Workforce Planning for Forward-Thinking Law Firms

Plan for retention, prepare for attrition.

Internal growth for law firm professionals is a proactive retention tool for top talent as firms face high costs of attrition and the lateral market remains competitive. When departures happen, firms should resist the urge to hang on to underperforming talent for the wrong reasons.   

Instead, approach the annual budgeting season as an opportunity to focus on team structure and advance a multi-staged approach to achieving the ideal workforce to serve firm needs. Before raising headcount budget considerations with firm leadership, the following topics will help to support your conversation and prepare you for their inevitable questions.  

The first two steps are business case and strategy: 

• The starting point should be a reflection on your firm’s existing business needs and your team’s ability to service them. Consider this is the driver of “why” you may suggest change:
  • Define what ideal performance should look like vis a vis firm expectations. 
  • What’s feedback like? What could be better? What are you not able to do? 
  • How are those needs changing over time?
  • How have you/your team adapted? 
  • What level of insight do you have into the firm’s future needs from your team? 

• Next, provide your “solution” to the firm needs and ask what would your dream team look like if we had a blank slate. 
  • Using market knowledge, how does your team stack up? 
  • Identify current MVPs: 
    • What qualities stand out?  
    • What is the cost of their replacement if they were to leave? 
  • Identify low hanging fruit: 
    • • Consider cost of underperforming positions/roles (either wrong fit or failed to adapt to demand).  
      • What is that number of positions and dollars you could re-tool – how would you spend it? 
  • Map out what could/should be accomplished with the right people in places. 
  • Create a value proposition around new roles/shifting positions (ROI). Sometimes this does not mean asking for more money and can even come with a savings! 
  • Review themes from the exit interviews to identify to protect investment in talent going forward. 

Centering question: how to facilitate a client service mindset in professionals so teams are primed for growth?  

• Every person at the firm is both a service provider and a client – internally to one another and externally to paying clients. 
• How does your team stack up in terms of client service?  

Build your case and map out scenarios.  

• Consider opportunities to work towards achieving team priorities through incremental changes: 
  • Take proactive steps before, during or after headcount budgeting process to discuss pipeline, team strengths and opportunities for growth/change with firm leadership.  
  • Prioritize requests and ask for the additional FTE’s that help support firm’s top priorities: 
    • Prepare supporting data. 
    • Take short + long term view and develop 1-2-3-year plans. 
    • Be ready to track and report on new hire/function progress. 
    • Be willing to negotiate and prepare ahead of time. 
  • Use unplanned attrition as an opportunity to refocus on bigger picture: 
    • Consider replacing FTE’s in more strategic areas. 
    • Consider opportunities for internal promotions. 
      • Showing path for promotion is a morale boost! 
  • Same players, new field. Are some peoples’ skills better served elsewhere?  
    • Show potential for up/re-skilling.
  • Reflect on existing org chart titles, job descriptions and expectations, and business needs: 
    • How does current performance stack up? 
    • Are organizational needs being met? 
    • Market comparison/insights.
• As a C-level professional, consider what skills you need to make the department successful: 
  • Start with data: 
    • Consider areas of that are not able to be handled automatically or with ease. 
      • Where is the intersection of skill, training and technology. 
    • As the leader, where are areas you should/need to delegate but currently can’t… 
  • Faced with three issues: 
    • Alignment with current and future needs sometimes means parting ways with inflexible processes and people not willing to adapt. 
    • Embrace technology – investment in training is crucial. Get leadership buy in and (ask for support, if necessary, to) coach team thru change management. 

Connect With Us

To learn more about how Calibrate can help you develop a Talent Management strategy that will support your firm’s financial objectives while increasing and maximizing team performance, please reach out to Catherine Dapra, Managing Director, Executive Search – Talent Management at Calibrate.