Interviewing job candidates is perhaps the most serious responsibility of management. A bad hire is a full-time disaster, because the lawyers, the staff, and the manager spend more time with that person than they do with their own families. Interviewing is an artificial situation and managers get tricked by it. Everybody can have a pat answer to the standard questions of "what … [Read more...] about 10 interview questions that reveal the true personality of every job applicant
Hiring & firing
Five personalities to weed out when hiring for staff positions
Just as important as being able to do the work and being willing to do the work is having a personality that fits the job. Five traits can spell disaster in law firm staffing. Those five traits can cause severe friction within the staff. They can stymie the work. And they can undermine the administrator. Here's a definition of each plus the detection questions to ask and the … [Read more...] about Five personalities to weed out when hiring for staff positions
Five dangers in dealing with harassment complaints
As with firing, the rules are well known, yet employers still fall into the common violations that spawn claims of sexual harassment, says management consultant Joseph Godwin of F&H Solutions Group in Asheville, NC. Here are five areas that warrant attention. 1. No, it's not sour grapes Don't dismiss any complaint, particularly one from a fired or demoted employee, as sour … [Read more...] about Five dangers in dealing with harassment complaints
Assigning secretaries to case types improves litigation work flow
A Tulsa administrator had serious secretarial problems. Work flow was stymied, productivity was down, client service was suffering, and morale was low. The cure, however, was simple. It was nothing more than a secretary reassignment strategy. Now the secretaries still work for specific attorneys but at the same time, each secretary is assigned to handle all the work in a … [Read more...] about Assigning secretaries to case types improves litigation work flow
A manual that covers the entire administration
A Washington, D.C. administrator has set up an operations manual that covers every imaginable item of managing the firm. It holds the basics of everything so that when she is out, the firm “can be on autopilot and keep the trains running on time,” says Jill D. Hirsch, chief operating officer of Slevin & Hart. And, she says, “it’s for me as well as for someone stepping in … [Read more...] about A manual that covers the entire administration
5 proven ways to spot and avoid hiring potentially “toxic employees” … and what to do if you already have them
Got toxins in the office? Toxins are people who cause dissent. They undermine people. They create an atmosphere of mistrust and suspicion. They kill the camaraderie. They are toxic because they cause enough misery to force worthwhile staffers to leave. Law firms are notorious for putting up with toxic people at both the attorney and staff levels. Professional people are not … [Read more...] about 5 proven ways to spot and avoid hiring potentially “toxic employees” … and what to do if you already have them
Orientation also keeps or loses that good hire
Orientation determines the success and retention of a new hire. It’s a necessary element, says employment law attorney and business advisor Katie Pratt of Berg Hill Greenleaf & Ruscitti in Denver. “It sets a foundation” of what the firm expects of the new employee and what the new employee can expect of the firm. It’s also legal protection, … [Read more...] about Orientation also keeps or loses that good hire
Three errors that can cause wrongful termination problems
Though every employer knows – or should know – the rules for safe firing, mistakes still happen when it comes to showing an employee the door, says Peter Golden, a business and employment law attorney with The Golden Law Firm in Atlanta. In his own practice, he finds that employers most often fall down on three points: missed documentation, unfair employee comparisons, and … [Read more...] about Three errors that can cause wrongful termination problems
How can I rein in a runaway staff?
Question: The previous manager let staff get away with everything. I’m the new manager. How do I change the staff behavior? Answer: Take the bull by the horns. Hold a staff meeting and spell out the new expectations. Call them rules or call them pet peeves, but make it clear that everybody is expected to follow them. Cover all the items the previous manager let slide so staff … [Read more...] about How can I rein in a runaway staff?
Take these 4 steps to make sure you hire the right temporary attorney
In an uncertain economy, temporary attorneys are a good business option. They give the firm an additional attorney without having to worry if there will be enough business to support that person in the future. They come in with the experience necessary for the job. If they don’t perform up to par, the agency will replace them. And if they do perform well, the firm ends up with … [Read more...] about Take these 4 steps to make sure you hire the right temporary attorney