When recruiting to fill an open position, the strategy is to attract top talent to that one job. This is done by using headhunters and posting the position on job boards, the law firm’s career page, and on social media.
In contrast, recruitment law firm marketing is the strategy that attracts talent to the employer. Using an array of marketing tactics, candidates learn about — and become interested in — the firm as an employer. Recruitment marketing reaches a wide talent pool where they are and brings them to the law firm’s website or social media profiles to learn more about the firm and its culture. Top talent comes directly to you, which increases the likelihood the candidate is a good match and lessens the time the law firm spends recruiting.
All the marketing your law firm is currently doing supports recruitment marketing. However, to ensure recruitment marketing is working optimally, it’s a good practice to include communications that convey:
- The law firm’s culture: Law firm culture refers to the shared values, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors that define the work environment and social interactions within a law firm. It includes the firm's organizational structure, management style, communication practices, and work-life balance policies, as well as the attitudes and behaviors of its attorneys and staff.
A law firm’s culture can have a significant impact on the well-being and productivity of its employees, as well as its reputation and success. A positive culture can foster teamwork, collaboration, and innovation, while a toxic or negative culture can lead to high turnover, low morale, and poor performance. Some law firms prioritize a competitive and high-pressure work environment, while others emphasize collaboration and work-life balance. Ultimately, the culture of a law firm reflects its values and priorities and can shape the experiences and outcomes of its employees and clients.
- The law firm’s mission and values: A law firm’s mission and values guide the firm's approach to serving its clients and conducting its business. For example, a law firm may include in its mission statement its goals of providing high-quality legal services, being a strong advocate for clients, or giving back to the community. A law firm’s value proposition could include its commitment to integrity, professionalism, excellence, teamwork, diversity and inclusion, etc.
Beyond the well-crafted statements, law firms should demonstrate to potential job candidates how it focuses on upholding the highest ethical and professional standards. Using real-world examples of great client matter outcomes or attorneys and staff volunteering their time to their community support the mission statement and value proposition and make them real.
- Happy employees: When employees are satisfied, they are more likely to speak well of their employer to their network and share their positive experiences with others. This can help create a great employer brand image and reputation, which can attract high-quality candidates who are interested in working for a company that values and invests in its employees.
Additionally, satisfied employees are more likely to provide positive feedback and testimonials about their employer, which can be used in recruitment marketing. This type of feedback can help potential candidates understand the company culture, values, and work environment, and can make them more likely to consider applying for job openings or sending in a cold resume.
- Satisfied clients: Client satisfaction can translate into support for your law firm’s positive image, which helps to attract potential candidates. When clients are satisfied, they are more likely to recommend your organization to others and leave positive feedback and reviews. This makes your law firm more attractive to job seekers researching potential employers.
- A consistent brand: Branding creates a strong image and reputation for your law firm and can help it stand out from competitors to potential candidates. An effective brand builds a sense of trust, credibility, and recognition in potential candidates’ minds, which makes them more likely to consider your law firm as a desirable employer.
Branding also supports your law firm’s identity and culture, attracting candidates who align with your values and mission. Candidates who feel a connection with your brand are more likely to be engaged, motivated, and loyal employees — leading to higher retention rates and increased productivity. In addition, strong branding can help improve the candidate experience by providing clear and consistent messaging across all communication channels, including job postings, social media, and recruitment events. This can make the recruitment process more transparent and appealing to candidates, leading to increased engagement and a higher likelihood of successful hires.
Marketing Tactics That Bring High-Quality Job Candidates
All the above is demonstrated through your law firm’s existing marketing tactics. This includes everything from strategies to be found in search results to being prepared at in-person law school career fairs. Here are the top law firm recruitment marketing tactics:
- Website: While a law firm’s website is its virtual storefront, the website’s career page is the first shelf potential candidates will stop at when browsing for a new job. This page must be consistently branded and clearly communicate the firm’s mission, goals, values, culture, and perks. Be sure it is search engine optimized (SEO) with the right keywords and phrases to be found in online searches.
- Social Media: When your law firm posts photos on social media of its summer family picnic or of partners running a 5k to raise awareness for breast cancer, it shows the firm’s culture and values — which is more real and powerful than simply explaining them on a career page. Even better, when your law firm’s attorneys and staff post on social media about team-building activities and their happiness with their jobs, potential new hires in their network will be attracted to the firm as an employer.
- Networking: Just as everyone you meet is a potential new client, so too are they potential new colleagues. Whether it’s a professional industry or legal event or your child’s weekend soccer game, be ready to discuss your law firm in a positive light. You never know if that attorney seated next to you at a panel discussion is looking to switch firms.
- Advertising: Whether it’s a pay-per-click ad on social media or Google or a paid profile on a job board, digital advertising is a quick and efficient way to target your job pool. When your law firm’s recruitment ads include the consistent branding and information discussed above, they will attract the right fit for the position.
- Content Marketing: All the blogs, articles, email newsletters, videos, social media posts, photos, etc. that the firm publishes, places, and distributes are legal content marketing, and it all supports recruitment marketing. Legal content marketing raises the law firm’s visibility, builds its positive reputation, and demonstrates to potential new hires that the firm has attorneys who are leaders in their field, insightful, and committed to being helpful.
Chances are that your legal marketing team is already supporting your recruiting team. By creating a plan for the two to work together, law firms create a strong recruitment marketing strategy that brings — and keeps — great attorneys and staff to the firm.
