What’s the Point in Trying to Recruit – We’ve Advertised a Vacancy on our Website for Years without any responses – an article by Jonathan Fagan, MD of Ten Percent Legal Recruitment.
If you’ve ever muttered this (usually while staring at the same job advert you posted sometime in 2018), you’re not alone. Many firms quietly keep a “careers” page ticking along, hoping the right candidate will simply stumble across it one day. we are guilty of the same – we have had an advert on the Ten Percent Legal site since 2011 for a London based recruitment consultant to get us into the larger Legal 100 firm market!
Unfortunately, most solicitors aren’t casually browsing individual law firm websites in their spare time, waiting to be inspired. The reality is that the legal recruitment market has shifted. Good candidates are busy, often already employed, used to getting contacted almost daily by ‘headhunters’ and a little bit sceptical. If your advert has been sitting untouched for years, it may not be that people aren’t interested. It may just be that nothing about it is catching their attention.
Remote & Flexible Working
Start with flexibility. Remote and hybrid working are no longer “nice to have” perks, they’re expected. If your role requires five days in the office 9am to 5pm, candidates will want to know why and you will immediately rule out well over 75% of your target audience! If you can offer flexibility, make it clear.
Salary Levels
Then there’s salary. It’s remarkable how many adverts still say “competitive” and leave it at that. Candidates don’t want a competitive salary, they want one that reflects the work they do. Transparency is the key. Including a salary range immediately increases engagement and saves everyone time.
You can also make your role more appealing by highlighting bonus schemes, generous annual leave, and pension contributions. These are key decision factors. If you offer them, say so clearly.
Culture
Just as important is how your firm comes across. Does your advert sound like a place where people actually enjoy working, or does it read like a list of demands about the qualities of the person you are trying to recruit? Whats in it for the candidate? A few lines about culture, team support and progression can go a long way.
Job Boards etc
Finally, consider where you’re advertising. A static page on your website is unlikely to get much interest unless your role is unique and exceptional. Who is ever going to find it? Candidates need to see the opportunity in the places they already are (recruiters, job boards, Law Society Gazette etc).
In short, if your advert hasn’t had a response in years, it might not be the market conditions – it will almost certainly be you!
