Recruitment Officer

Lewis Silkin works with leading businesses to protect and enhance their most important assets - their ideas, their people, their brand and their future. We call it: Ideas. People. Possibilities.

With offices in London, Oxford, Cardiff, Belfast, Dublin and Hong Kong, we are recognised by clients and industry alike as being distinct for our unique culture, market-leading practice areas, sector focused approach and for providing solutions to complex, multijurisdictional business challenges, with a pragmatic and human touch. We have two things at our core: people — both ours and our clients’— and a focus on creative, tech and innovative businesses.

Our culture is encapsulated by an ethos of bravery and kindness, guided by our values of Integrity, Clarity, Unity and Excellence (our ‘I-CUE’). We aim to provide a supportive environment for our people, clients and wider community and embrace diversity & inclusion, ensuring people are able to bring their full selves to work.

Location Note

At Lewis Silkin we are currently reviewing our flexible and agile working policies. This role will preferably be based in our London or Cardiff Office, and we are unable to say at this time what the blend of office based and home-based working there will be.

The HR team consists of 17 members, the majority of whom are based in our London office.  This role will report into Head of Talent Acquisition & Diversity.  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:

• Recruitment for fee earning and business services staff;
• Maintain our online recruitment portal “Allhires” and monitor and produce regular management reports on AllHires usage;
• Ensure that the firm’s 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 legal and business services recruitment. 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 and central HR teams 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, ensuring accuracy and integrity of the data is maintained at all times;  
• Ensure appropriate approval processes are maintained and relevant budget considerations are adhered to at all times with completed Recruitment Authorisation Forms (RAF’s) provided necessary authorised 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;
• Administer recruitment processes including, but not limited to, liaising with agents and candidates directly, managing interviewer diaries, administering tests and assessments, ensuring efficient communication around interview times and details to both internal and external stakeholders;
• Gather feedback post interviews/assessment, ensure both internal and external stakeholders and candidates are updated in a timely fashion and kept up to date with on-going processes;
• Conduct regular follow-up with managers to determine the effectiveness of recruitment plans;
• Build relationships with paralegal contacts to provide a potential pool of candidates;
• Build relationships with recruitment consultants and re-negotiate 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, particularly with regard to management reports from Allhires;
• 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;
• Participation in the delivery of induction programmes for new joiners as needed;
• Any other reasonable duty in line with the level of the role.

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.

Experience and Qualifications:

• Previous experience and understanding of recruitment processes; including working with a variety of stakeholders;
• At least two years’ experience of working at HR/Recruitment Officer level within an HR team in a professional services environment, ideally legal; or applicable agency background working within a professional services setting or remit;
• Educated to degree level (or equivalent by experience) preferred;
• Experience of using employee database software and online recruitment management tools;
• Understanding and sensitivity to diversity and inclusion issues within recruitment processes.

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.

At Lewis Silkin our ethos is simple. We strive to do the best for our clients, our people and the communities in which we operate. We recognise that an inclusive workplace allows for all kinds of ideas and thoughts, a variety of points of view that can trigger discussions or deliver innovative results, and a wide range of versatile skills and expertise. We are proud of the diversity within Lewis Silkin and of our culture that allows people to be themselves at work, ensuring we provide the best possible service to our clients. We are committed to finding the right person for this role and are open to discussing flexible working patterns and office location.