MORE THAN 4 out of 10 lawyers have walked out of a new job – more than twice the national average, according to recent research
MORE THAN 4 out of 10 lawyers have walked out of a new job – more than twice the national average, according to recent research.
The inherent structure of a partnership as well as the traditions of legal practice mean legal firms lag behind when it comes to hanging onto Generation X and Y employees, according to Nathan Baunach of Talent2, which conducted the research.
Talent 2 found 20 per cent of those who left their jobs in the legal profession cited unreasonable expectations from their boss, while another 20 per cent claimed conditions in the office were terrible.
“Law firms are often criticised by people of these [X and Y] generations for limiting client exposure, basing salaries on experience rather than performance, suffering from partners having little to no management training, and for not being able to offer international work,” Baunach said.
“They are forced to give up their private life in this exchange as well, and this is something that very few people are nowadays prepared to do.
“Combined with significant opportunities for Australian lawyers overseas at significantly higher pay rates and with international work and exposure, and greater opportunities for the legally qualified in industries such as investment banking and funds management, many are leaving legal practice behind for good.”
Adele Brady, HR director for leading law firm Freehills, acknowledged the career expectations of younger workers in professional services are different from those of a decade ago.
“So you’ve got a collision, if you like, of the new generation with perhaps different values and different career expectations in a market that’s mature,” she said.
“People no longer come with a view that if they like it, they’ll bunker down and become a partner.”
Brady said this had changed because the younger generation is more mobile and does not expect employment with one firm for a long period of time
Furthermore, she said, the fact that the Australian legal market is now saturated limits the ability of large law firms such as Freehills to absorb young and ambitious employees.
The partnership structure of law firms did not necessarily put off such workers, and could bring benefits to firms, she added.
