Unlocking the Secrets to Fast-Tracking Your Law Firm's Success Through Smart Staffing
Do you need some help in hiring for your law firm? Are you unsure what roles you need filled? In this podcast episode, Jim and Tyson welcome Brett Trembly, CEO and co-founder of Get Staffed Up. He discusses his new book "24 Months to Freedom: How Modern Law Firms Use Smarter Staffing Solutions to Fast Track Their Way to Success." The book lists seven crucial positions to hire that every law firm needs.
In order to have a successful law firm, you need the right people. You need to have an adequate amount of staff who are skilled in what they do. One of the most important roles to fill is that of an executive assistant. Without an executive assistant, many attorneys take on much more tasks in their day to day schedule. This ultimately takes away from what they need to do. An executive assistant wears many hats in a law firm. The role includes answering phones, preparing documents and bookkeeping. It is a multi-dimensional role that helps keep law firms running.
Many attorneys have a fear of hiring and will stall in getting it done. Sometimes this comes down to money. Brett speaks to not needing tens of thousands of dollars in the bank to hire. As long as there is enough to pay someone for the first 2 weeks, that is when it is time to hire. Hiring someone is not going to cost you money, but it will make you money. It will allow an attorney to focus on the important work, bring in more clients and therefore bring in more money.
Every successful law firm needs to have a full proof intake system, which includes a few different positions.
➡️ One is a receptionist, who will answer phones and take messages. A receptionist is usually the first person a potential client will interact with, so this individual needs to be very well rounded. Answering the phones in a swift and quick manner is crucial to ensuring that potential clients are provided with what they need. If a firm does not have a receptionist, there is much opportunity to lose out on new clients.
➡️Hiring an intake specialist is another position that is included in the intake process. This individual will know the process of the law firm in and out and will have some legal knowledge as well. They screen clients to ensure they are the right fit, refer clients to other firms when they are not and will set up consultations for attorneys. These two positions not only add value to a firm but allow attorneys to focus on the core work.
Brett provides a few tips to help firms hire the right people. One great tip is to give potential candidates practical tests to see if they can not only handle the job but show off their skills and experience. For example, if you are hiring for an intake specialist role, do a quick role play scenario of a client screening call. This way, the candidate can show you in real time how they would handle that situation and what skills they would use to complete a successful call.
Take a listen to learn more about who to hire and how to hire for a law firm!
6:30 Hiring an executive assistant
10:14 The fear that law firms have when hiring
11:27 The misconception of waiting to hire
13:23 The importance of hiring a full-time dedicated receptionist
20:23 Giving candidates a test
Jim's Hack: Have quarterly meetings with each team member to have conversations on a variety of things. This really shows the effort made to keep tabs on employees and discuss important aspects of one’s career, whether it be goals or growth. These conversations also help with understanding what is and isn't working for a firm from the eyes of an employee.
Brett’s Tip: Force yourself to take time off with your family. If you find you are more stressed when you return to work, that means you have more things to work on to address either your stress or your ways of working.
Tyson’s Tip: Have reference checks for hiring new people. They provide additional information that help get the right people in the right roles. It does add a little more time to the hiring process, but it is really worth it in the end.
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