Law firms now more willing to hire less skilled candidates in face of nationwide skills shortage
Law firms are now increasingly willing to hire candidates that do not have the skills they were looking for, as the battle for talent continues.
Three quarters (75 per cent) of law firms said they are now willing to be flexible when it comes to a candidate’s skillset, compared to 57 per cent of financial services companies, and 43 per cent of businesses, according to the iCIMS’ Workforce Report 2022.
The increased flexibility comes as law firms fight to get hold of the right people, as they race to keep up with booming demand for legal services.
Soaring demand for lawyers has seen the UK legal sector post its highest revenues ever. However, the legal boom has forced lawyers to work increasingly long hours, amid a shortage of skilled professionals.
At the same time, a third of companies are willing to be flexible on location, as they struggle to find the right people. This figure increases to 39 per cent, for companies based in London, the survey of 500 HR professionals shows.
Meanwhile, the majority of C-Suite executives said they expect that a failure to hire enough people will lead to higher prices, longer delays, and increased rates of burnout.
“Shifting priorities and talent expectations require us to think differently and take a more strategic, holistic approach to talent transformation,” said Susan Vitale, chief marketing officer at iCIMS.