Unseen Champions: Hiring for Long-Term Success

In this scurry for talent, many organizations tend to throw everything and the kitchen sink at talent segments they believe their competitors are also fighting for. This approach ultimately results in a race to simply get talent in the door regardless of the long-term performance. Law firms are no different. Many law firms are hunting for talent with a focus on traditional "industry experience" and prestigious educational backgrounds as familiar criteria in their candidate search process. But what if law firms are missing high value talent — on both the legal and administrative side — that may be right under their nose?

While common interest in candidates with industry experience and educational prestige are both very relevant and important factors to consider in any law firm's recruitment efforts, they are not exclusively definitive criteria for long-term success. Depending on a variety of factors (hiring urgency, organizational culture, budget, certifications, internal training, succession plans, etc.), other talent assets may be just as, if not more, crucial in hiring for long-term success. Separate from industry experience and educational prestige, there are plenty of valuable talent assets often overlooked among high potential candidates — among Unseen Champions.