The latest Intendance research paper is ‘Recruitment White Paper -How well are your employer credentials presented online?‘. It touchs on how recruitment has become more competitive and more online based over the last few years. Law firms are not only competing for the best graduates among themselves, but also have to face the competition of leading banks and management consulting companies. Smaller law firms especially, say Intendance, will find it more difficult to recruit as they are not only competing against the big budgets of their bigger competitors but also against the more trendy banking and management consulting companies.
The way students search for a job has totally changed and everything is much more Internet based than even a couple of years ago. The 21st century graduate can travel between Web sites, instantly discarding those that fail to inspire or impress. In a way, talented job-seekers put companies through an interview process of their own when selecting to whom to apply; they seek a good first impression, notable company performance, and will inquire about everything from company ethics to work culture. Intendance feel that a dedicated Web site career microsite is the platform on which this selection process will most often take place. Thus companies that fail to inform, inspire or stand out from the crowd are restricting their ability to attract the best.
The report states that the majority of reviewed sites are very effective at informing visitors about the organisation, the differing recruitment requirements and the career progression possibilities but many fail to support the employer’s overall brand. It indicates that the increased use of new media tools such as videos, podcasts and blogs to communicate with potential employees shows that many employers have grasped the importance of interactivity and are implementing Web 2.0 techniques. Web clips are the most commonly used tool. However, when narrowing the analysis to ‘the most prestigious UK law firms’ only 8% use these technologies. Cleary Gottlieb and Skadden are identified as having poor microsites; Allen & Overy, Linklaters and Wragge & Co all get praised as do aspects of a number of other firm sites.
The report makes no attempt to measure the oft-remarked upon clash between the picture painted of employment within top law firms (all leisurely yoga, wine-tastings, trips to Copacabana and smiles) and the reality (all rushed yoghurt, whining, trips to the copier and depression).
For a limited period Intendance are offering the report to SCL members at £95 (a second part is in preparation and a similar offer is made for both at £175). You can access the report via http://www.intendance.com/research/latest_publications
