Smart Recruiting Tactics

By: Greenfield/Belser Big Idea |  4/1/2006

The students you are recruiting are a marketing-savvy lot; the best and brightest have been viewed as a valuable demographic all their lives and have been exposed to dozens of marketing strategies. So they have become cynical and wise beyond their years.

Force trite messaging on them, condescend to them—or worse—try to sell to them, and they may not give you a second glance. On the other hand, fail to present a contemporary image or to articulate a clear promise of value and they may not notice you at all. So what wins? Intelligence. Sharp minds despise dull efforts.

Let the Web work harder for you

It’s not news that the Web plays a critical role in helping attract the right candidates to your firm. Even old (2003) studies show that Web sites (44 percent) are a primary source for information on firms, second only to personal contacts (51 percent). The news is that so few firms use the Web to differentiate.

A 2005 review of the legal industry (AmLaw 200 Web sites) by The Brand Research Company found that 87 percent of law firms have not given their recruiting pages special attention—instead their recruiting pages are templated; that is, they look and feel like every other page in the site. It’s instructive to look at a couple of examples from those who are doing things differently on the Web:

sablaw.com
Visit Sutherland Asbill’s career pages and you'll find enthusiastic associates sharing stories about work that came their way early in their careers, opportunities not always available to young associates at other firms. The colorful life at Sutherland was juxtaposed with the gray life at “Otherland.”

hoganhartson.com
DC’s Hogan & Hartson created a present-day alter ego to the firm’s founder, Frank Hogan. Young Frank leads a tour of the firm’s Web site inside the site itself! Young Frank conducts an interactive quiz along the way. Being “wrong” in the game is as educational and fun as being right, and a substantial donation goes to the school who has the most students take the tour.

goodwinprocter.com
Goodwin Procter models its career subsite after a movie trailer, a preview of stardom at the growing national firm. The trailer—plus the people—is rated G, for genuine. The firm’s lawyers star in this show, each agreeing to be a part of a novel photo shoot and each talking about values that have made them successful.

Stop “selling.” Give something of value.

Clients say that the best new business pitches are ones where the “seller” digs into the problem in order to find a solution. That’s not a pitch, really. It’s a contribution. The same approach can be applied to recruiting efforts and material.

In-depth interviews with the associates of Boston’s Choate, Hall & Stewart revealed that many students searching for top Boston firms did not automatically include Choate on their lists. The challenge was to get students to recognize that Choate was the equal of larger competitors in prestige, quality of life, training and other factors important to students—by any measure.

Choate knew that students compare firms side-by-side, but according to wickedly random factors. So Choate created its own checklist of categories they believed were most important for a graduate to consider in deciding where to work. This useful tool gave structure to a confusing, emotional process. The result? Their best yield ever.

It worked for Choate. It worked for others: Pillsbury Winthrop gave students a swatchbook of “15 Questions” that every student should ask before joining any firm (yes, a swatchbook with a grommet, just like you'd get at the paint store). The questions were answered by the firm’s young professionals on the verso of each swatch. Students found the swatchbook so helpful they referred to the questions when being interviewed by other firms.

Good works promise good work

Philadelphia Drinker Biddle’s pro bono annual review details accounts of the work in the course of a year done for the public good. The review is treated like a caseworker’s file, with a montage of case photos, clippings and critical documents. Text is highlighted by “markers” to draw in the scanning reader. The firm’s most important cases received extensive reporting but every pro bono case was reported.

Don’t forget the basics

While creativity can get you noticed among a blur of firms, it does not replace the need to explain the fundamental elements of your program:

• Emphasize diversity—Even those who are not minorities have grown up in schools where a big value is placed on diversity. Of course, minorities care even more. They want to believe your firm is trying. It’s your job to show them how. Students must not see your program as papering over the lack of diversity within the firm. At the very least, you must prove that you have a commitment to diversity.
• Define the training program—Make it clear whether it’s formal or informal. Tell them what it takes to become a complete professional. If you have a curriculum and regular meetings, share them with recruits.
• Explain work/life balance—Be direct: emphasize that they’ll probably be unprepared for work in the real world, and that it sometimes won’t be easy. Tell it like it is. And if you have work/life balance programs or policies and other accommodations for life’s realities, make them known to students.
• Mentoring matters—Students want to know what they’ll be doing: will I be tethered to a copier all day, or will I be learning at the side of a great professional? Go into detail here. Let them know what they’ll be doing, what kind of feedback they’ll get—and how often.

Mind the Rules of Engagement

Once you’ve attracted the talent, what’s next?

Naturally, students want most of all to make a good impression on you. But you should be as concerned with making a good impression on them. The interviewer is their first impression of the firm. Guess what? To students, older than 45 comes off as…just old.

Prepare your questions in advance and have them approved by the recruiting office and human resources department. Don’t freelance. You can get into trouble.

Finally, do something different. Don’t invite them to another tedious cocktail party or reception. Think of something memorable, something distinguishing your firm from the others. It’s hard work, but the goal is to ensure you’re not forgotten.

Conclusion

The more you deliver creative and unique ways to differentiate yourself from the competition, the better the caliber of talent you’ll attract. Take a good look at your Web site and other recruiting materials. Are they working as hard as they should be?