Sarah Murray: Utilising Interim Solutions

At the beginning of the new year we welcomed Sarah Murray to the Sacco Mann team. Sarah works in our Leeds office as a consultant in the Interim division. This week we asked Sarah to introduce herself and explain a bit more about what her role is...

I am a Consultant within the Interim division at Sacco Mann, Leeds. Having started my career in London and developed my expertise within the in-house Legal market, I joined Sacco Mann to focus on legal recruitment within Yorkshire and the North West. 

Having recruited legal contractors across commerce and industry for a few years now, I have continued to experience an increase in demand from hiring managers for short-term solutions to support the team. As a result of growing trends towards utilising interim Lawyers, we have explored the reasons behind the trend and how legal teams can benefit from temporary support. 

Candidate appeal for working in the contractor market has been on the rise for a number of years, whether it be for flexibility, a desire to undertake a variety of work or to bridge a gap between permanent employments, such as a redundancy. The benefits of such structures don’t just apply to the contractor however; hiring managers and firms can also make the most of the growing trend. 

While the most common use of contractors is due to absences such as maternity leave and holidays, they can also provide a solution for challenges frequently by legal teams.

Headcount
A challenge for so many Heads of Legal and GCs to secure. Legal teams are being stretched due to headcount limitations - the solution? A legal consultant working through Sacco Mann via their own company or on our books so as not to add to headcount, but rather utilising legal budget to do so. 

Buying Time

Do you have a permanent employee in your team leaving? If your current legal counsel has a 3 month notice period, for example, once they’ve handed in notice it may take at least a few weeks for the replacement budget to be signed off internally, the job description put together and the role advertised and/or instructed to agencies. The search and interview process for a replacement takes approximately 1-2 months and the replacement will likely need to see through a 3 month notice period at their current company once they have accepted the role. That frequently leaves a 2-3 month gap and a stretched team. Introducing an interim solution to bridge the gap can provide the team with support during the transition period.

Competition with law firms
Competition with law firms for the best candidates is greater than ever, creating a turbulent process. Law firms are increasingly far more willing to offer progression and flexibility for example so the permanent search is taking an increasing amount of time. 

Specialist Projects
These can be interesting and add variety however they can also put pressure on an already busy workload.  A temporary Legal Consultant could help handle some of the business as usual work, allowing more time for your team to focus on the project. Alternatively if the project requires specialist knowledge which is not an area of expertise for you and your team, an interim legal expert can frequently provide a solution at a lower cost than often charged when outsourcing to law firms.  

Sacco Mann provide an in-house payroll function for contractors as well as dedicated interim recruitment specialists to support the hiring client and the candidate through the process. To discuss the benefits of hiring a legal contractor specifically for your team or for market advice please feel free to get in touch with me either on this email address or on 0113 236 6711.