Strategic Human Resource Management for Law Firms
Published on 28. June 2012
Book
Paperback/Softback
87 pages
978-1-908640-43-7 (ISBN)
Description
Your law firm's profitability is based on the ability of your people, through their expertise and knowledge, to deliver valuable services to your clients. Effective human resource management is crucial if you want to maximise the value and performance of your staff in a time of continuous change. Managing Partner's report, Strategic Human Resource Management for Law Firms, looks at the key issue facing HR departments in the changing legal landscape and provides practical solutions and strategies for managing a successful workforce. Specifically this report demonstrates how to: * Successfully recruit and attract the best talent for your firm; * Effectively develop and manage employee performance; * Motivate and reward your employees; * Implement leadership strategies to maximise performance at all levels of the firm; * Restructure and align your resources to meet current and future needs; * Focus on developing and nurturing your talent for the future; and * Continue to add and demonstrate value through the HR function.
The report also features a number of 'expert views' which explore in detail key areas affecting firms during high levels change, such as leverage, leadership, employee engagement and the people considerations of mergers and acquisitions. If people are your firm's most expensive asset, it is essential to maximise the value they bring to the firm. Strategic Human Resource Management for Law Firms will help you implement strategies that really change behaviours and achieve results.
Your law firm's profitability is based on the ability of your people, through their expertise and knowledge, to deliver valuable services to your clients. Effective human resource management is crucial if you want to maximise the value and performance of your staff in a time of continuous change. Managing Partner's report, Strategic Human Resource Management for Law Firms, looks at the key issue facing HR departments in the changing legal landscape and provides practical solutions and strategies for managing a successful workforce. Specifically this report demonstrates how to: * Successfully recruit and attract the best talent for your firm; * Effectively develop and manage employee performance; * Motivate and reward your employees; * Implement leadership strategies to maximise performance at all levels of the firm; * Restructure and align your resources to meet current and future needs; * Focus on developing and nurturing your talent for the future; and * Continue to add and demonstrate value through the HR function.
The report also features a number of 'expert views' which explore in detail key areas affecting firms during high levels change, such as leverage, leadership, employee engagement and the people considerations of mergers and acquisitions. If people are your firm's most expensive asset, it is essential to maximise the value they bring to the firm. Strategic Human Resource Management for Law Firms will help you implement strategies that really change behaviours and achieve results.
The report also features a number of 'expert views' which explore in detail key areas affecting firms during high levels change, such as leverage, leadership, employee engagement and the people considerations of mergers and acquisitions. If people are your firm's most expensive asset, it is essential to maximise the value they bring to the firm. Strategic Human Resource Management for Law Firms will help you implement strategies that really change behaviours and achieve results.
Your law firm's profitability is based on the ability of your people, through their expertise and knowledge, to deliver valuable services to your clients. Effective human resource management is crucial if you want to maximise the value and performance of your staff in a time of continuous change. Managing Partner's report, Strategic Human Resource Management for Law Firms, looks at the key issue facing HR departments in the changing legal landscape and provides practical solutions and strategies for managing a successful workforce. Specifically this report demonstrates how to: * Successfully recruit and attract the best talent for your firm; * Effectively develop and manage employee performance; * Motivate and reward your employees; * Implement leadership strategies to maximise performance at all levels of the firm; * Restructure and align your resources to meet current and future needs; * Focus on developing and nurturing your talent for the future; and * Continue to add and demonstrate value through the HR function.
The report also features a number of 'expert views' which explore in detail key areas affecting firms during high levels change, such as leverage, leadership, employee engagement and the people considerations of mergers and acquisitions. If people are your firm's most expensive asset, it is essential to maximise the value they bring to the firm. Strategic Human Resource Management for Law Firms will help you implement strategies that really change behaviours and achieve results.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Globe Law and Business Ltd
Target group
Professional and scholarly
ISBN-13
978-1-908640-43-7 (9781908640437)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Director irector of Julie Harrison Consulting Limited, Julie works with professional services firms to develop their leadership capabilities through partner development, team facilitation and executive coaching. Her experience in law firm management includes two years as CEO of a legal services business, achieving the successful management buy-out of that business. Prior to that, she spent ten years with the firm now known as Addleshaw Goddard LLP, latterly as its change management director. In over eight years of advising professional services and other businesses, Julie has dealt with mergers and acquisitions, change leadership, senior executive and board development, and strategic talent management. To those assignments she has brought a mixture of practical experience of leading effective change, expertise in management science tools and up to date thinking on the development of senior people, so as to enable businesses to lead successful change. A regular speaker on leading effective change and people management, and an author of practical guides, articles and case studies in these areas, Julie believes that individual change is a critical element to successful business change.
Director irector of Julie Harrison Consulting Limited, Julie works with professional services firms to develop their leadership capabilities through partner development, team facilitation and executive coaching. Her experience in law firm management includes two years as CEO of a legal services business, achieving the successful management buy-out of that business. Prior to that, she spent ten years with the firm now known as Addleshaw Goddard LLP, latterly as its change management director. In over eight years of advising professional services and other businesses, Julie has dealt with mergers and acquisitions, change leadership, senior executive and board development, and strategic talent management. To those assignments she has brought a mixture of practical experience of leading effective change, expertise in management science tools and up to date thinking on the development of senior people, so as to enable businesses to lead successful change. A regular speaker on leading effective change and people management, and an author of practical guides, articles and case studies in these areas, Julie believes that individual change is a critical element to successful business change.
Director irector of Julie Harrison Consulting Limited, Julie works with professional services firms to develop their leadership capabilities through partner development, team facilitation and executive coaching. Her experience in law firm management includes two years as CEO of a legal services business, achieving the successful management buy-out of that business. Prior to that, she spent ten years with the firm now known as Addleshaw Goddard LLP, latterly as its change management director. In over eight years of advising professional services and other businesses, Julie has dealt with mergers and acquisitions, change leadership, senior executive and board development, and strategic talent management. To those assignments she has brought a mixture of practical experience of leading effective change, expertise in management science tools and up to date thinking on the development of senior people, so as to enable businesses to lead successful change. A regular speaker on leading effective change and people management, and an author of practical guides, articles and case studies in these areas, Julie believes that individual change is a critical element to successful business change.
Content
Executive summary...VII About the author...IX Part One: Managing the firm's most valuable asset - Its people Chapter 1: The role of HR, and its scope and standing within the firm...3 Aligning fully and flexibly to the strategy of the business...3 Partnering with the key business leaders...4 Managing the strategic and the operational...5 Demonstrating financial and non-financial value...6 Providing the motivational 'glue' to key individuals...6 Coaching and leading managers to build their skills and resilience...6 Maintaining high visibility in the business...7 Being a role model within the firm...8 Developing exemplary influencing and internal consultancy skills8 Ensuring the route map is clear and all activities are planned and linked...9 Placing HR at the centre of the business...9 Chapter 2: We still need to recruit...11 Ensure a clear business case for your firm and your candidates11 Establishing effective supplier relationships and supply chain management...12 Online recruitment - Accessing passive and active candidates.13 Understanding the market and the value of the role...14 Presenting the overall package and the firm...14 Streamlining and managing processes...15 Easing the transition...16 Watching the competition...16 Effective recruiting is critical for lateral hires/teams...16 Nurturing your firm's internal sources of candidates...17 Managing the paradox for people within your firm...17 The business case is king...17 Chapter 3: Strategic downsizing...19 Consider all the options in the strategic context...19 Restructure the resource...20 Redundancy...20 Office closures...21 Outsourcing...22 Care for those who remain...23 Conclusion...24 Chapter 4: Holding your resource to account...25 Maintain profitability of the work through effective resource management...25 Encourage, manage and monitor performance at all levels...27 Learn from top performers and learn about poor performers...28 Challenge, not decimate, the key ratios...29 Instil excellent management disciplines...30 Use flexible working arrangements...30 Ensure the right people are doing the right things...32 Chapter 5: Motivation and reward in a downturn...33 Emphasise the overall package...33 Praise and recognition only cost time...34 Nurture career development and planning...35 Use quiet time well...35 Develop new skills...36 Develop new products and services...37 Involve people...37 Avoid ignoring individual personal and collective well-being...38 A partnership between the firm and its people...38 Chapter 6: Leading and achieving effective change...39 A balancing act...39 Constantly present the vision, strategy and plans...39 Develop the range of leadership styles and capabilities - And those of others...40 Enable effective role models...41 Make great leadership time choices...41 Provide clarity of thinking and a culture of decisiveness...43 Invest in leaders...43 Build resilience - To thrive rather than just survive...43 Understand the relationship between authenticity and trust...44 Chapter 7: Focusing on developing talent...45 Effective talent management...45 Understanding and nurturing talent...46 Developing the talent...46 Supporting professional transitions...47 Developing the developers...47 Strategic Human Resource Management for Law Firms What about everyone else?...48 Developing talent for when the good times return...48 Part Two - Expert views Expert view 1: The leverage kaleidoscope...51 By Mark Jones What kind of clients does a firm wish to act for?...51 What kind of work does the firm wish to do?...52 What levels of profit do the partners wish to generate?...53 How much can the firm, or is the firm prepared to, charge?...54 What is the firm's approach to risk management?...55 Brand implications...56 Cultural factors...56 Guiding principles on law firm leverage...57 Expert view 2: Leading key relationships in uncertain times59 By Charles Metherell Your partners and management team...59 External relationships...60 Expert view 3: People considerations of mergers and acquisitions...63 By Amanda Rose Pre merger/acquisition (30-90 day programme)...63 Post merger/acquisition (30-90 day programme)...63 Project team...64 Key HR work streams...64 Expert view 4: The Muckle two lengths - Engaging your firm's team during high levels of change...71 By Steve McNicol Why change?...71 Designing and delivering the project...72 Linking business and sport...72 Perspectives on the two lengths initiative...73 Where are we now?...75 Expert view 5: Innovative learning solutions for a changing legal market...77 By Ray O'Connor Challenges and context...77 Case study: Management essentials - An effective e-learning programme...78 Key learning points...80 Expert view 6: Talent management in a changing legal market...83 By Susan Dowling Remain visible and keep communicating...83 Understand what matters to your people and take action...84 Spend time defining talent and working out who your key players are...84 Provide stretch assignments for your top talen...85 Provide a career map that sets out the opportunities for progression...85 In conclusion...85 Index...87