Recruitment really should not be a numbers game, or a tick box exercise.
But for many businesses, hiring a General Counsel can be a horribly time- consuming exercise and far too often, employers are faced with poorly filtered (ergo: inappropriate) candidates and clamouring agents when trying to find the perfect fit.
A good General Counsel (GC) plays a crucial role in the successful operation of any business: they’re a key player in your senior leadership team who seamlessly integrates with your company culture, possesses the specific legal expertise you need and thrives in your unique working environment.
So, how do we get legal recruitment back on track?
Here are FIVE things your recruiter needs to know about your business, and you need to consider, when you start the recruitment process.
[1] Culture, Values and ‘Fit’
It might sound strange to say it, but to a degree, legal expertise is a given when you are recruiting at this level. What you need to explore first is culture and ‘fit.’
Only by clearly communicating the culture of your business, the purpose and values of the organisation, and the vision you have for your collective future, can your recruiter play matchmaker. You are looking for a candidate who wants to be on the journey with you, speaks your language and reflects the personality of your business.
[2] Describe your ‘MO’ {modus operandi}
Organisational ‘personality’ stretches to work-style too. Are you fast paced and formal; casual and creative; or traditional and top-down in your leadership style?
Be clear about your leadership style and preferred way of working when you brief for the role. Your new GC needs to feel comfortable with your approach so you can both hit the ground running.
[3] Understand the role
Be clear about the legal expertise you need in your team along with specific industry knowledge. A good ‘commercial’ GC can rapidly adapt to new sectors, but if you are a fast-growing tech business in search of a lawyer with lived experience to support a strategy of growth, sale, and exit, then build it into your brief.
[4] Develop a clear candidate profile
It’s worth taking time to create a candidate profile so your requirements are crystal clear. Consider what level of experience you are looking for, who your GC will be reporting to, and the level of leadership skills expected.
[5] Consider an ‘exclusive’ recruiter relationship
Less is more, and as much as it can seem appealing to have a raft of recruiters running around in search of your dream GC, it can be beneficial to focus on a sole-supplier relationship. Why? Their focus will be 100% on delivering to your requirements – and they will leave no stone unturned in locating them, safe in the knowledge they’re not going to lose the role to another provider. However long that takes. And with limited time, you will be better served going deeper with one experienced, dedicated recruiter than surface level with a crowd.
At TLD Recruit, we carefully match candidates and clients, with impressive results.
Jonas Software UK & Europe Group CEO, Darrell Boxall was in search of an experienced corporate M&A lawyer who could work in a fast-paced environment, and notes Recruitment Manager, Georgina Rylance,
“…listened carefully to my brief and delivered carefully chosen candidates who she felt were a match, critically within the tight timeframe I had stipulated. We have subsequently found a great candidate who I feel will thrive in our fast-paced environment at Jonas.”
If you could benefit from a helping hand with your legal recruitment, then please reach out to Georgina Rylance by emailing: info@thelegaldirector.co.uk or complete our online enquiry form.
