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.

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.

January 20, 2022 by Amy Shanks

REPLACED BY A ROBOT? NOT YET! READ ABOUT LEGAL JOB MARKET TRENDS FOR 2022

The coronavirus pandemic has changed things, especially in rapidly integrated law technology. There have been some cut back regarding the number of in-office hours needed, however, there is an increased demand for in-house law support staff and IT professionals. This is true especially for those who want to move past entry-level positions.

The biggest impact on the legal field for 2022 is artificial intelligence (AI) and its AI-powered document discovery tools. After reviewing millions of existing documents, case files, and legal briefs, a machine-learning algorithm flags the appropriate sources that a lawyer needs to craft a case, often more efficiently and successfully than humans. These AI programs change how law firms conduct legal research and reshape what skills are more relevant in the law office. AI programs change how law firms conduct legal research and reshape what skills are more relevant in the law office. Furthermore, law clerks and paralegals accustomed to trudging through stacks of dusty law books and case files to find relevant information have learned new ways to work alongside the technology.

Here are some of the more prominent legal trends to follow in 2022:

Increased Automation

Law office automation uses technology to complete repetitive processes, from client intake to document automation. According to a study at the McKinsey Global Institute, 23% of a lawyer’s work is automatable. After analyzing 2,000 work activities for 800 occupations, the institute reported that although artificial intelligence will take over a decade to replace any legal jobs, law firms are already utilizing smart software and devices. The study predicts that thousands of legal roles will be fully automated by 2036. However, the study concluded that “even when machines do take over some human activities in an occupation, this does not necessarily spell the end of the jobs in that line of work. On the contrary, their number at times increases in occupations that have been partly automated because overall demand for their remaining activities has continued to grow.”

Billing

Automated task codes in billing helps to streamline each legal task and expense when it comes to compiling billing information and formatting invoices. In addition to automating billing codes, the computer-assisted billing applications substantially decrease or eliminate the review of monthly invoices. In the billing applications of the past, timekeepers logged time spent on a task, and partners had to review and approve the time spent. The new applications alerts timekeepers in real-time when they are spending too much time on a task.

Research

Legal research is time-consuming. Thanks to improvements in Natural Language Processing (NLP), applications like Bloomberg’s Points of Law, CaseText, Lexis Answers, WestSearch Plus, Ross Intelligence have improved interactions between humans and computers. NLP combines computational linguistics with artificial intelligence to allow users to inquire about extremely specific information. Automated legal research makes research easier for attorneys, is exponentially faster and helps remove human error.

Growing Artificial Intelligence

As AI continues to integrate into our phones, televisions, and tablets, we can consider AI a crucial part of the legal and IT workplace. Streamlining data management, analysis, recording, and storage is crucial to time-sensitive deadlines. AI Is already taking care of document review. Much of the software used to automate these routines and everyday tasks requires a dedicated IT staff. The time and money saved through automatic document review alone are astounding.

Cybersecurity

Recently, there has been a spike in cyberattacks, both at law firms and technology companies. With the increased scrutiny on the privacy of client information, the legal landscape is shaping to hire more tech-savvy paralegals. Technological improvements have created new opportunities with new job titles. Salary will increase with legal expertise and professional technology skills in litigation, information governance, compliance, and cybersecurity.

According to the American Bar Association, “Candidates for future lawyers will need to be able to demonstrate emotional intelligence, and a deep understanding of the ways in which technology can aid in achieving client outcomes. These traits and skills will be at least if not more valuable than law school grades. The inflexion point for the delivery of legal services is upon us. The faint of heart, who seek to cling to the old models, will likely not survive long”.

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. 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.

December 3, 2021 by Amy Shanks Leave a Comment

YOUR PARALEGAL RESUME SHOULD FEATURE THESE FIVE TRANSFERABLE SKILLS

Being a great communicator is one of the five transferrable skills that paralegals need to land their dream job!

Your paralegal resume should always be strong, but for recent graduates and those new to the profession, experience may be lacking on the page. However, you most likely have a varied skill set to offer, and these skills are highly transferable. If you find yourself without a substantial amount of experience to highlight in your resume, building the document around your transferable skills is a sound strategy for guaranteeing you stand out from the other applicants.

1. Paralegals Must Demonstrate That They Can Prioritize

Planning is a simple but invaluable skill in all sectors. Any activities, assignments, and projects you organized while attending school make for a sincere demonstration of your ability to plan and act on the blueprints you create. Events you’ve put together are also significant items in your history that show the importance you place on solid planning.

2. For Paralegals, Communication is Key

Interviewers will always favor excellent communicators. Both written and spoken communication skills are vital in paralegal work. By providing the details of papers, projects, and presentations that you’ve completed, you can give your resume a leg up in this department.

3. Problem-Solving is the Universal Skill for Paralegals

All of us have solved a problem in a way unique to us. Even if you believe it to be unrelated to law, chances are you’ve found a way to clear a hurdle in your personal or professional life that was more efficient than your previous tries at it. By showing you can improve on how a task is completed to make the result more effective, you’re also illustrating how you can better guarantee client satisfaction.

4. Knowing How to Negotiate and Mediate is Key

Are there situations where you have met resistance head-on and made progress? These anecdotes reveal how savvy you are at knowing when to push and when to give under pressure. Moot court, debate, and panel discussions are a few examples of activities you could include in your resume to exhibit your capability in this area.

5. Paralegals Must Excel In the Details, Details, Details

Proving you are detail-oriented is far more helpful than stating it. To make sure you’re viewed as having a knack for accuracy, proofread your resume carefully for any mistakes. Listing any editing experience, responsibilities where you managed data such as cash flow, and preparation of policy and procedure documents are all great instances where your attention to detail will be on display.

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 your search for highly talented legal, management and technology hires. They 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 more than 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.

December 2, 2021 by Amy Shanks

THE NEED FOR IT PROFESSIONALS AND TECH SAVVY PARALEGALS ON THE RISE AT LAW FIRMS

It’s clear now that the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we do business. Working from home, holding Zoom conferences, handling documents online, and e-filings have all had a profound impact on the way firms operate, and it’s beginning to shape the future of the legal sector. In February of this year, Team BRYTER wrote that in-house legal technology budgets will grow 200% by 2025. As these departments become more and more dependent on technology to keep up the pace, the need for IT specialists and tech-savvy legal professionals will most likely skyrocket.

The Growing Landscape of E-Discovery

One specialty predicted to continue in high demand is e-discovery/litigation. As document formatting changes due to improvements in software, professionals who are well-acquainted with the latest in e-discovery and knowledgeable about file compatibility across different platforms will have a leg up against other candidates. A paralegal with a background in predictive coding and further analysis software might cut document review by hours and make for a highly valued prospect.

It’s All in the Cloud(s)

The move from local storage to cloud computing has created a whole new set of legal issues and responsibilities. The ability to share, organize, and privatize files on a company’s cloud is vital. Setting the appropriate permissions for access and maintaining healthy network security makes all the difference in protecting client privacy. On top of that, complex litigation and other regulatory issues can arise from improper data management, so keeping data on the cloud safe will only become more critical in the coming years.

Software Familiarity

Recruiters are always looking out for candidates with experience using legal research products such as Westlaw and Lexis. While potential employers expect proficiency in client software suites such as Microsoft Office, any knowledge of law practice management software such as Clio and PracticePanther will go a long way. As more software goes mobile, it’s not a bad idea to brush up on the various legal apps for phones and tablets out there.

Workflow, in general, will continue to embrace both automation and digitization, and having tech-friendly skills at hand will only help your chances on the market. By updating your skill set in these areas, you’ll raise your chances of success in the face of future tech innovations and a changing work environment. As an employer, knowing which candidates fit best in a tech-heavy climate will place you ahead of the curve.

We have been matching top companies with top talent in the Gulf Region for more than a decade. Our focus is on building long-term relationships with the companies we assist. Call us today at 888-366-6508. We can help you find the best candidate to join your legal or IT team or aid job seekers in finding the most appropriate position for their talents.