Fladgate seeks business-savvy recruits
23 January 2013
Law firm Fladgate has highlighted the importance of employers adapting their recruitment to the needs of clients.
Wed, 23 Jan 2013
Law firm Fladgate has highlighted the importance of employers adapting their recruitment to the needs of clients.
Philip Turner (right), a partner at Fladgate, who is responsible for the firm’s graduate recruitment and training tells Recruiter that as opposed to many law firms “what we look for is slightly different”.
Because Fladgate’s clients tend to be entrepreneurs the firm’s recruitment effort is designed to identify candidates with a real interest in business. That is in addition to seeking recruits with technical and legal skills.
Turner says that while high intellect is relatively simple to spot, it is both “more unusual” and ”more difficult” to find graduates with commercial awareness. This is despite most of the graduates the firm hires already being in work, he adds.
Questions used to unearth commercial awareness have included: “Name a business person you admire, and why?” and “If you had £100,000 to invest what would you do with it?”
The firm is also piloting the use of group exercises to help identify another quality that the firm’s clients value – teamwork. “What we want to see is enthusiasm, leadership potential, and team-working skills,” Turner says.
Fladgate expects to receive about 500 applications for four graduate positions starting next September, with another four graduates joining the firm in September 2014.
Law firm Fladgate has highlighted the importance of employers adapting their recruitment to the needs of clients.
Philip Turner (right), a partner at Fladgate, who is responsible for the firm’s graduate recruitment and training tells Recruiter that as opposed to many law firms “what we look for is slightly different”.
Because Fladgate’s clients tend to be entrepreneurs the firm’s recruitment effort is designed to identify candidates with a real interest in business. That is in addition to seeking recruits with technical and legal skills.
Turner says that while high intellect is relatively simple to spot, it is both “more unusual” and ”more difficult” to find graduates with commercial awareness. This is despite most of the graduates the firm hires already being in work, he adds.
Questions used to unearth commercial awareness have included: “Name a business person you admire, and why?” and “If you had £100,000 to invest what would you do with it?”
The firm is also piloting the use of group exercises to help identify another quality that the firm’s clients value – teamwork. “What we want to see is enthusiasm, leadership potential, and team-working skills,” Turner says.
Fladgate expects to receive about 500 applications for four graduate positions starting next September, with another four graduates joining the firm in September 2014.
