Liverpool Daily Post
Legal Recruiter
Tim Bates
, from website comparelegaljobs.com, addresses diversity in law firms.
The legal sector has traditionally lagged behind its contemporaries, particularly accountancy and banking, in its adoption to effective diversity policies.
The Law Society’s Diversity and Inclusion Charter aims to bridge this gap by helping lawyers adopt equality best practice throughout their organisations, but what does this mean for recruitment?
With the onus now on lawyers to seize the initiative, they will increasingly expect suppliers to share the load.
Firms must adopt a consistent attitude from the outset and make this a feature of recruitment. All staff should be aware of the charter and consider training sessions to explain the policy and answer questions.
Recruitment consultants should be familiar with clients’ diversity policies and be able to demonstrate this has been followed. If a law firm is serious about inclusion, it’s not enough to simply look the other way.
To maintain transparency, firms should request access to the data used by recruiters to filter applications. Only then can they guarantee a wide screening process has occurred, rather than simply receiving a shortlist and applying their own inclusion criteria at that stage.
A joined-up approach means exactly that, and it’s time for all parties to show their mettle on diversity.
