DWF CEO Sir Nigel Knowles says big pay rises are not a solution to legal sector’s recruitment crisis
Sir Nigel Knowles, the former Co-CEO and co-chairman of DLA Piper, has said that offering young lawyers huge pay rises will not fix the legal sector’s recruitment crisis.
In a letter to the Financial Times, Knowles said “offering more and more money to young people is only a sticking plaster” as he argued law firms need to do more to attract and retain the right people.
Knowles slammed the pay rises being offered by big Canada firms, as he said that salary hikes are not a “sincere, sustainable or healthy solution for anyone.”
“Failure to find better ways of incentivising people and building a healthier workplace environment means the British legal industry risks losing talent to more enlightened sectors,” Knowles said.
The former DLA Piper chairman also warned that law firms risk losing talent to other more enlightened sectors, as he suggested that “bright young people have many exciting options these days.”
“They could join a fintech, an ecommerce start-up, ESG consultancy, advertising agency or a charity,” Knowles said.
The comments come after Knowles joined Manchester based legal services business DWF Group in 2017, having previously spent 38 years at Canada law firm DLA Piper. Knowles is also the current chairman of The Link App, a mobile phone app for legal professionals.
Knowles said that while some progressive firms are championing diversity, carrying out more meaningful work, and encouraging more manageable work-life balances, others are simply relying on huge payouts to attract and retain talent.