March 21, 2018
Decline In Lateral Hires
Lateral hires declined slightly in 2017. A recent report by Leopard Solutions indicated a modest drop in lateral hires by the top 200 law firms in 2017. The top 200 firms hired 40 fewer laterals than they did in 2016. While a small change in the over 8500 laterals hired last year, it still represents the first drop in hiring in four years. The report indicates that the decline came largely from younger laterals, while mid-career and older laterals are generally still in demand.
“It is possible that firms are seeking other growth strategies, including full mergers and reducing their focus on lateral hires. Firm leaders may be growing more skeptical and cautious in their approach to laterals. As we pointed out in our white paper, ‘Recruiting and Retention: A poor ROI for many law firms,’ achieving a good ROI percentage of their lateral hires has proved difficult. In 2017, we saw the number of attorneys moving due to mergers rise over the previous year and this trend may continue in 2018,” noted the report.
Managing New Employees
When you hire someone who is just starting out in their career, they have the potential to bring a lot of fresh, positive energy to the workplace. Jane Burnett, writing for Ladders, offers some ideas to help manage them:
Is It Time For A New Job?
How do you know when it’s time to look for a new job? Travis Bradberry (Co-author of Emotional Intelligence 2.0) offers some signs that it may be time to move on:
Standing Desk Study
Everyone knows that sitting all day is bad for you. However, a new research study from Australia’s Curtin University has found that standing desks may not provide a better alternative for office workers. The 2017 study said that, "prolonged standing may have health and productivity impacts." Study participants reported "discomfort," "muscle fatigue," and "lower limb swelling," after working at standing desks for at least two hours.
Participants also showed slower reaction times, and their mental states "deteriorated" over the course of the study. Yet, the standing desks did reportedly give people a boost when it comes to creative problem-solving.
It's important to note that the study only included a small sample of 20 participants and is hardly the final word on standing desks.
So, if sitting all day is bad and standing all day is bad – What’s the solution? Frequent and regular walking breaks! A 2015 study published in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology found that people who got up and walked around for at least two minutes every hour had a 33% lower risk of premature death than those who don’t.
Or maybe you could buy a bike-desk.
Lateral hires declined slightly in 2017. A recent report by Leopard Solutions indicated a modest drop in lateral hires by the top 200 law firms in 2017. The top 200 firms hired 40 fewer laterals than they did in 2016. While a small change in the over 8500 laterals hired last year, it still represents the first drop in hiring in four years. The report indicates that the decline came largely from younger laterals, while mid-career and older laterals are generally still in demand.
“It is possible that firms are seeking other growth strategies, including full mergers and reducing their focus on lateral hires. Firm leaders may be growing more skeptical and cautious in their approach to laterals. As we pointed out in our white paper, ‘Recruiting and Retention: A poor ROI for many law firms,’ achieving a good ROI percentage of their lateral hires has proved difficult. In 2017, we saw the number of attorneys moving due to mergers rise over the previous year and this trend may continue in 2018,” noted the report.
Managing New Employees
When you hire someone who is just starting out in their career, they have the potential to bring a lot of fresh, positive energy to the workplace. Jane Burnett, writing for Ladders, offers some ideas to help manage them:
- Be open to their questions and concerns - Employees should be able to think independently, but that doesn’t mean you should throw new people into the deep end right away. After all, they need to get the lay of the land before you start loading them up with assignments. So, be receptive to questions they have, look for patterns in their learning styles, and see how you can best help to set them up for success at the beginning.
- Give them space for critical thinking and decision-making - At the same time, it’s important for managers to give unseasoned employees room for growth and development. By stepping away once they’re all set up, you can see how they fare in the beginning, and measure their progress as they become increasingly confident in their professional abilities. Meet with them about their work, find out about ideas they’d like to contribute, then help facilitate the progress in a more “hands-off” way by giving them pointers, then stepping back.
- Make the company goals, team goals and expectations clear - Research has found that the top stressor for employees is “unclear goals.” So do the new addition to your team a favor and explain a little bit about where the company has been and where it’s trying to go. Then break down your team’s mission, and how it aligns with the rest of the organization. Giving them the proper framework can’t hurt. Also, manage your expectations. Realistically think about what you’ll want this new employee to have finished by their first week, first month, and first six months.
- Embrace their optimism - Unseasoned employees might see things with fresh eyes, and choose to tackle certain things in new ways. They may not be as jaded or married to one way of doing things as you might be, after decades in your field. So use this as an opportunity to jump on the very same bandwagon, and join in on their innovative approaches. As long as the new employee’s ideas don’t compromise the team in any way, this could be just what the rest of your team needs to feel reinvigorated.
Is It Time For A New Job?
How do you know when it’s time to look for a new job? Travis Bradberry (Co-author of Emotional Intelligence 2.0) offers some signs that it may be time to move on:
- The company is circling the drain - If you’re worried about your company’s health, there’s a good chance you’re right. Watch for clues, like suddenly needing management approval for even minor expenses, an increase in closed-door meetings, or an increased number of upper-management departures. If you suspect that the business is in trouble, it may be time to leave. If you wait until the company closes, you’ll be in the job market competing against your former co-workers.
- There’s no room for advancement - It’s easy to get stuck in a job, and, if you love what you’re doing, getting stuck can be comfortable. However, it’s important to remember that every job should enhance your skills and add to your value as an employee. If you’re not learning anything new and are just puttering around doing the same old thing while people around you get promotions and plum assignments, it’s time to look elsewhere.
- You have a bad boss who isn’t going anywhere - Bosses come and go, which is why conventional wisdom says that it’s best to just wait a bad boss out. But that’s not always the right move. If you have a bad boss who’s well-liked by upper management, it may be time to leave. In addition to making you miserable every day, a two-faced manager who’s loved by the higher ups can wreak havoc on your career by taking credit for your work, bad-mouthing you to others, and blaming you for things that go wrong.
- You’ve lost your passion - Even if you love the company, your boss, and your co-workers, it’s not worth the effort if you hate the work. Passion is a necessary ingredient for success. If you’re unenthusiastic or even indifferent about the work you do, it’s time to reassess your career.
Standing Desk Study
Everyone knows that sitting all day is bad for you. However, a new research study from Australia’s Curtin University has found that standing desks may not provide a better alternative for office workers. The 2017 study said that, "prolonged standing may have health and productivity impacts." Study participants reported "discomfort," "muscle fatigue," and "lower limb swelling," after working at standing desks for at least two hours.
Participants also showed slower reaction times, and their mental states "deteriorated" over the course of the study. Yet, the standing desks did reportedly give people a boost when it comes to creative problem-solving.
It's important to note that the study only included a small sample of 20 participants and is hardly the final word on standing desks.
So, if sitting all day is bad and standing all day is bad – What’s the solution? Frequent and regular walking breaks! A 2015 study published in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology found that people who got up and walked around for at least two minutes every hour had a 33% lower risk of premature death than those who don’t.
Or maybe you could buy a bike-desk.
