Five years ago, remote hiring was a niche practice that often involved professionals in the creative and marketing fields. This changed when entire industries were required to go remote almost literally overnight. People at jobs where in-person work was considered necessary discovered ways to remain productive and efficient while working remotely. It was a crash-course in how to manage a workforce that was not all in the same place.
This paradigm shift remained, to some extent, even after lockdowns were over and many workers returned to the office. The legal field saw some of its biggest players allow employees to remain remote. Although many firms and legal departments moved back to onsite work for most of their employees, the idea of remote work is no longer as foreign as it was in 2019.
There are definite bonuses to hiring remotely, but sometimes, you need an employee onsite. How can you weigh these needs to determine the best choice for you and your department?
Remote hiring offers distinct advantages, including:
There can be benefits to bringing lawyers onsite, as well. They include:
Paragon Legal has nearly 20 years of experience answering the question of remote or onsite hiring. Here’s the general framework we use to inform our decisions.
The first step is to consider the work that your new hire will be performing. Are there tasks that must be done in the office? Meetings that the legal department is expected to attend? Databases that can only be accessed onsite?
Consider, as well, security and privacy issues. It’s easier to control data security when employees are on-site and using standardized equipment and programs. However, with a robust remote data security protocol, many of these issues can be addressed when it comes to offsite work.
Collaboration is another aspect to consider. While technology makes it possible for remote employees to participate in meetings, it can also introduce a feeling of distance between current staff and your new hire. Does your team engage in a lot of brainstorming sessions where everyone yells out their thoughts and builds on what others have said? You might lean towards hiring someone in person. But if your team communicates via Slack even when they’re all in the same room, a remote hire could be a better fit.
Even if you suspect you need someone onsite, it can be useful to consider how many of your needs could be met with a remote or hybrid employee. The potential cost savings and access to a wider talent pool can make a remote or partially remote position the right decision. It’s worth putting some thought into what parts of your needed position don’t have to be done onsite.
Perform a workload audit to determine where current staff is spending time. Could some of those tasks be assigned to a remote worker, leaving current onsite staff available for work that must be done in the office?
Consider creating a formal communication policy that will be followed both by onsite employees and remote workers. Invest in collaboration tools that will allow teams to feel connected, even if they’re physically distant. The rewards of building a cohesive team identity will be worth it.
Sometimes, the largest roadblocks to creative staffing options come from higher up. If leadership doesn’t understand the advantages or benefits of hiring remote staff, it can be a hard sell. New ways of hiring involve new processes. Human Resources might push back against what they see as insurmountable issues with reconciling current policies with remote work.
Arm yourself with appropriate data before you make your case. Show what an average hiring timeline looks like, including projections on how long it might take to find a suitable employee within your geographical area. Could remote hiring speed up that process by opening up the talent pool?
Hiring a contractor to test out remote work can be a low-risk way to evaluate whether it can work for you and your department. Contractors often work without long-term contracts or commitments, giving you the chance to evaluate and refine how remote work might look in your department.
Staffing needs can lead to urgency, and that can cause you to hire someone who isn’t the best fit for your company. When there’s work that needs to be done now, sometimes it’s easier to focus on “right now” than it is to focus on “right.”
This can be a major mistake. Employees who aren’t good fits for your company are not likely to make your life easier. Instead, you might be faced with new problems (including having to hire for the position again when the employee leaves for a job for which they’re better suited).
Whether you’re hiring onsite or remote, take the time to find someone who will fit in with your team. Patience in the hiring process will be a sound investment when you find the perfect candidate for you.
Ultimately, the decision to hire remote or onsite lawyers depends on the specific needs and values of the legal department.
For teams seeking flexibility, access to a broader talent pool, and cost savings, remote work may be the better option.
On the other hand, for those prioritizing collaboration, security, and maintaining strong interpersonal relationships, on-site work may be the optimal choice.
In some cases, a hybrid model, combining the best of both worlds, could offer the perfect solution. Legal leaders must weigh these factors carefully and consider what will align best with their long-term goals and the unique demands of their team.
Does remote hiring sound like a good fit for your company? We’re here to help. Reach out to Paragon Legal to see how we can create a custom staffing solution for you.
Employee Portal
Apply