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November 2007 Newsletter

Welcome to the third Firm Beliefs newsletter. This edition focuses on the issues we face when the job that we have had and the role that we have played changes. Feel free to email us with any ideas or thoughts about content.

My experience of career coaching

by a lawyer who now works in-house

At two and a half year's PQE my overwhelming attitude towards life as an associate in a "magic circle" firm was "anything has to be better than this". It was the height of the debt market bubble and I had had enough of the continuous slog of churning out transactions. At the time of resigning I had no idea what I should do next and, more to the point, it really didn't matter.

The only thing that mattered was to get out of the existing job.

A couple of weeks later, it was suggested that I should take advantage of some career coaching sessions the firm offered to departing members of staff. At the time the cynic in me saw this as little more than an attempt to convince me that leaving was a mistake, and that it still wasn't too late to change my mind. Add to that an inbuilt reluctance to open up to strangers, and it would be fair to say that I was sceptical about the value of these sessions. However, after the second or third time the topic was raised, I felt it might be easier to go along with the idea, if for no other reason than to get people off my back about the whole thing.

To read more, have a look at the full article on the Firm Beliefs blog.

10 Questions to ask at interviews

May I interview you?!
Usually an approach taken by those who are being offered partnership/ownership of a business, this question ought to be asked by everybody seeking to find the right place, regardless of experience. Why? You are going to be spending the main part of your life with this firm - and how you fit into that firm will inform the other aspects of your life. The firm has to be right for you, just as you need to be right for it. Too many interviews are one-sided.
The employment relationship needs to be a mutually beneficial and, some would say, equal one. And the way to find that out is to start looking for it before you even join the business.

(For more on the 'psychological contract' see the article on the Firm Beliefs blog).

What is it about my CV/my reputation that led to this interview?
The answer will tell you 2 things: (1) what they are looking for particularly and that they think you have it; (2) whether what they think you are is in fact what you are! CVs, and indeed recruitment consultants, can give an impression that we often do not think about or intend.
You need to make sure that that which they see in you, is actually what you have or indeed what you want to be known for.

(See article by Eila below).

Can you describe a Clifford Chance/Berwin Leighton/etc person?
This tells you whether they have a set of values and a culture within which you need to fit. If they have not thought about this, then they tend to be a firm which does not appreciate the significance of values and culture. It is this set of values, and culture, which draws clients to them - as well as legal technical expertise.
So beware the firm that 'does not know what it is'

Can I see the accounts?
Much easier now that there are LLPs. This is a particularly significant question if you are being asked to join as an owner OR if you are seeking ownership within the next 5 years. Many are those who, within a couple of years of ownership, are being asked to invest further money into the firm because cash flow is poor...
Know the financials before you agree to join.
What are the markets that you serve and who are the biggest threats to you continuing to serve those markets?
A business is only in business for as long as the clients want to give it that business. Any firm that does not know its markets, however categorised, and the threats from other businesses is not likely to be running at maximum thrust. Beware the firm that 'bumps along the bottom', letting clients, market and life buffet it from one crisis to another. Even more, beware the firm that makes a fairly decent profit, totters along gently, no crises.
Those firms work for certain people - but they tend not to work for the Firm Elite type person...

Read more about Firm Elite.

What is your staff turnover?
New blood into firms, good succession management, giving staff confidence to develop their skills in other directions - all of this leads to staff turnover. However, it is the negative reasons for staff leaving that you need to be aware of. Ask the firm why people leave, do they keep figures, do they conduct exit interviews?
If a firm does not track this, then they are not likely to make the changes necessary to keep good people if that is what is needed.

What have you identified during this interview that I might need to develop further?
Nobody arrives at a firm in perfect condition for that firm! During the interview process, you need to make sure that the interviewers are taking that on board and that they have started to identify what further development opportunities they will give you so that you, and they, are matched in terms of expectations and delivery.

How much time do the business owners spend together informally/socially?
Beware the business where the owners do not get on! Naturally many businesses contain many owners/shareholders with their own lives away from the office and it is not necessary to actively like those you work with - what is important is that there is mutual respect. However, beware the firm where decisions are not/made because of a personal antipathy between partners. You need to gauge the health of the business, over and above the financials, and the health can be affected by internal political machinations which impact upon staff and clients.

Can I meet all members of the team?
Whether you are looking to join a firm where you are the head of department or whether you are junior, you need to know where you fit into the team and where they see you fitting. All too often, the early days of a new role are spent trying to do the technical aspect of the job, to the detriment of understanding and establishing the relationships that help to achieve success in serving the client.
Start the relationship as early as you can.

What would you ask about your own firm if you were joining it now?
Learn from their mistakes at their interview! Tap into what they think the issues are now in the firm...

Spotlight on: Neale Turk Rochfort

Eila Rochfort, partner in Camberley and Farnborough based firm, Neale Turk Rochfort talks about her firm.

How would you describe your staff?
If I were to describe our staff, I would liken them to an Aquascutum raincoat! Their approach to serving clients, and supporting each other, is understated, with an attention to detail and a passion which is what serving clients and working in a law firm used to be about. They are very loyal, they are a great team and great fun to work with.
They are technically competent of course but they have excellent interpersonal skills, they are progressive in their ideas and they tend to be people who really put clients first and who get beside that client in whatever issue they are facing. This is not a luxury that every firm has these days - some are so large that the staff in them never get to feel what it is like to help a client achieve their goals. We always see our clients. We establish that personal relationship that so many other firms say they do, but rarely do in fact! People looking to join us must want to take that approach too.

Describe your clients
Our clients are 'middle England'! They are clients who recommend us to others and who themselves just keep coming back to us. We are 'family' solicitors of the 21st century - our business clients and our individual private clients tend to come to us because we protect their family fortunes from the business and legal issues of the day. We provide that personal service and our clients frequently describe us as professional but approachable. They say we make them feel special and valued.

Why are you a lawyer?
I am in business as a lawyer because I don't know anything else! But I love being a lawyer. I love the actual practice of being a lawyer. If I weren't a lawyer, I think I would like to be the Dean of an English Cathedral!

What is the biggest exciting challenge your firm faces in the future?
The exciting part of the future for our firm is establishing the succession. We have some excellent partners coming up. When I retire, I want to know that I am handing on the clients, the staff and the firm to an excellent bunch of people. There is an enormous opportunity here for somebody who wants to progress into ownership of a good business. We really appreciate and encourage new ideas; we love to have new blood. That is healthy.

What do you wish that recruitment consultants would say about your firm?
For anybody coming to us, I would just say 'Be yourself at the interview'. Recruitment consultants tend to mould the person coming for interview into being what they think we want them to be, they do not encourage them to be who they really are. You often see job adverts which say 'you will be this; you will have that skill'. The entire tone is wrong for us. There are minimum requirements of course but we really need people who want to work for us to be themselves when we first meet them. So what I would really like recruitment consultants to say about this firm is: they want you to be yourself. If we like what we see, we take it from there.

Eila Rochfort is always happy to hear from those who are interested in working for Neale Turk Rochfort. Contact details can be found at the Neale Turk Rochfort website.

Firm Elite Events coming up

We have two upcoming events for Firm Elite:

24th January - dinner with Dan Whiter
21st February - dinner with Kehrela Hodkinson

Please ensure that Sally has your details if you wish to attend by emailing Sally directly to reserve a place. For more information, have a look at Firm Elite on the website