a decade. Call us today at 888-366-6508. We can help you find the best candidate to join your legal or IT team.

February 6, 2022 by Amy Shanks Leave a Comment

Are Office Romances a Good Idea?

Workplace Relationship Romance — Are office romances a good idea?

With Valentine’s Day around the corner and a future, as of publication, where regular, pre-pandemic contact with others seems possible, it’s an understatement to say quite a few people are thinking about romance. It isn’t easy to know why you have feelings stirring up over your co-worker, but office romance is an age-old phenomenon.

In a 2021 survey from Zety, the site found that 58 percent of people responded “yes” when asked if they had dated a co-worker. While there are ways, as discussed in a previous SRS Insight, that an office romance can be kept professional, Zety also reports that of the 75 percent of respondents who tried to keep their romance discreet, their co-workers found out 82 percent of the time. With these numbers in mind, it might be worth considering how dating in your workplace might be a terrible career decision that negatively affects you, your partner, and the work environment as a whole.

Gender Complications

When asked if the office romance harmed the professional relationship, 25 percent of women said “yes” compared to 13 percent of men. The power dynamics between genders should be considered before dating your co-worker. Especially in businesses that have traditionally favored men in positions of power, When there are 72 percent of women and only 59 percent of men saying their office fling was long-term, that is revealing. There is no stopping turbulent relationships from directly affecting the office culture.

Is it “Right?”

It depends. Certainly plenty of people, 33 percent formed a stable, committed relationship while and after working together. But much like concern over power dynamics due to gender or role, there’s also a question of ethics. Zety reports that 52 percent of respondents had dated a peer, with 24 percent dating a subordinate. That’s nearly 1 in 4 in higher positions that had romances involving possible conflicts of interest and nepotism. Within these office romances, there were many decisions made that may have affected their romantic partner’s career. Furthermore, the survey revealed 11 percent of respondents dated their boss, and 8 percent had dated someone who outranked them. Dating your boss or manager is a horrible idea and can cross some dangerous ethical lines depending on the situation.

Thinking about how to move forward in your career? At Strategic Recruitment Solutions, your success is our success. Our reputation for superior client satisfaction results from a tireless commitment to exceeding our clients’ objectives. We are the recruiting firm for top employers in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and the Gulf Region. Our recruiters will partner with you in searching for highly talented legal, management and technology hires. They will lend their industry knowledge, experience, tools, and technology to enhance your recruiting strategy. Furthermore, we have been matching top companies with top talent in the Gulf Region for over a decade. Our focus is on building a long-term relationship with your company. Call us today at 888-366-6508. We can help you find the best candidate to join your legal or IT team.