Periodically, any law firm is going to have a job open up. In some cases, the position might be important and need to be filled expeditiously. Cementing the law firm hiring process is critical to the success of the law firm. The better the hire that is made, the better it is for the clients of the law firm, especially if the position is that of an attorney or paralegal.  It also better for the law firm in terms of the functioning of the law office.

To make the best possible hires, it is important to be organized. To be as organized as possible, it is generally important to have an order to play in terms of how hires are made. By following the same order, the process is thorough and fair.

The law firm hiring process:

• Post the Job: When a job opens up, it is critical to post the job on whatever job boards your law firm customarily post jobs. The job posting should be thorough, well thought out, and should help attract the kind of candidates that the law firm desires.  Law firms should think about where they are posting their jobs long and hard because it can make a big difference.

• Initial Assessment of Resumes: After the job has been posted and resumes have come in, an initial assessment of the resumes needs to be done by somebody in the firm to separate candidates from high interest, medium interest, and minimal interest. Obviously, this separation is going to be done based on their education,  experience, availability, expectations, and interest.

• First Round of Interviews: First round interviews should be set with the high or medium interest candidates. Where the position needs to be filled quickly, the first-round interviews should generally take place on the same day a half-hour or hour apart.

• Reference Checks: After the first rounds have been completed, references should be checked for those who are still in contention. With authorization, background checks may be performed by some law firms.

• Second Round of Interviews: After the first rounds have been completed, the second round of interviews should be set with the finalists. Where the position needs to be filled quickly, the final round interviews can also take place on the same day.

• Final Deliberation: The law firm should deliberate and decide who is the best candidate for the position based on what was discovered during the entirety of the process.

• Offer Phase: An offer should then be provided to the candidate that the firm would be the best fit. An alternate should also be kept in mind should the firm not be able to come to terms with the first choice.

• Declination Letters: After the position has been filled, declination letters should then be sent to those who were interviewed, but were not hired.

No question making quality hires is critical to the success of any law firm.  To ensure this happens, making sure that there is an orderly process in play like the one above is critical.

Obviously, some law firms may decide to come up with their own protocols in terms of how this takes place. Nonetheless, some order must be put in play, that everybody understands it and that it is followed as best as possible.

If you have any thoughts, feel free to share them below.