Recruit for Legal Support before the Post Covid-19 Rush

In this article, we discuss how legal support has adapted to working from home during 2020. We are predicting a rush for talented legal secretaries and assistants in early 2021 so now is the time to get in front of the competition.

The global Covid-19 pandemic has been the ultimate test of law firms in Melbourne. It has tested their culture, their team work, their processes and their technological practices.

Some firms have made the transformation to working from home relatively easily and others have hit speed bumps along the way.

In our regular conversations with legal support staff we have heard stories about firms that have really thought through what it means to be working from home.

They have considered the challenges of single person households dealing with isolation and working families who are attempting to manage remote learning at the same time.

It is these firms, who have communicated well, considered mental health impacts, delivered iso-gifts and still managed to have virtual team building activities where the talent of the future are all going to want to work. Companies that have focused on the health and welfare of their workforce have certainly earned themselves some company loyalty and a boost to their employer brand.

During 2020, the Legal People team have become quite adept at the iso-placement. We have searched, advertised, short listed, interviewed, reference checked, and negotiated for legal assistants, legal secretaries, accounts clerks and administration staff. They have all managed to be inducted remotely, trained remotely and started their new roles from home offices, dining rooms, spare rooms and kitchen benches.

We have especially been impressed by mid-tier firms who have built up their induction processes to be able to train new team members on bespoke billing systems, proprietary software and company practices all in a virtual manner.

Our support staff candidates have met these challenging times by becoming adept at Microsoft Teams, Slack, Zoom, Skype for Business and more!

The legal industry really has adapted to working from home in an amazing manner. Who would have thought that only 12 months ago we were starting to see the industry pivot to offer more flexibility to win talent and now here we are with almost all employees working from home?

Many firms have now resumed full capacity (from home) and are starting to think about workforce planning for a 'Covid-19 normal' return or part time return to the office. Our Lawyer recruitment division has been particularly busy in the last financial quarter and in our experience legal support recruitment follows. We are hearing from many that they are planning for roles that are not yet ready to be advertised.

The last time restrictions eased in Melbourne there was a flurry of economic activity whilst companies rushed to plug workforce gaps that had opened up during restrictions. Waiting for the end of the pandemic is highly likely to put you in fierce competition with many other firms and talented candidates will be fielding multiple offers.

Candidates are likely to be asking hiring managers “How did you support your people during the pandemic?” They have spent time researching and building their wish list of future employers and have been given some rare insights into company culture in light of economic challenges.

We have seen a handful of legal support roles put on hold, as a result of Melbourne’s second lockdown, hence we have short list ready candidates who are eager to make their next career move.

We also know that there are legal assistants and legal secretaries biding their time, waiting for this to be over, worried about the uncertainty of changing roles in a pandemic. We have proven time and again in 2020 that they can do it and hit the ground running from home in a new role and firm.

Now is the time to have a chat to our team about the support roles you are planning for, so that we can keep an eye out for your next legal support superstar! Those who wait, may just miss the boat.

Are you looking for a highly talented legal support staff? Legal People is your gateway to legal talent. We are specialists in the Legal Industry. We recruit Lawyers, Support staff and HR professionals in Melbourne, Australia. If you enjoyed reading this article, you can follow our Company Page on LinkedIn for regular updates. To browse our currently available roles click here.