September 14, 2012
An unfortunate common theme in recruitment is the duplicate application. Law firms hate it, legal recruitment consultants hate it, HR and Recruitment Managers hate it.
If you are looking for a new role and have registered with more than one legal recruitment consultant, the likelihood is that you will be contacted by each consultant when a new job arises. This is because in many cases, particularly in respect of the bigger commercial law firms, multiple legal recruitment consultants will be briefed on new opportunities as the law firms often operate a panel of legal recruiters that they prefer to use.
There is no problem, on the face of it, with this system or candidates registering with more than one legal recruitment consultant. The key is to make sure that all applications are handled correctly. The main point is to not allow your CV to be sent to the same client more than once.
If a role at a law firm has been discussed with you and you give your consent to your CV being sent to that firm, you must not give your consent to another recruiter to also send your CV. This impresses nobody and only serves to potentially harm your application. We can understand that people think it shows they are keen on the role. However, on the flipside, it can come across as commercial naivety.
It can create problems for the law firms, the recruiters and the candidate in question and it can be avoided so easily. Always keep a list of firms that have been approached on your behalf and note which recruiter is representing you. If anyone mentions those firms to you, be honest and tell them that your CV has already been sent. That legal recruitment consultant should then not approach those firms.
One instance when solicitors think they should authorise a second CV send is if they have not heard of any progress following the submission of their CVs. Recruitment for a particular role can take a long time – if you have any queries or concerns, contact the recruitment consultant that you have been dealing with in respect of the role, but don’t allow your CV to be sent again.
This rule is only one small part of the recruitment process and it may seem very simple, but it is one rule that should never be broken.
If you would like to discuss this blog, have been thinking about a move or would just like some general advice about options in the market, please feel free to contact Terry Cape or Chris Clarke on 0113 2385965.
CapeClarke is a leading niche legal recruitment consultancy operating across Leeds, Manchester, Sheffield, Liverpool and London. Please feel free to check out our priority legal vacancies by clicking here. Please note these legal vacancies are only a small selection of those we have been instructed on, so please get in touch if you do not see a role which looks suitable.
