There is an ongoing debate as to whether law firm websites should primarily be directed toward marketing or recruiting. To resolve the issue, an increasing number of firms are putting up multiple sites aimed at specific types of visitors. Not surprisingly, one of the objectives of recruiting sites is to present the firm image that is most likely to be attractive to candidates. This sometimes leads to some interesting results. A case in point is CMS Cameron McKenna'sTrainee (similar to summer associates in the UK) website. Some competing firm recruiting directors cynically suggest that the site’s message is “come to CMS and find romance.” Click on http://gradrec.law-now.com/ and look at the large green box at the top. Keep watching because it changes every few seconds.

On the subject of romance, there are few things that give law firm administrators and HR Directors a bigger headache than issues of office romance. In preparation for Valentine’s Day, we attempted to do a quick survey of romance policies in law firms and found, overwhelmingly, that most firms do not have a policy regarding workplace dating. We decided to look beyond the legal industry to the 2006 Workplace Romance Poll conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management. This is a follow-up to a similar survey conducted in 2001. The poll shows:

▪   Romance policies are not common. Only 18 percent of offices (up from 15% five years ago) have a written workplace romance policy (7% say they have a verbal policy). 

▪   Most firms (48%) with policies permit but discourage workplace romances. 31% prohibit them and 20% permit romances without restrictions.

▪   The primary reason for policies prohibiting or discouraging romances given by employers is the risk of sexual harassment claims (95% of firms – up from 77% in 2001). 

▪   Greater concern for retaliation between the employees involved in romance when it ends seems to be a growing reason for romance policies. This was cited as a primary reason for their romance policy by 67% of firms in 2006 but only 12% in 2001.

▪   Employees feel the need for more strict romance policies than employers. For example, only 4 % of employers favor a ban on romance between an employee and an employee of a competitor or vendor. Employees feel four times more strongly about such a prohibition.

 

▪   How important is all this? 40% of employees have been involved in a workplace romance, up from 37% five years ago.

▪   Although the number of policies has increased, HR professionals seem to have relaxed the consequences for violations. Termination and transfer are deemed to be less appropriate, while counseling and reprimands are considered increasingly appropriate.

▪   Perhaps the concerns about workplace romances are misplaced. HR professionals’ experiences with almost every form of negative outcome resulting from romances decreased. By the way, 62% of those involved ended up married.

If you would like a pdf of the complete SHRM poll, e-mail us and we’ll send you a copy.

Videoconferenced employment interviews are making a comeback. Many firms with video equipment have shied away from using it for interviewing out of concern that video does not provide as complete a picture of a candidate as does an in-person interview. But, some firms we work with actually prefer to use video for initial interviews. 

▪   Video interviews can be short compared to the lengthy interviews needed to justify flying someone in from out of town. 

▪   A single interviewer can conduct a large number of interviews permitting screening without involving the time of a large number of partners.

▪   Videoconference interviews can be taped and those people the firm is interested in can be viewed by partners at their leisure.

 

Most users believe that a video can’t eliminate the necessity for an in-person interview, but is a tremendously useful and cost-effective means of screening candidates.