Top Skills Recruiting Agencies Seek for Legal Office Staff

Today, legal staff are in demand. Each year, there are approximately 38,000 job openings for paralegals and legal assistants, and that amount is expected to grow over the next decade. Finding qualified candidates to fill these competitive positions can be challenging. That’s why law firms turn to recruiting agencies to find the best candidates. Here are the top skills recruiters use to evaluate potential employees.

Legal knowledge

Obviously, what sets apart a great candidate for a legal staffing position is their legal knowledge. When evaluating candidates, recruiting agencies look for a solid understanding of legal terminology, standards, and procedures. This includes being able to prepare and file documents. Candidates with specialized experience, such as in litigation or estate planning, or knowledge of current issues, such as data privacy and artificial intelligence, are highly valued.

Technology proficiency

When hiring for legal office staff, recruiting agencies often look for technology proficiency beyond Microsoft Office skills. Often, paralegals and legal assistants manage case files and documents using specialized software such as Clio or PracticePanther. Often, legal staff use databases such as LexisNexis or Bloomberg Law to research case law, statues or regulations. Recruiting agencies are looking for knowledge and experience with digital communication platforms, including Slack, Zoom, GoToMeeting, which are vital for communications with colleagues, clients, and other law firms and companies. According to the National Association for Legal Support Professionals website, “Due to the rise of electronic discovery, formally trained paralegals with strong computer and database management skills should have the best job prospects.”

Communication, critical thinking, and other soft skills

Besides technical know-how, recruiting agencies also evaluate candidates’ soft skills. In order to provide excellent support in a law firm, staff must be able to communicate effectively with everyone from clients to judges, in person, by email, on the phone and virtually. Paralegals, legal assistants, and legal secretaries must have excellent critical thinking and problem-solving skills as well as keen attention to detail. Other soft skills recruiting agencies are looking for in legal staffing candidates include acting with honesty and integrity, the ability to work collaboratively, and adherence to ethics and confidentiality.

How recruiting agencies help law firms fulfill their hiring needs

So how do recruiting agencies find candidates that have the perfect mix of experience and skills and the ability to seamlessly fit into corporate culture? At TriStarr, our process begins with getting to know our clients and understanding their hiring needs—goals, the job description, requirements for the position, even their company culture.

Our professional staffing experts then evaluate a prospective employee’s skills and knowledge, personality, and professional aspirations to ensure a great match with our client’s needs.

• We get to know the potential employee to ensure that we present the best candidates to our clients. We discuss their professional goals, their background and qualifications, and their work style. We review their resume and conduct thorough background and reference checks.
• We evaluate their skills. An essential part of our recruitment process is an objective evaluation of a prospect’s knowledge and abilities through the completion of skills tests. This detailed information helps to distinguish the level of proficiency a candidate has obtained for a successful placement with the client’s needs.
• We assess the cultural fit for a long-lasting match. Potential employees complete personality assessments which help to further identify the candidates that are best suited to the company culture, management style, and workplace environment.

Then, we put it all together, and present the client with a comprehensive candidate summary and assessment data of the best prospects. TriStarr’s expert recruiters facilitate the interview process and, once a hiring decision is made, can assist with the onboarding process as well.

Our management team has more than 60 years combined experience in recruiting. It’s that wealth of experience that informs our hiring solutions for clients in Lancaster, York and Central Pennsylvania. Our approach has been proven to reduce turnover by as much as 40% and gives our clients flexibility to obtain the amount of professional support they need.

As one of the top recruiting agencies in Central Pennsylvania, TriStarr specializes in legal as well as accounting, IT, and human resource placements. Our services also include recruiting for professional and management roles and temporary staffing. Request your next great hire or call us at 717-560-2111 for more information.