HR Officer (Recruitment & Trainee Development)

Lewis Silkin is a UK top-100 commercial law firm with offices in London, Oxford, Cardiff, Dublin and Hong Kong.  With 61 partners and more than 360 staff, the firm is structured around two key divisions.

The Creators, Makers and Innovators Division (CMI) is made up of leading advisers for creative, innovative and brand-focused businesses, offering a deep understanding of the industry sectors in which clients operate combined with real expertise across a wide range of legal services.  From start-ups to multinationals, the firm’s comprehensive and commercially focused advice helps clients succeed in an increasingly complex and converged international marketplace. The CMI Division includes a number of practice groups, including: Dispute Resolution, Commercial, Corporate, Real Estate and Trade Marks & Portfolio.

The Employment, Immigration and Reward Division (EIR) is consistently top-ranked, with over 140 lawyers, the team offers an unrivalled service supporting clients, including many of the world’s leading businesses on their HR, employment and immigration law needs domestically and internationally. 

The HR team consists of 13 members, the majority of whom are based in our London office.  This role will report into the Chief People Officer. All members of the HR team work closely together to support staff across the firm covering resourcing, reward, learning & development and employee relations. This role also provides the opportunity to work with the wider HR team on a regular basis. 

 Main Purpose of the Role:

1. Recruitment for fee earning and business services staff;

2. Maintain our online recruitment portal “Allhires” and monitor regular management reports on AllHires Usage;

3. Graduate recruitment life cycle;

4. Management of our internal Trainees working closely with the Trainee Principal;

5. Ensure that the firm diversity and inclusion agenda is reflected in the recruitment strategy.

The role will support the HR team to effectively and efficiently co-ordinate all recruitment campaigns across the firm including graduate recruitment, legal and business services recruitment as well as deliver the full employee life cycle for our trainees. The post holder will also have the opportunity to support the HR team on other firm-wide HR projects and initiatives.

Recruitment

Key Responsibilities:

• Work with divisional Human Resource Managers (HRMs) to create and implement recruitment plans in line with the firm’s resourcing strategy;

• Manage and maintain the firm’s recruitment portal Allhires and ensure its use across the firm providing training where required. Ensure appropriate approval processes are maintained and relevant budget considerations adhered to at all times obtaining completed Recruitment Authorisation Forms (RAF’s) where necessary signed by relevant parties;

• Lead on the creation of a recruitment and interviewing plan for each open position;

• With the appropriate HRM/HRO create job descriptions and person specifications for internal and external communication;

• Maintain open dialogue with stakeholders regarding progress of vacancies to selection and offer stage;

• Conduct regular follow-up with managers to determine the effectiveness of recruiting plans;

• Build relationships with pre-trainees and paralegal contacts to provide a potential pool of candidates;

• Build relationships with recruitment consultants and renegotiate terms on a regular basis to ensure value for money service being achieved;

• Research and recommend new sources for active and passive candidate recruitment;

• Post positions to appropriate Internet sources and monitor and analyse effectiveness of source;

• Research new ways of using the internet for recruitment;

• Improve the company website recruitment section to assist in attracting the right candidates;

• Use social and professional networking sites to identify and source candidates;

• Act as an ambassador for the firm, build the profile and continue our reputation as an employer of choice;

• Communicate with managers and employees regularly to establish rapport, gauge morale, and source new candidate leads where the firm’s recruitment bounty may be payable;

• Introduce KPIs;

• Produce management reports on hiring measurements, costs involved, time to hire, diversity and inclusion data, the impact of a continuous improvement process on cost savings and the improvement of work processes in time taken and/or steps involved.

• Commitment to ensuring that all our processes are inclusive and contribute to the hiring of diverse talent.

Trainee Recruitment (in conjunction with Chief People Officer and Trainee Recruitment Partner)

Key Responsibilities:

• Manage the HR trainee recruitment budget and put forward proposals for the forthcoming year;

• Keep abreast with trainee recruitment trends amongst competitors and the legal arena and make proposals for change to the Management Board;

• Oversee production of trainee recruitment marketing materials;

• Work with HRMs and Recruitment Partner to design and administer selection exercises such as written case study, use of psychometrics, group exercises;

• Responsible for designing activity format and timings of Spring Workshop and Assessment Centre;

• Oversee the compilation of the annual Trainee Recruitment Analysis Report; identifying key areas to focus on in the forthcoming year;

• Responsible for introduction of new technology e.g. online recruitment platforms; negotiating on costs and technical T&C’s, and ensuring smooth implementation process;

• Identify opportunities to seek maximum publicity for the firm in terms of press coverage (e.g. liaising with journalists for editorial opportunities) or processing submissions for graduaterecruitment awards;

• Liaise with university career services, organising and attending university law fairs/evening seminars;

• Participation in all aspects of marketing including completion of entries to journals and other relevant publications;

• Administer all trainee recruitment processes, including overseeing the Apply4law online recruitment portal, contact with candidates and future joiners, organisation of the assessment day, production of all related paperwork and follow up analysis of both qualitative and quantitative feedback of the process;

• Draft new interview questions, scoring sheets, marking criteria as appropriate for workshops and assessment day;

• Coordinate all aspects of the firm’s workshops and assessment day, from reviewing applications to organising the assessment day and workshops, making offers and feeding back, and production of all associated paperwork;

• Run interview training sessions for new partners (in conjunction with the Chief People Officer (CPO) and leading on partner briefing prior to assessment day;

• Compile agenda for trainee recruitment assessment day debrief and chair meeting in conjunction with Trainee Recruitment Partner;

• Maintain contact with future joiners, including payment of maintenance grants and fees and organisation of social events.

For Trainee Solicitors (with support from Chief People Officer and Training Principal):

With an annual intake of around six trainees this role will work closely with the Training Principal and CPO to support our trainee solicitors throughout their two-year training contract:

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide support to trainee solicitors throughout their two-year training contract in both developmental and pastoral care;

• Work alongside CPO and Training Partner to keep abreast of the trainee recruitment cycle as required;

• Attend monthly trainee meetings and six-monthly seat supervisor meetings;

• Oversee the appraisal and seat change processes, including secondments;

• Manage the internal qualification process;

• On-going design, review and revision of key trainee processes such as appraisal, training, induction and qualification;

• Work with Heads of Department and seat supervisors to undertake training needs analysis and delivering interventions as required;

• Provide support and guidance to trainees including prior to joining, during their training contract and post qualification;

• Undertake the design and delivery of the seat plan;

• Communication with seat supervisors and Heads of Department on issues relating to trainees, including but not limited to client secondments, performance issues, and end-of-seat feedback for trainees;

• Deliver some elements of the annual induction;

• Manage, advise and review relationships with external course providers, for example for the online training contract diary, ensuring a quality and cost effective service is maintained at all times;

• Proactive support to trainees around the design of their training contracts to ensure they are getting the right experience.

Candidate Profile:

The successful candidate must have a professional manner and first class communication skills.  They must be highly organised and able to demonstrate a pro-active approach to their work with the ability to work on their own initiative.  They must enjoy working in a busy team environment and will need to have a flexible and co-operative nature; as well as excellent stakeholder management skills and willing attitude.  Candidates must enjoy working in an involved team environment and be keen to guide, coach and motivate others.

Experience and Qualifications:

• Previous experience and understanding of the trainee recruitment process/life-cycle and exposure to recruitment in general;

• Experience or exposure to the management of performance and absence issues would be beneficial.

• At least two years’ experience of working at HR Officer level within an HR team in a professional services environment, ideally legal;

• Educated to degree level (or equivalent by experience) and CIPD qualification preferred;

• Experience of using employee database software and online recruitment management tools;

• Experience of managing ER issues from start to end.

Abilities and desired qualities:

• Excellent organisation, attention to detail and prioritisation skills with the ability to manage a varied and demanding workload often to tight deadlines;

• Client focused and ability to maintain discretion and confidentiality at all times;

• Excellent communication skills with the ability to build successful relationships at all levels;

• Team player with a flexible and willing attitude;

• Flexibility to work additional hours where resource requirements dictate, or to attend industry/networking events out of hours.