We are seeing an escalation of the requirements for law firm administrative positions which may exceed the firm’s actual expectations. When thinking about qualifications it is easy to throw in a large number of years of experience, special certifications or highly unique skills as a necessary qualification rather than a desirable plus. The difficulty is that, in a tight labor market – as we are seeing these days, firms may be missing some well-qualified candidates because their standards are too high for the level of the position and the salary offered. Worse, if the actual authority of the position doesn’t match the required experience levels, the firm may be building in a frustration level that causes attrition. The answer: start by describing the perfect person. Then look at each characteristic and consider its overall importance. If you can’t envision a person in that job not possessing the qualification, it is mandatory. If the qualification is there because the current person has it or it sounds good, make the qualification desirable or a plus factor. If you are working with us as your recruiter, we will walk you through each qualification as we write the prospectus, but the key is to carefully consider the necessity of each position requirement.