How to run a Successful Legal Staffing Service Agency

How can you start a successful legal staffing and recruitment agency?

What are some of the most unique obstacles and opportunities legal staffing firms have, when it comes to placing qualified legal professionals?

We recently spoke with Kumari Akanksh, AVP Recruitments at Perito Staffing Services LLP, about these topics and more as part of our drive to promote women entrepreneurship in great company of ours.

In this interview, Akanksha shared his thoughts and views on the current landscape for legal staffing and recruitment firms and the importance of building a winning culture with Tanya Roy.

Read the excepts below:-

Tanya Roy:-Tell us a little about your staffing company and what you do in the staffing industry.

Kumari Akanksha:-Perito Staffing is a leading staffing agency that quickly provides highly-skilled legal professionals and legal support/paralegal professionals to top law firms, corporate legal departments, and well known contracting firms.

Perito has an established track record, meeting each clients’ short-term and long-term staffing and recruiting needs including:-

Permanent Staffing, Contract Staffing , Contract to Hire Services and Payroll Services.We also help companies who require large volumes of legal support staff and/or paralegal professionals.

TR:-What are some of the peculiar challenges in legal recruitment that may not be apparent in other recruitment business models?

KA:-Finding a good legal professinal is a challenge. Different legal professional think differently. Some has view that private practice is best way to go. Some lawyers believe that they can only flourish in a law firm. Some lawyers think that their talent can be utilized in a corporate organization.

Also there is a lot of legal talent that is unemployed but evaluating and screening is a difficult job.

TR: How do you go about developing Perito's company culture? How do you build a winning and professional team?

KA: We believe that culture is the most important thing in our company.

We hire people who are a good fit. We prefer to hire lawyers as a recruiter, because lawyers are well versed with the legal terminology.

WE HIRE FOR ATTITUDE AND TRAIN FOR SKILLS. 

TR: What types of roles are you finding hardest to fill right now?

KA: It totally depends on practice area. Real estate lawyers are difficult to hire. Sometime we find that finding legal support or/and paralegals are as difficult as finding attorneys.

TR: What qualities a woman entrepreneurs should have?

KA: Women entrepreneurs should have never die attitude. They should have ability to persevere and hustle. An entrepreneur wears many hat. They should have self-discipline. Integrity and Persistence is must. They should have clear sense of direction. They should be action oriented. According to me any entrepreneurs should have ten qualities:-

1. Discipline-Entrepreneurs should be very disciplined. Entrepreneurship is not a sprint. It is a marathon. Discipline keeps entrepreneurs focused.

2. Confidence- Entrepreneurs should have confidence in themselves and their ideas.

3. Open Minded- They should be open minded and they should be receptive to new ideas and suggestions.

4. Self-Starter- Ability to start alone when no one believes in you is must.

5. Competitiveness- Entrepreneurs have to face a lot of challenges daily. Facing and overcoming new challenges is must.

6. Creativity:- Creativity means coming out with new solutions. Resources are generally limited and creativity solves a lot of problem and means utilization of resources in best possible manner.

7. Determination:-Determination is what separates a common person from a great person.

8. Strong people skills: Ability to make a strong team is must. A company is only as good as its people.

9. Strong work ethic: Strong work ethic is must for building reputation in market.

10. Passion: - Nothing beats a burning passion.