The reason why the majority of professionals are looking for a new role after changing jobs during COVID is because of a culture misfit. That is what we found in recent LinkedIn poll.
I wasn’t surprised that 53% of respondents reported looking for a new job again after joining their current firm having only met their colleagues virtually. We can’t glean a firm’s culture over Zoom interviews.
What is firm culture? I describe it as the unwritten rules for how things get done and people treat each other. What I have observed after being inside of over 100 law firms over the past 26 years is that firm cultures vary greatly.
For the customization process, I interview firm leaders and survey attorneys at all levels asking them to describe what traits are key to success at the firm. Having done this training for over 70 law firms, I can tell you that the key traits I hear vary from firm to firm. For example, one firm I am building a program for right now stressed the importance of collaboration as a key trait, while another firm honed in on a strong business sense as a key trait. Do you think this difference in what they believe makes one successful at the firm will translate into a different culture? Absolutely!
I have personally experienced how different firm cultures can be when I headed up recruiting for two very different law firms—one was a 20-year-old entrepreneurial law firm and the other one was the oldest firm in New York. Their cultures where widely different, and although I loved my work, one fit me much better than the other.
So how do you make the best decision when you are choosing a new firm to join?
- Ask questions to hear how decisions are made
- Visit the firm and meet people in person to glean how the firm feels to you
- Ask yourself if these are people you share common values with and see yourself supporting and vice versa
- Trust your gut and don’t rationalize red flags
When I am helping marketing, recruiting, and PD business services professionals through the interview process, these are the types of questions we focus on to determine if the culture is right.
My promise to myself and the candidates we represent has always been: I’d rather not make a placement than make one that doesn’t fit. This is a key firm value and what drives our work and decision making every day. What are your firm’s key values and how well do they fit you?