Our Legal Managing Director Sunny Everton, Managing Director shares his thoughts below on hiring trends, what employers need to implement in 2025 to attract top talent and how employees can enhance their career prospects.
If you would like support with your hiring strategy, looking for some intel on the legal in-house employment market or are looking for a new career opportunity contact Sunny Everton, who will be happy to have a confidential chat.
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What’s affecting hiring and employment across the Legal market?
There has been a recent upswing in demand for legal talent that will inevitably make it harder for internal talent acquisition teams to conduct their jobs and find the professionals required by in-house legal departments. It’s not enough to rely on LinkedIn adverts, to source the very best talent employers will need to look at their strategies for attracting passive candidates.
On the flip side, businesses are also battling with the aftermath of ‘over hiring’ post COVID. With many firms hiring outside their normal geographical location and profile of Associates, the rebalancing of the market means they are managing out new hires, who have underperformed. This has made many employers more selective about their hires.
The uncertainty in the economy has affected mergers and acquisitions, so other sectors including real estate and construction have suffered, impacting the disputes practice area. Commercial technology practice areas have also been affected by redundancies across the tech sector which has reduced the volume of work and need for legal support.
What do employers need to implement throughout 2025 to be successful?
The work from home conundrum persists with many employers reverting to increased mandatory days in the office. It will continue to be increasingly important for employers to explain their position on hybrid working, for example ‘we are 4 days in, because our team is very business-facing and there is a need for us to be visibly working with c-suite’.
Recruitment consultants are looking for more direct access to hiring managers, to gain more knowledge of the role and business. This is crucial to the success of a project as competition heightens. This close interaction enables a consultant to fully grasp a business’ vision, strategy and culture and create a compelling narrative that effectively promotes the opportunity and business to a professional.
Another key aspect employers will need to focus on will be AI and technology integration training to ensure that people are upskilled with the necessary expertise needed to meet client demands and business objectives. Investing in well-defined career paths will demonstrate to top talent that you are committed to growth training and have the resources and budget required to enable professionals to excel their careers.
What do employees need to focus on throughout 2025 to enhance their career prospects?
Throughout 2025 and beyond as the economy improves there will be an inevitable influx of talent looking for new opportunities which will result in more roles and increased competition. This will mean that employees need to do everything they can to develop skillsets, further their knowledge and promote what makes them different to their peers. We always highly recommend that people read job adverts carefully and only apply for those they are suitable for, ‘machinegun’ applications are very visible thanks to the new LinkedIn analytics. It will also be important for professionals, especially those at the junior end not to view time spent in the office as a burden, employers are looking for more flexibility from people and a willingness to spend time with colleagues and shape the direction of the business.
If you would like support with your hiring strategy, looking for some intel on the legal in-house employment market or are looking for a new career opportunity contact Sunny Everton, who will be happy to have a confidential chat.
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