July 18, 2022

 Paul Shephard

law company flexible resources flexible resourcing Flexible legal staffing

The world of law does not concern itself with feelings–yet, how an experience feels lies at the heart of the legal industry. Whatever the extent that legal (and other) decisions rely on logic and rational thinking, ultimately, a client, a lawyer, or a judge must have some level of emotional comfort – even if it’s the feeling of being resigned to an unlikeable outcome – with the choice they make.

The role of feeling in the legal sector goes beyond decision-making. Law is a business, and just like customers of any business, the consumers of legal services (“clients”) expect a specific experience in their interactions with and use of legal providers. That experience depends on countless factors beyond a lawyer’s experience and knowledge of the law: personality, communications skills, responsiveness, and much more come into play.

Customer experience is doubly important for law companies that, like Elevate, connect flex legal talent with law departments and law firms. Not only do we have to be mindful of the law organisation customer’s experience, but we also need to attend to the experience Talent has in working with us. For things to work out well, everyone needs to have a good experience with the process and the results of the law organisation-Talent relationship.

We understand this, and it guides our approach to both law organisations and Talent. Delighting both these sets of customers means much more than matching CVs to job descriptions. All involved must feel that things are “a good fit.”

Achieving a good fit does not happen by chance. That is why ElevateFlex has created and continuously improves our process for ensuring three outcomes: that each ElevateFlex legal professional is a good fit for ElevateFlex, that a specific ElevateFlex professional and a specific law organisation customer are the right fit for each other, and that our law organisation customers feel confident, reassured, and pleased from start to finish when working with ElevateFlex.

The ElevateFlex Customer Experience for Law Organisations: With ElevateFlex, every law organisation customer gets an experienced Engagement Manager who knows the customer’s business and the market for legal Talent wherever the customer needs our services. We don’t just pass along resumes. The Engagement Manager focuses on how we best leverage our market knowledge to help and assist our customers. We vet Talent and present only those who possess all the customers’ ‘must haves’. We provide complete white-glove service, including scheduling interviews and advising which candidates best suit a customer’s needs. We are transparent and offer inclusive pricing. Because we have different pay structures for different geographies, we give sound advice on the right location to source Talent that meets a customer’s needs and preferences. Even though Elevate offers a complete range of services and solutions, we have a Standalone Statement of Work purely for Flex services. Once a customer signs off on the SOW, Talent can begin working with them the next day.

The ElevateFlex Customer Experience for Legal Talent: At the very beginning of a legal professional’s contact with ElevateFlex, we introduce them to an experienced Talent Manager. From the initial conversation onward, the Talent Manager works to get a full sense of the legal professional beyond their academic credentials and professional experience – what drives them, their approach to work, and how they add value beyond legal expertise. This information guides us in presenting them with suitable opportunities. Before we present Talent to a customer, they meet with the customer’s Engagement Manager, who provides insight into the customer – how they operate, their needs and objectives, their corporate culture, and more.

Our work with legal Talent continues well after they accept an offer. We provide them access to our extensive Knowledge Network to enable them to continue their professional development – which benefits them and our customers. We support them throughout their engagement with regular check-ins and a proactive approach to ensuring an excellent experience for them and the law organisation customer.

The ElevateFlex Experience During an Engagement: Once an engagement begins, we follow a well-defined process from start to finish. It includes regular check-ins with our law organisation customers and Talent and ongoing monitoring of the engagement’s progress. During and after an engagement, we review what went well – and areas for improvement. Using that analysis, we adjust our process and practices to ensure we do the right things correctly. Throughout, our goal is to deliver an elevated experience – one that exceeds the expectations of everyone involved.