Recruitment Advice

Google a law firm’s name followed by ‘NQ’ and the auto fill will suggest ‘Law Firm NQ Salary’ as the top option. Why? Because the industry puts a huge emphasis on remuneration, particularly at junior level.

Large law firms publish their NQ salaries because they want to recruit the brightest and best aspiring lawyers into their training schemes and retain the best NQs upon qualification.

It’s just one part of the ‘battle for talent’ at the junior lawyer level, but certainly the most visible. There is fierce competition between law firms for the best junior lawyers, and the disparity between NQ pay levels at these firms is something that is regularly highlighted in the legal press.

At the end of 2016, Slaughter and May, which had hitherto paid the lowest NQ salaries among the magic circle, announced a 9% increase for NQs, which edged them ahead of Linklaters, but still left them some way behind Clifford Chance and Freshfields. Linklaters responded in June this year by upping their NQ salaries by £1,000 a year, taking them slightly above Slaughter and May once again.

But is the salary on offer as an NQ or junior lawyer as important as we think it is?

We’ve made a thorough analysis of the data that we collect at NQSolicitors.com, and it seems that the answer is ‘yes’, but only to a point. And on the whole, the data suggests that the largest law firms, particularly those within the top 20 UK law firms, are putting too much emphasis on salaries.

We analysed the ‘minimum salary‘ responses of candidates for whom we had an accurate idea of the NQ salary on offer at the firm at which they were training at the time they created their profiles. The sample includes only those candidates that created their profiles prior to qualifying, and therefore does not include candidates at NQ-2 PQE.

Thought all lawyers are money obsessed? Think again.

The pie chart below shows the responses of all final seat trainees, who were training at top 100 UK law firms and US law firms.

• 49% of candidates were happy to be matched with NQ vacancies that would pay at least 10% less than the salary on offer at their training firm
• 41% wanted to be matched with NQ vacancies that would pay a salary which is at least broadly similar to the salary on offer at their training firm
• 10% only wanted to be matched with NQ vacancies that pay at least 10% more than the salary on offer at their training firm

These results might take quite a few of you by surprise, however, the really interesting results appear when you break the results down a little more.

The bar chart below shows the same statistics, but broken down per band of law firm.

Magic circle and US firms

At the time of creating their profile on NQSolicitors.com, zero percent of final seat trainees at magic circle and US firms only want to be matched with NQ vacancies that pay at least 10% more than the salary on offer at their training firm.

This is not really surprising for those who trained at US firms as they are the highest payers, but it is more of a shock that, in our sample, no magic circle trainees were only prepared to look upwards with regard to their minimum salary.

A higher than expected percentage of magic circle trainees (79%), were prepared to take a drop in salary of at least 10% upon moving firm, compared to 49% of the sample as a whole. This is probably due to them having accepted that their salary is likely to reduce unless they join a large US firm or another member of the magic circle.

The remainder (21%), wanted to be matched with NQ vacancies that would pay a salary which is at least broadly similar to the salary on offer at their training firm.

Silver circle firms (Ashurst, Berwin Leighton Paisner, Herbert Smith Freehills, Macfarlanes and Travers Smith)

It is very interesting to note the difference in attitude in relation to minimum salary between magic circle and silver circle trainees, especially when you consider that four of the five silver circle firms pay their NQs in excess of £72,000 per annum, with Herbert Smith Freehills paying their NQs more than two of the magic circle.

Nearly a fifth of candidates who were training at silver circle firms (17%), would like a position that offers an increase in salary.

Half of silver circle trainees wanted at least similar pay and just 33% would be prepared to accept a drop in salary, compared to 79% of magic circle trainees.

The inference from the data is that a significant percentage of final seat trainees at silver circle firms are setting their sights upwards when it comes to pay whereas their counterparts at magic circle firms are more willing to move in the opposite direction.

Other top 20 UK firms

Candidates among the other top 20 UK firms (outside the magic and silver circle) are either more realistic about their value or less driven by money, depending on how you look at it. More than half (54%) will accept a drop in salary and only 3% are actively seeking an increase.

Other top 50 UK firms

It is only when we get to UK firms ranked 21 to 50 that we get a fairly even spread between candidates who will take a pay reduction and those that desire a rise. Just over a quarter will accept a decrease, 16% want more and the rest (58%), want at least a similar salary.

Conclusion

It is fascinating to see the difference in attitudes when comparing the responses from final seat trainees at different types of firm.

Our data shows that medium-sized firms might want to pay more attention to remuneration levels for junior lawyers, while those in charge of compensation at silver circle firms also need to consider their approach carefully.

Perhaps the most interesting conclusion to draw is that salary is not the be all and end all. NQs across the board are using other factors to measure the attractiveness of potential employers and quality of work, chances of career progression, work/life balance, and additional benefits all play a part.

If you are looking to recruit the brightest and best Solicitors at NQ-2 PQE, please contact us now.

You can’t avoid hearing about big data these days. It’s everywhere.

I read recently about a company using it to help women find the perfect fitting bra and a website applying it to identify the favourite hangouts for hipsters around the world. Presumably the latter is so that travellers know which areas to avoid when they’re on holiday!

According to IBM, 90% of the data in the world has been created in the past two years. Data analysis is getting bigger day by day and will play an increasing part in our lives in the years to come.

One industry that is on the data bandwagon is recruitment. It even has it’s own buzz phrase for it: ‘people analytics’.

This is all well and good, (apart from the ugly buzz phrase), and I am absolutely in favour of making the recruitment process better for hirers and candidates. There’s a ‘but’ coming and it’s this.

As an article in Wired said: “You can’t just ‘data mine’ your way to the right candidate; you need the right tools to analyse it, and the right people who can provide meaningful insight.” That’s one issue, and I’ll talk more about this in a moment.

Another problem is that although some (though not all) recruitment companies use data to analyse candidates and their suitability for a job, this doesn’t overcome some of the glaring weaknesses of the traditional recruitment model. In fact, you could say that data itself is one of the main causes of these weaknesses.

All recruitment consultants are under pressure to meet data-driven KPIs. These include sending out a certain number of CVs, arranging a target number of interviews, and making a minimum number of calls to hirers and candidates, etc.

So, although much of the data is available to enable recruiters to offer a better service, they’re not using it to do so. One of the familiar gripes we hear from clients about other recruiters is that they waste their time. They present candidates that don’t meet their criteria or candidates who do, but who have no interest in taking the job they’ve been pushed to apply for.

We agree with Wired when it says: “Big data — when used properly — is a good thing for everyone involved. Recruiters can save time, companies will get positions filled by the right candidates more quickly, and candidates will be matched with the jobs of their dreams.”

How then does a recruitment company apply big data and the internet to make the recruitment experience better for hirer and candidate alike?

We believe that NQSolicitors.com is the answer, in particular for law firms recruiting junior lawyers at NQ to 2 PQE.

NQSolicitors.com is a discreet online platform that matches solicitors from NQ to 2 PQE with law firms looking to hire. Candidates create an anonymous profile and upload their CV. Hirers can view these anonymous profiles for free and if they are interested in reviewing a candidate’s CV they can request its release. The CV will only be sent to the hirer if the candidate authorises its release. We think of it like a sophisticated dating site, but for recruitment.

So what are the advantages of this approach?

The main one is that it allows the hirer to be as prescriptive as they wish when running a search, with regard to candidates’ qualifications and experience. These are almost always key factors for law firms when hiring at this level.

When registering with the platform, candidates complete a profile which details their academic record and experience as a trainee, and their work preferences in relation to location, salary, department and the type of firm that they would like to join.

The candidate’s anonymous profile will only be matched with a hirer if the vacancy for which the hirer is recruiting matches the candidate’s work preferences. If say the hirer is only interested in seeing NQ Solicitors who graduated with a first-class degree from an Oxbridge or Russell Group university, or solicitors who gained experience of leveraged finance work while training at a Magic Circle firm, the platform will automatically filter candidates who meet the hirer’s requirements.

By using data to identify candidates who meet the hirer’s requirements, and vice-versa, both parties save time and avoid many of the common recruitment frustrations. The fact that we match mutual requirements is important too. It sets NQSolicitors.com apart from job boards and LinkedIn, where you may find candidates who meet your specific criteria, but where you have no idea whether they are actually interested in what your firm is offering.

Big data has a huge role to play in legal recruitment, of that there is no doubt. The important thing though is how it is applied.

It is free for hirers and candidates to register with NQSolicitors.com. Hirers can run a search free of charge and will only be charged a fee of 12.5% of the candidate’s first year salary should they hire a candidate through the platform. Once a candidate has agreed to release their CV to a hirer, NQSolicitors.com is there to facilitate throughout the hiring process by briefing candidates, arranging interviews and dealing with the flow of feedback.

There is life outside London for newly qualified solicitors. Plenty of it, though it may be hard to believe when everything appears to be so London-centric.

Vince Cable said a few years ago that London is like “a giant suction machine draining the life out of the rest of the country”. That may be the case in some industries, but not the legal sector. It’s true about a third of the country’s lawyers are based in the capital (and around 20% in the City) and much of the glittering work is done there. But that still means the vast majority of lawyers work outside it and high-calibre work is being done all over the UK.

There are outstanding lawyers in the regional firms spread around the UK and it is by no means a step down in class to join them. So, if the joys of an hour’s commute next to someone’s armpit and living in an overpriced shoebox are starting to pale, maybe it’s time to get out.

Let’s start with a slight disclaimer. Many firms are not enamoured by being labelled as “regional” and see themselves as offering services and careers on a par with those offered in London. To them, the fact they are based in the regions is a mere coincidence. Bristol’s Burgess Salmon would fall in that category along with Guildford-based Stevens & Bolton and Brabners in the North West. These firms, and others, would point to their Chambers and Legal 500 rankings as evidence of their status, regardless of geography.

When we say regional firms we aren’t just referring to practices with a single office or with a regional head office and a few satellite offices. We are also including the ‘national’ firms with offices across the UK (such as Eversheds, DLA Piper, Irwin Mitchell and DWF, etc.).

Added to the mix in recent years are City firms who have ‘insourced’ into the regions to handle lower value and support work. This practice is spreading, as well as changing. Several City firms now use their regional outposts to augment their City services, meaning more openings for talented lawyers. Hogan Lovells in Birmingham, Allen & Overy and Herbert Smith Freehills in Belfast, and Simmons & Simmons in Bristol are cases in point.

In law, like football, Manchester ranks second behind the capital. Next comes Birmingham, and then, in no particular order Leeds, Bristol, Sheffield, Liverpool and Newcastle. All the UK’s main towns have some sort of legal presence though and excellent firms can be found in each and every one of them.

Let’s list now some of the benefits of moving away from the capital:

1. Better work/life balance

Twelve-hour days and lost weekends can become the norm for striving lawyers at top London firms, or even ones just trying to keep up. It would be nonsense to say lawyers outside the capital don’t work hard but we would suggest that most regional lawyers shut off their computers before 7pm and rarely work whole weekends.

Added to which, your commute is likely to be both shorter and far less stressful.

2. Cheaper housing and cost of living

According to the Nationwide Building Society, the average London house costs £473,073, which is more than double the average price in the rest of the UK (£205,898). Admittedly, that’s an average over the whole country and the main cities in which the best “regional” firms are located will be more expensive.

Even so, living outside London is cheaper, wherever you are. To give just one comparison, according to website Exptistan.com, London is 49% more expensive to live in than Manchester. In other regions, the differential will be greater still. Even taking salary differences into account, you may be better off outside London.

3. Better supervision and greater responsibility

We hear this a lot from NQ Solicitors who have trained outside London. They are given more responsibility at an earlier stage and receive more hands-on supervision than their London counterparts. The main reason mentioned is that deals tend to be smaller and partners are under less constant pressure.

4. Improved working environment

If working in a super-swanky office is your thing, then the City is possibly the place to be. Balance the shiny glass atrium and meeting rooms though with the cramped working environment you’ll often find behind the scenes. Property is much cheaper outside London and often this translates into larger, more spacious offices. Admittedly, these are sometimes on industrial estates or in out of town locations, but many are in beautiful parts of the UK or at least have easy access to them.

Plus, the working environment can often be more relaxed than the highly competitive culture that is often found at the larger firms. There is also a sense outside London of your work playing an important role in the local community.

5. Quality of work

Ah, you say, what about the quality of the work? We can’t pretend the regional firms can compete with the magic circle firms in terms of international work or M&A and banking instructions. Few firms can.

Many regional firms act for multinational businesses though and do work that is every bit as challenging as London firms. And, they have reputations to match. Brabners, for example, is ranked as a leading, top-tier firm across 12 practice areas by the Legal 500. Its clients include Premier League clubs Manchester United and Everton, and the firm is renowned for its expertise in football and sports law.

This is another area where regional firms compete favourably: specialist expertise. If farming and agricultural law is your bag, head to Mills & Reeve. For equestrian law, think about Ashords in the West Country. Expertise in other, sometimes arcane, areas of law can be found in regional firms all over the UK.

If you would like to discuss moving to a regional firm as a Newly Qualified Solicitor, contact us on 020 3709 9165 or email us at info@nqsolicitors.com.

Sometimes even a dream legal job can become a labour of love. A sudden deadline, problems with a witness, a client with a different take on the evidence. But you put your best foot forward and get over the hurdles, whatever they are. After all, it’s a package deal. And all told, it’s a decent package. You take the good with the bad, a bit like a relationship – but with more caffeine.

You want those hurdles and compromises to be as few as possible. So, picking the right firm for your next move is crucial.

The important point to remember is that it’s about who you choose, not who chooses you.

You need to put your ego aside and be honest with yourself. What are your ambitions, how hard are you prepared to work to reach them and where does work rank in the pecking order in your life? You might press all the right buttons at an interview and get the job you think you want, but unless you are true to yourself, the disconnect will show sooner or later. And with that, the turkey that is your career will come flapping home to roost.

So how do you select the right law firm for your next career move? The one that matches the way you want to run your life and progress your career. Here are nine things to think about to help you make sure your prospective new firm is the best one – for you.

1. THE FIRM WON’T CHANGE FOR YOU

For a start, don’t expect any law firm to change to fit in with you and how you want to work. You might be able to persuade them to hire a new PA or get that legal subscription you hanker after, but ultimately they are only going to go so far. To draw an analogy from negligence, you must take the law firm as you find it.

2. EVERY FIRM IS DIFFERENT

Don’t fall into the trap of thinking all firms are pretty much the same. No two law firms are alike. For every paternalistic firm that takes you out on socials and expects you to go home by 7pm, another ten want to own your mind, body and soul. A large oil and gas pipeline deal that must be signed next week, an office full of discovery documents, an enormous bundle dumped on your desk two weeks from trial.

3. DO YOU REALLY ENJOY THE PRESSURE?

You may say you enjoy a high-octane pace fuelled by buckets of Red Bull and relish the 1800+ hours a year required by many City firms. But is this really you? Many solicitors are both attracted and repelled by this degree of pressure. They don’t want to be that hamster puffing away on the legal treadmill, but they savour the salary and sometimes want to reinvent themselves. Our advice: if you are not certain, don’t take the risk.

4. FIND OUT ABOUT TARGETS

If you think you are up for the challenge and your experience as a trainee solicitor proves that you can manage it, you would be well advised to ask the recruiter and the firm everything you can about targets. Also, ask whether fee-earners need to make up time for sick leave, or for attending courses or those all-too-frequent team meetings.

5. LOOK BEYOND SALARY

Salary isn’t everything. Medical insurance and pensions count for a lot, but if you value camaraderie, the atmosphere in the office matters too. Your colleagues can make or break the experience of working under high levels of stress. Social events have their place as well. Speak to other newly qualified solicitors and associates about their experience and raise pointed questions: what time do they usually leave the office, how many weekends have they worked in the past six months, what’s the social life like?

6. WILL YOU BE VALUED?

Being appreciated is important. Will the firm give you recognition: bonuses, bottles of the partners’ Scotch, mentions in firm-wide magazines? What’s the chance of a promotion? And is it real promotion, or is it just a name? Or will you go unappreciated? Ask the questions.

7. ARE THEY FLEXIBLE?

Will the firm allow you to take the occasional holiday which lasts longer than two weeks? What is their approach to compassionate leave? Can you start late some mornings to deal with your children, and sometimes work from home? Is your firm going to be reasonable if you or a close relative becomes ill? Some firms offer an onsite doctor, though most do not. Some will accept a fee-earner who manages difficult clients but has poor attendance because of health issues.

8. WILL YOU GET THE TOOLS?

Does the firm provide the tools for you to do the job? Is the case management system fit for purpose? Is the library up-to-date? Will the firm give you a PA who can actually spell and who doesn’t just leave incomplete work on their desk at 5:30pm sharp?

9. HOW ARE PROBLEMS DEALT WITH?

What are the clients like to deal with? Do the partners actively seek to head-off client problems or do they let them fester? Are you about to join a firm with all the stability and back-stabbing of Ancient Rome? Are grievances dealt with promptly and fairly? Do other members of staff feel they are aboard a slowly sinking ship? You may not wish to pose these questions direct to the firm itself, but we can discuss these, and many other issues, with you. They should be on your mind.

We’re not all destined to be super hamsters nor are we all under-ambitious nine to fivers. Whoever you are, ask yourself if the firm you are going for is really the right fit for you.

“Do you have any questions?”

As queries go, it sounds innocuous enough. It usually signals that your interview is drawing to a close. And if you’ve successfully hurdled an interrogation about your ambitions, experience and qualities as a team player you may be tempted to relax.

Big mistake. How you respond to this question may tip the balance in your favour, or send you straight to the top of the ‘no’ pile.

Saying you think the interviewer has covered everything is very rarely the right option. Much as you may want to shake hands, grab your coat and get out of there while the going is good you should ask something before you leave.

The questions you raise should serve one or more of three purposes:

• Show that you have done your homework about the firm and the role in question
• Demonstrate that you are interested in the firm and your potential career there
• Establish that the firm is the right fit for you in terms of its values and ambitions

With that in mind, here are 11 questions that you could ask at your NQ job interview. Having said that, don’t ask one that has already been answered. Good listening skills are a prerequisite for any legal job.

1. What makes someone successful in this role?
2. Can you tell me about the culture and working environment in the firm?
3. How is work allocated and how will I be supervised?
4. What type of work can I expect to be doing as a newly qualified at the firm?
5. Will I always work with the same partners/lawyers or can I expect to be working for people across different teams?
6. How will my work be assessed? What kind of feedback can I expect to receive?
7. How do you expect the firm to grow in the next five years?
8. Is there a mentoring scheme in place and, if so, how does it work?
9. How does the firm train junior solicitors in business development and networking?
10. What sets the firm apart from its competitors?
11. Can you tell me about the types of clients the firm has and describe some landmark cases/transactions?

Finally, there is no harm in enquiring about the next step in the recruitment process and when you can expect to hear further.

Worse than not asking any questions at all are those that show you in a bad light. The wrong step here can undo all your previous good work. Questions not to pose include:

1. Anything that relates to the salary or how often it will be reviewed. It indicates to the interviewer that money is your priority rather than your career. This type of question is best dealt with through an intermediary or the person at the firm who arranged the interview with you.
2. Anything about how quickly you can expect to be promoted. It is always good to come across as confident and ambitious, but this goes beyond that to presumptuousness.
3. Who are the firm’s competitors? This shows that you have failed to do your research – not a good trait for a lawyer.

And tempting as it may be, don’t ask if you will get your own corner office with views across the City.

Good luck!

To move or not to move, that is the question. For some, it is an agonising decision. For others, it is one that is out of their control. Either way, moving to a new firm as an NQ Solicitor is not something you want to leave to chance.

In the first of a two-part series, we start by looking at what you should do to put yourself in the best possible position to find a new job as an NQ. In the next part, we’ll examine what you need to do to thrive in your new firm.

The end of your training contract is a watershed moment for any solicitor. But with the relief at having finally qualified comes one of the biggest questions you will face in your career: what next?

If you have been told you will not be kept on, your only option is to get out there and find a new job. Even if you have been offered an NQ role, you may be in two minds and want to see what your options are.

Here are our tips for moving as an NQ (and finding a more fulfilling job):

1. GET OFFERED AN NQ ROLE BY YOUR EXISTING FIRM

This may seem counterintuitive if you are intent on leaving, but one of the best things you can do is secure a position as an NQ Solicitor with your current firm. You will certainly be a more attractive proposition to another firm if you have been offered a seat at your training firm.

In our experience, the larger firms prefer candidates who are moving out of choice rather than being pushed. In fact, it was on the advice of law firms we spoke to during the design phase of NQSolicitors.com that we added a field that asks candidates if they have been offered an NQ position.

And, if you have been offered a position at your training firm but are unable to find a new role that suits you straight after qualification, it gives you breathing space until you find your perfect role.

2. START THE PROCESS EARLY

It definitely pays to be ahead of the game if you are thinking of moving. Begin the process well in advance of qualification and carry out plenty of research about firms that do the type of work you are interested in.

Although some firms won’t start recruiting until they have settled the situation with regard to their own NQs, things are likely to move quickly once they do, so it pays to be prepared.

Of course, if you do manage to find a new job before your existing firm has made up its mind, you don’t need to worry about securing an NQ post at your training firm either.

3. USE YOUR EXPERIENCE TO CHOOSE YOUR NEXT FIRM CAREFULLY

Unless you worked as a paralegal before starting your training contract, choosing which firm to train at may have been a bit of a stab in the dark. But you’ve had two years in the industry now, so it makes sense to use your experience wisely.

You should by now have a better idea of what is important to you in terms of the type of work you want to do and the atmosphere you want to work in. Find out from speaking to friends and doing your research what other firms are like and how well they match what you are looking for in your career, be it partnership prospects, work/life balance, etc.

4. CHOOSE YOUR RECRUITMENT CONSULTANT CAREFULLY

Discretion is the number one watchword when you go out into the employment market. The last thing you want is for your existing firm to find out your CV is being touted around as this could result in you losing your new seat. Not all recruitment consultants are created equal, so be careful which ones you choose.

5. UPDATE YOUR CV

You know this already, but make sure your CV is up to date. It can be hard to remember what you did in your early seats, but the more relevant detail you can add the better.

You don’t need to add an exhaustive list of everything you have done as a trainee solicitor, but you should give a good overview of your experience. Most importantly, you need to demonstrate that you know why you did what you did, what the vagaries and complexities were, and what the commercial angle was. This will show that you learned a lot during your training and are ready to move on to the next stage.

Contrary to popular belief there is no right way to set out a CV, but it should be laid out neatly and be easy to navigate.

In our next post, we are going to set out some tips for NQs to get off to a flying start at their new firm.