Many of our clients have asked us to provide them with the same level of service at Associate level as we provide for Partner level assignments. This has been driven by frustrations at their inability to recruit sufficient numbers of high calibre Associates through traditional recruitment channels. In response to this, we apply the proactive principles of search recruitment to Associate hiring but without the up-front costs normally associated with this type of activity.
Finding good people requires a targeted approach led by experienced headhunters who know and understand their client. While it is tempting to believe that a job specification and an advertisement or briefing to recruitment agencies will result in a flood of high calibre lawyers, the reality is very different.
Consultants in large agencies are likely to have too many clients and too many vacancies on their books to offer a true partnership with their client. They often cannot headhunt from across the market and they cannot offer clients the exclusivity and personal service that they need.