Retention revolution: Redefining legal talent management

Published in Briefing Frontiers 2023

Taking a data-driven approach to resource and task allocation is key to championing a bias-free environment and improving retention, argues Chris Jefferson, director of sales and marketing at Peppermint: with contributions from Emily Farrow and Clare Bonsall, also at Peppermint.

The business landscape is undergoing seismic shifts, as any LinkedIn newsfeed will tell you. Clickbait headlines adorned with phrases like ‘the war for talent’ and ‘the great resignation’ underscore this transformation, supported by articles documenting how companies dabble in new work models and the rising prominence of micro-credentials. But placing a magnifying glass over these subjects, one quintessential challenge comes sharply into focus — the battle for employee retention.

Even more perplexing is the realisation that no sector, not even historically stable ones like the legal domain, are shielded from these swirling winds of change. In 2022, at Peppermint this provoked our product team to ask a simple question: how can we create a solution that ensures law firms remain a coveted destination for top talent?

Looking inward

We began our quest for answers by looking inward at our own retention success. While we are not a law firm by any stretch, we did find some transferable (and helpful) themes. Our significantly low turnover rates as compared to industry averages aren’t statistical anomalies. They are the fruits of a meticulously crafted strategy — spearheaded by our leadership team.

Emily Farrow, director of people performance, shares, “While tangible factors like remuneration, benefits and location undoubtedly hold sway, the dance of retention is choreographed in the nuanced corridors of human emotion and motivation.

“It’s the subtleties, the often-overlooked facets, that end up being the game-changers. The profound sense of belonging, the assurance of doing valuable work, of being valued and the belief of fairness in workload distribution all amalgamate to create an environment where employees stick around because they don’t just work, they thrive.”

Blending technology with strategy

In the spirit of technology redefining boundaries, last year, we planted a flag (green, of course) in the space of law firm resource and task management technology — introducing CX365 Work Management.

Built exclusively for the legal world, this platform is not just a task allocator. It’s a matchmaker — intricately linking tasks to individuals based on skills, availability and competence — ensuring a perfect fit every time.

Clare Bonsall, head of product, perceives this as a transformational step towards cultivating a “strengths-based working culture for law firms”.

“The promise of Work Management transcends basic operational efficiency,” Clare continues. “It’s rooted in the profound understanding that when individuals harness their innate strengths and ability, they are not only more productive but also deeply engaged. This results in a dual win — the firm benefits from stellar performances while employees enjoy enhanced job satisfaction, feeling a sense of alignment with their roles.”

Independent research by Gallup corroborates this, underscoring a robust link between strength-aligned roles and heightened retention rates.

Pioneering the anti-bias movement

The modern business playbook emphasises the immense value of diverse work cultures. But, the ghost of unconscious bias often haunts even the best-intentioned strategies, particularly in law firms.

Work Management promises to not just level the playing field but drop any undulations that might lead to bias. Its data-driven approach to resource and task allocation supports leaders by highlighting the best people/team objectively, ensuring that assignments are merit-based and challenging our potentially unfounded feelings.

The implications of such an approach are profound. A recent Forbes investigation unveiled a startling statistic — perceived bias significantly heightens the likelihood of employees considering a job switch within a year. Thus, by championing a bias-free environment, organisations aren’t just embracing ethical practices; they are shrewdly bolstering their retention strategies.

Spotting and filling the gaps

One of the perennial challenges leaders grapple with is the effective allocation of resources. In law, where requirements fluctuate and demands heighten, this task assumes inflated proportions. Work Management emerges as an invaluable ally in this context.

With its data-driven insights, Work Management delivers leaders a panoramic view of ongoing projects, individual abilities and potential bottlenecks. Such transparency accelerates decision-making — enabling leaders to swiftly reallocate resources, plug gaps and pre-empt potential crises.

More importantly, it prevents employee burnout — an increasingly prevalent phenomenon in today’s high-stress work environments. The financial implications of burnout are staggering, with repercussions ranging from lowered productivity to increased absenteeism. By pre-emptively addressing overallocation, Work Management indirectly but powerfully boosts the bottom line.

Get started

Work Management is the future of strategic human resource management in legal. By weaving human-centric needs with technological prowess, it promises a change in basic assumptions in how law firms approach the multifaceted challenge of employee retention.

To explore how Work Management can revolutionise your firm, we invite you to book a first discussion or demonstration. After all, in the war for talent, every strategic advantage counts.

To find out more, please contact Chris Jefferson, director of sales and marketing, at chris.jefferson@pepperminttechnology.co.uk