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Holding On to Top Performers
| by Charles Volkert, Esq. |
| Charles Volkert, Esq. is executive director of Robert Half Legal®, a
legal staffing service specializing in the placement of legal professionals with law firms and corporate legal departments. Based in
Menlo Park, Calif., Robert Half Legal has offices in major cities throughout the United States and Canada. |
|
Given the positive hiring outlook in the legal field and increased activity in practice areas such as
litigation and intellectual property, many law offices are actively recruiting experienced legal support
staff. In such a market, it should come as no surprise that talented employees may be tempted to
explore new opportunities. To prevent the loss of valued members of their support teams, legal
administrators must redouble their efforts to bolster employee loyalty and increase retention rates.
Three key factors directly affect staff retention. In a survey commissioned by Robert Half Legal,
respondents cited advancement opportunities (86 percent), professional development/training (83
percent), and flexible work schedules (75 percent) as the three most effective ways to motivate and
retain employees. Surprisingly, compensation or cash bonuses were cited by only six percent of
respondents as critical to retention efforts.
Provide Long-Term Career Paths
No ambitious, talented employee wants to stay in the same job, doing the same type of work,
indefinitely. By creating career tracks that enable legal support personnel to advance through positions
of increasing responsibility and authority, administrators demonstrate that they support the long-term
success of their staff. At the same time, firms will limit turnover and enhance the organization's stability
by grooming “homegrown” leaders.
One way to develop career paths for staff members is through competency modeling, which involves
“interviewing” employees to determine what combination of traits and abilities they find they need to excel
in their respective jobs. Competency modeling enables legal administrators to design programs that build
specific skills and further professional development. In addition, employees will learn which abilities are
required to advance, enabling them to work on developing their strengths and filling in skill or knowledge
gaps.
Make Training and Development an Ongoing Priority
Employees will stay where they feel their contributions are valued. If they see that a firm invests in
their professional development, they will reciprocate with loyalty.
Development can take many forms. Some of the most popular approaches include formal and informal
mentoring programs; employer-sponsored training in new technologies for law offices; reimbursement for
continuing professional education or certification; and cross-training by assigning support staff to attorneys
in a variety of practice areas.
Create a Worker-Friendly Environment
Law offices that help employees sustain a healthy work-life balance typically see higher retention rates.
Many firms provide greater flexibility through practices such as telecommuting, compressed or flexible workweeks
and job-sharing. Because such practices may not be appropriate for all support staff positions, some firms opt
instead to provide flexibility by offering a number of paid personal days that employees can use to attend to
obligations outside the workplace.
The overall culture of a firm also plays a powerful part in determining employee loyalty and tenure. Incentives
and rewards are defining elements of a firm’s corporate culture and are excellent tools for reinforcing specific behaviors
or actions. Beyond these formal rewards, simple, sincere expressions of appreciation, such as recognizing employees in
front of their peers or in the employee newsletter, can have a lasting, positive impact.
Employee satisfaction and motivation should be ongoing priorities for legal administrators concerned about retaining
their best people in today’s job market for legal support personnel. By providing sufficient opportunities for career
advancement, investing in employees’ professional development and supporting their efforts at work-life balance,
administrators can help law offices generate staff loyalty and retention rates that will be the envy of competitors.
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