Articles published in February 2009
Nothing’s certain in a changeable market
Employers are making good use of the downturn to shape up their resourcing practices. But with plans going topsy turvy at a moment’s notice, and most firms avoiding planning concrete resourcing strategies just yet, ad hoc recruitment opportunities offer fickle glimmers of optimism. Read more »
Tall expectations becoming a barrier to recruitment
The job market is caught in a paradox: though skilled jobseekers continue to flood the market, employers are finding it increasingly difficult to recruit the best professionals. This trend, which persists from the tail end of 2008, is now echoed in other specialisms, and needs a shift in expectations to overcome. Read more »
One change expert just isn’t enough
As mergers, acquisitions and takeovers continue to dominate the news, it is little surprise that now is an exciting time for change management experts to show off their skills. Many need to share the limelight with their fellow specialists and engage their teamwork skills, as most firms are recruiting multiple posts per change project. Read more »
Compliance gaining momentum behind closed doors
As predicted, recruitment within compliance has overcome its seasonal lull and is on the up. But with employers keen to nurture and up-skill their existing talent, few of these opportunities are open to professionals on the wider job market. Read more »
Insurers fuel demand within investment management
Asset managers and hedge funds continue to hold fire on recruiting unless for critical hires. But the insurance-backed ones among them are basking in the glory of relatively unaffected trading and looking to sustain their workforce to support their work. Read more »
Employers look for product knowledge
Job volumes aren’t yet recovering, as vacancies within certain product areas continue to arise through replacement hires rather than the bulking-up of teams. But there is positive news for professionals with complex product knowledge as it seems employers who are recruiting are looking in their direction. Read more »
In-house teams put cost-efficiency first
The pressure on in-house legal teams to reduce the amount they spend on external counsel is creating greater workloads for in-house lawyers. While in-house lawyers are not immune to redundancies, closer inspection of the cost-effectiveness of using external counsel may, in the long-term, improve in-house lawyers’ fortunes. Read more »
Baby P case drives workloads
While childcare lawyers have been in high demand for some time now, the reporting of the Baby P story and Haringey Council has intensified this demand further. The implications not only for Haringey Council, but for all childcare departments and their lawyers and social workers across the country, will be deep and long-lasting. The impact of the news story is more apparent when you consider that childcare cases rose by 66% in December '08 compared to the previous year. Requirements for locums since the Baby P case have risen, and in the North in particular, we have seen a six fold increase in locum positions compared to this time last year. Read more »
Law firms safeguarding a prosperous future
If the first month of 2009 is anything to go by, law firms are confronting the scale of the economic downturn with decisiveness and action. In the past, firms have been criticised for not reacting fast enough to economic conditions, and for not considering the long-term effects of their business decisions. This is no longer the case. The current climate is highlighting many firms’ careful examination of their long-term business strategies, and the months ahead will see firms firmly focusing on ensuring prudent business management. Read more »
Keeping the workplace motivated and productive
For lawyers in both private practice and in-house, now more than ever, key performance indicators and appraisals are determining future prospects. Whether being looked at for redundancy reasons or not, lawyers’ performance is being scrutinised in much more detail. For in-house teams, more often than not a key performance indictor is the strength of client relationships, i.e. do their business units come to them as a first point of contact for any legal queries, issues or general advice, as opposed to going to external counsel. In-house lawyers are under even more pressure to deliver high quality advice while ensuring they understand the commercial drivers facing the business, particularly in the context of current market conditions. Read more »
Clear career paths attract lawyers to the public sector
The public sector is reaping the benefits from the influx of lawyers newly on the market. As the economic downturn deepens, increasing numbers of lawyers are facing redundancy. The perception that the public sector is a safe haven from the downturn and provides a wealth of job opportunities is helping public sector employers to attract an unheralded number of candidates and their recruitment drives are receiving unprecedented levels of success. Read more »
Reliance on compensation and benefits experts up by a third
Organisations are faced with a tricky balancing act: how to remain attractive in the marketplace, offer desirable attraction and retention packages, yet simultaneously keep a lid on costs. With salaries being reviewed across the City and beyond, compensation and benefits professionals are being brought in temporarily to get to the heart of remuneration dilemmas and to deliver the bad news. Read more »
