How to get the most out of your legal flexpool: 5 tips
Working with a pool of (freelance) lawyers offers great opportunities to law firms and large legal departments. Using your flexpool is quite easy, but we still see HR professionals and hiring partners/managers making unnecessary mistakes. Causing them to miss out on the best talent, frustrate their team, and cost their organization money. Here are 5 tips
#1: do your homework
Ok, it’s smart to start the hiring process in time, but don’t waste time by sending out support requests unless you have a concrete project you need to source. Before you ask others to invest time in answering your support request, think it through.
when do you need the project to start and finish
what budget can you spend
what dependencies are there, and who’s in the lead when if comes to the final engagement decision
#2: be fast
Hiring freelance lawyers is nothing like hiring permanent staff. Your regular HR processes won’t work. Clients that are successful in hiring the best freelancers are the fast ones. In the Dutch freelance market, the process from receiving resumes, and doing online interviews, to the final hiring decision should ideally not take more than 48 hours. Don’t let the engagement process drag on. Get on with it, and make your internal stakeholders step up as well.
#3: be prepared to pay for quality, but don’t hesitate to negotiate
Today's market is highly competitive but in a reverse way. Talented legal freelancers in the Dutch market have ample choice of clients, causing the hourly rates to rise. Don’t be afraid to open a conversation, compare (hourly) rates and explore possibilities of paying less. The stronger your brand, the more flexibility you offer, the more likely you are to succeed in making the best possible deal.
#4: be flexible
We mean this in more than one way. We see it pays off to be flexible when it comes to negotiating fee arrangements, but in the current market, you also need to be flexible in the way you think about the optimal sourcing solution. That one specialized freelance lawyer with all the right credentials and track record, you dreamt of hiring for your project, may well be unavailable. Be willing to explore other options and think outside the box.
#5: don’t be an asshole
It’s almost too obvious, but we mention it anyway: treat your freelance lawyers as you would want your clients to treat you. As said before, these talented individuals can work anywhere. Why would they choose to work for you if you don’t show them the respect you show your peers? That includes being responsive to questions and replying to calls or emails.
