From my experience of being an in-house recruiter I worked with some incredibly hard working Managers desperate to recruit but found the process so demanding. Why? Well trawling through CVs isn’t the most interesting of tasks and its time consuming. Preparing for interviews isn’t particularly exciting and it isn’t chargeable so another task to be done outside the average working day. So, what happens? The recruitment need doesn’t go away but the process which needs to be done to recruit successfully is pushed to one side.

As the in-house recruiter I was known for my persuasive tactics to get the managers to review CVs etc and would often camp outside their offices or grab them in the car park! I know I used to annoy them but after 12mths I won an award for my contribution to the growth of the business. All the managers personally thanked me for my persistence which enabled them to grow their teams and, in time, develop their own careers as managers.

In the current legal climate, I am finding candidates want to move but are simply too busy to meet me or update their CVs and clients are too busy to invest their time in recruiting the right people. So where does that leave me? Back to my persuasive tactics of course! So to any of my clients or candidates who may read this, I’m sorry if I hound you but I’m here to help and I’m just trying to provide the best possible service to enable you to prosper.

Liz

Moving house is one of the most stressful experiences. The role of the conveyancing solicitor plays such an integral part of the process. I know several conveyancers who are either sole practitioners or are part of a small firm and rely heavily on personal recommendations. If all the lenders follow the bullish tactics of the likes of Santander what chance does your local friendly conveyancer have?

For a process which is so time consuming, emotionally draining and complex (for the average home owner), surely we should have the opportunity to appoint a conveyancer who has been strongly recommended or perhaps has been instructed in the past. I fear for the future of small conveyancing practices. Why is it that so often we hear of large organisations just bulldozing over the smaller businesses?

The Law Society is in discussion with lenders but as yet I can’t see what impact they have made. It all comes down to cost and lenders will be looking to work with a select number of firms that are prepared to slash their fees and do factory style conveyancing with little client contact. These panel firms will not be able to offer high standards in client care. Maybe it will go full cycle and customers’ complaints will grow and the need for the quality and careful approach by so many sole practitioners will be required again but in the meantime how many will suffer and not survive the wait?

Liz