Biglaw, Job Searches, Small Law Firms

Back In The Race: Stop Trying To Hire The Purple Squirrel

Columnist Shannon Achimalbe offers some blunt advice to those involved in the law firm recruiting process.

By  
on

In the world of talent recruiting and human resources, there is a creature known as the “purple squirrel” which is the code name for the perfect employee. In the legal profession, the purple squirrel has the right academic pedigree and work experience. She has a solid book of business and a winning track record. She bills 16 hours per day, seven days per week, 365 days per year. And she is willing to accept whatever pay her employer is willing to offer.

Because law schools will do whatever it takes to continue to enroll more students than the market can handle, most law firms and the good JD-Advantage positions are likely to get scores of applications for just one opening. So firms will understandably be picky and will demand purple-squirrel attributes even for the most mundane and low-paid positions.

However, recruiters suggest that hiring the perfect squirrel is an exercise in futility. I think this is also the case in the legal profession and has to stop.

Because of its exacting and demanding specifications, the purple squirrel is as hard to find as the unicorn, the Loch Ness Monster, and the ideal spouse. It may take weeks and even months before the perfect candidate is found. What happens in the meantime? Money is spent on advertising and recruiters. Billable hours are lost. Other staff has to pick up the slack and will become resentful. Eventually, the office gossip mongers may think that the firm is financially shaky and might send a tip to this website.

Of course, there are those small-minded employers and recruiters who refuse to go near the unemployed because they are infected with a contagious, flesh-eating cancer. I have heard that when companies announce the search for the purple squirrel, what they are really trying to do is poach people from competitors. Good luck with that. If the candidate is doing well at his current job, then he probably won’t respond to your emails or return your calls. Also, his boss will go all out to keep him, so your recruitment emails will simply be used as leverage for a raise or a promotion.

And let’s suppose you are lucky enough to hire a purple squirrel. You may see him as the perfect employee, but will he see you as the perfect boss? Some may be happy to join the firm for the prestige, compensation, and opportunity for advancement. But others (and I suspect most) will know they are being recruited and expect to be treated accordingly. Expect to cater to the squirrel’s every whim and demand or he will not hesitate to give his nuts to someone else. This can create tensions with management, particularly those who are used to getting pampered by people hoping to get a job at the firm.

To mitigate the above problems, HR professionals have offered various pieces of advice. Instead of trying to find the perfect candidate, employers should focus on hiring exceptional but imperfect candidates, focusing on one or two things the firm really needs. And searching for the purple squirrel should be an ongoing process, not just when there is an immediate need. Firms should also develop a process for hiring purple squirrels. Firms should also place an emphasis on training and retaining good employees. Finally, firms should be open minded. Don’t be afraid to hire someone who doesn’t possess all the skills you consider to be must-haves. Look for someone who shows promise and could thrive with the right training.

Sponsored

Unfortunately, I suspect law firms will ignore the above advice or will be reluctant to do so. Most lawyers have little to no training in personnel management. So they resort to their life experience. This is when we hear complaints about the youth being coddled and entitled. They reminisce about the good old days when the elders yelled at the younger attorneys, and threw office supplies at them, and how this made them better attorneys. And having to walk barefoot from the office to the courthouse and back. Did I mention they had to walk uphill both ways?

Of course, every employer wants the purple squirrel. But finding these mythical candidates will be difficult and may later turn out to be a bad investment. So law firms should stop trying to look for purple squirrels and instead be more realistic about their hiring practices.

Shannon Achimalbe was a former solo practitioner for five years before deciding to sell out and get back on the corporate ladder. Shannon can be reached by email at sachimalbe@excite.com and via Twitter: @ShanonAchimalbe.

Sponsored

Topics

, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,