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Autumn Newsletter for Employers

Ten-Percent Legal Recruitment http://www.ten-percent.co.uk
Employer's Update Autumn 2007

1. Legal Recruitment Market Report - updated 10/09/07
2. Age Discrimination
3. Free Candidate Placements
4. Free Guide to Recruitment and Retention of Staff
5. 2007 Charitable Donations

Welcome to our Autumn newsletter, sent out to firms who have requested candidates from us or used our services in the previous 12 months or so.

1. Market Report (full report - http://www.ten-percent.co.uk/weeklyreport.htm)

2007 has been a very busy year for most recruitment companies, as the market has expanded in most sectors, and contracted somewhat in the LSC funded work areas. For permanent placements the fields of law are shifting. Crime remains awful, although picking up slightly. Conveyancing is good - lots of work on both the temporary and permanent side coming in - although again London central not moving very fast. Other areas appear to have a bit of a shortage. Personal injury - not very good, although commercial and civil litigation have picked up slightly.
In the temporary fields - TP Locums - http://www.ten-percent.co.uk/locum.htm - is finding increased numbers of assignments out there as firms struggle to attract new blood into firms, and are finding it easier to take locums for contract work and then ditch them when any source of work dries up.

It remains the same as always at NQ level - just not getting the vacancies into us in the same quantity as previous years - there are firms out there interviewing at present, and there seem to be increases across the board in the amount of work available. More and more of our recruitment is now focused more on experience rather than qualification.

Commercial litigation remains a barren wasteland, although we have had a couple of commercial litigation posts into us now, including an NQ one (second since 2004!).

Commercial property remains busy, and there is a real lack of any candidates in that field at times. Property litigation as well seems to be the 'in' thing, and I expect this to increase in time, as more and more issues arise for the new generation of landlords out there.

2. Age Discrimination and Newly Qualified Solicitors
Things have not changed very much at all since the new laws came in from our perspective - I rue the days spent reading all the legislation and attending courses! Our agency has never discriminated on any front, and I have been happy to put forward 70 year old lawyers for NQ jobs if they wish me to. Firms can do as they please really - if they want to ignore an application they will do, but just dress it up as something else. Still lots of ads for NQ-3 years PQE solicitors, which employment lawyers were advising recruiters to cease doing. I have noticed an increase in firms taking on older solicitors, which is good.

3. Free Candidate Placements

Although you can use our standard contingency recruitment service (ie we find you a candidate, you pay our flat rate), did you know we also offer a service guaranteeing discounted rates and free candidates if placing more than two in any 24 month period? Our retained consultancy service offers discounted advertising in the Gazette, discounted rates on our fees, and free candidates if we place more than 2 with you. Visit our website for further details.... http://www.ten-percent.co.uk/er.html (follow the links for 'Fixed fee sole supply and retained services').

4. Free Guide to Recruiting, Interviewing and Retaining Staff

A free guide available simply by clicking here. Although some of the advice is fairly logical (ie do not throw things at your staff), there are plenty of tips and guides into considering things from the employee's perspective, and thinking about the way you both treat and behave in front of your staff.

5. Online Legal Recruitment Blog - advice for interviewing, recruiting and retaining staff

I regularly add articles to my online blog about legal recruitment techniques and guidance on interviews, candidates, recruitment processes, salary levels, increasing fees, marketing, advertising etc.. You can view the blog by clicking here.

6. Candidate Databases Online

If you would like to see our full lists of candidates, simply click here to visit our online searchable candidate database.

Alternatively, to register a vacancy and let us do the search, simply click here to fill out our online registration form.

7. Charitable Donations

This year we have given money to one of our candidate's own charities helping school children in Africa, supported an ongoing SendaCow project, assisted regional projects being run by the Stroke Association and the Parkinson's Society, and given money to two local charities to pay for the upkeep of a horse for the disabled and purchase a garage for a small playgroup/breastfeeding support group. For the year 2006-2007 the company donated over £8,500 to the trust. Further details of the work of the Ten-Percent Foundation can be found here

I look forward to hearing from you if we can assist. Over 4,500 solicitors and legal executives have registered with us since April 2000, and we offer our services to all UK firms, large or small.

Regards

Jonathan Fagan
Director

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