Reflections on Legal BD & Marketing Recruitment in Q2 2024

As a recruitment consultant specialising in permanent, non-managerial business development, marketing and communications roles within the legal sector, I would like to share my reflections on the key takeaways from the second quarter of the year and what to expect from the months ahead.

I will also provide details of two successful processes I have recently completed.

What has the legal BD & Marketing recruitment market been like in Q2?

Recruitment activity in legal BD & marketing was high at all levels in the non-managerial space, particularly for Senior BD Executive roles. Although I have been working with several very high-calibre, Senior Executive candidates, the recruitment market is still very candidate-short and competitive at this level.

Due to the lack of available, high calibre legal BD & Marketing talent at the Senior Exec level, those candidates that are available are being presented with several different roles.

I have noticed that some candidates seem to feel slightly fatigued with the various options available to them, which has resulted in interest for roles going down.

I ensure that my law firm clients are given relevant and frank advice on matters relating to candidate traction for their roles by providing comprehensive market mappings, which include a report on both candidates who have or have not shown interest for role consideration.

Law firms that understand the competitive state of the current market have been able to streamline their hiring process by moving quickly and not waiting for potential candidate comparisons that may not even exist.

However, while some law firms are willing to move swiftly, most have strict vetting processes in place. The onus is therefore on the candidates to ensure they have fully prepared for any interviews they attend.

It is often those candidates who are ambitious and motivated throughout the hiring process that have the upper hand over those less-active candidates. Similarly, firms with streamlined hiring processes who move quickly, are most likely to succeed in securing a high calibre candidate over those firms with long, drawn-out hiring processes.

Predictions for the coming quarter

The good news is that we are expecting to see a busy recruitment period ahead over the coming months.

While people often assume that July and August are not the best times for job searching, it can actually be a great time for hiring processes.

With many Partners and clients away on holiday over the summer months, both candidates and hiring managers should find it easier than normal to find time for interviews, subject to their own holiday plans!

Recent placements

Here are some case studies of recent placements I have made in Q2.

Case Study 1:
Assistant to Marketing & BD Executive in a London Law Firm.

A specialist London-based law firm approached me about a permanent Marketing & BD Executive role they were looking to fill, having been successfully supported by Ambition in the past on a fixed-term contract role.

The firm does not have a big BD team, given their niche expertise, nor do they have a quick turnover of employees. Due to a member of the BD team leaving the firm, they required my specialist support in finding another candidate who would be good for their role.

After speaking with the firm’s Director of BD & Marketing, I carried out my search and market-mapping, which resulted in me approaching an Assistant-level candidate from another law firm with the same specialism as my client.

My candidate had had extensive experience already at that level, which made them a good candidate for consideration for my client. I ensured my candidate was well-prepared before going into the interview stages, making sure both sides were aware of feedback at each stage, so they knew where both sides stood.

In the end my client saw the potential in my candidate to prosper as an Executive in their firm. As they believed the candidate still had some room for development, they offered them their mid salary range for the role. The candidate understood this, and clear saw the progression opportunities within the firm as well as the firm’s willingness to train her further to progress her skills and knowledge.

Case Study 2:

BD Executive to Senior BD Executive in a Magic Circle Law Firm.

A Magic Circle law firm got in touch with me to provide recruitment support on a Senior BD Executive role they were struggling to fill.

Typically, their internal team has been good at sourcing directly, but this time around, given the specific needs of the team, they sought the support of a recruitment expert.

I was able to immediately provide a relevant candidate to them after attending a meeting with the hiring manager, given Ambition’s unrivalled network of legal BD & Marketing candidates.

I have a track record of ensuring that I regularly communicate with candidates who are both actively and not actively looking for opportunities. Knowing the current position and future expectations of candidates enable me to tailor my correspondence with each and every one of them.

Since I already had a candidate in my network who I knew wanted to be part of a Magic Circle law firm and wanted to also specialise in the area that my law firm client was recruiting in, I was able to provide an immediate service to both parties.

The interview process involved three stages, with an in-person Partner meeting, followed by an extensive written exercise. A more rigorous hiring process is typically expected as the role gets more senior. This also allows the firm to be able to see how ready junior candidates are to step up to the next level in their career.

My law firm client really appreciated how confident and competent my candidate came across during the interview stages, whilst being able clearly and succinctly demonstrate their skills. Even though my client had another more experienced candidate in the running, they chose to offer my candidate instead, at the top end of the salary range, which was a testament to their interview preparation, which I had assisted them with.

Whilst various factors are in play and different approaches could still work, in this case, it really helped my candidate to have active communication with myself and my Ambition colleagues, which ensured that I essentially had her on speed dial when the role I knew most suited her expectations and experience came up.

As we get into the second half of this year, I am keen to continue having conversations with both active and passive candidates working in legal BD & Marketing from Assistant to Senior Executive level, with whom I could share relevant market insights.

I am also very fond of trying out trendy coffee and cake shops, so always keen to meet candidates in person!

Please don't hesitate to reach out to me for a confidential discussion: