Recruitment Advisor (Early Talent)

Location: United Kingdom
Office: Manchester Birmingham
Discipline: Human resources
Contact name: Ben Porter

Contact email: [email protected]
Contact phone: 07587481088
Vacancy reference: 019469
Closing date: 30 June 2023
Startdate: 24 January 2023 - 24 January 2023

Birmingham or Manchester with some hybrid working.

The role

Following the introduction of the Solicitors’ Qualifying Examination (SQE) by the SRA, this is a newly created role to provide additional resource to the firm’s existing Graduate Recruitment team (that, in turn, forms part of the firm’s wider HR team).  The role will primarily be responsible for recruitment of the firm’s graduate apprentice solicitors and also assisting with trainee solicitor recruitment and support.  Reporting to the Graduate Recruitment Manager, this role will be supported by the firm’s Recruitment Advisor and Recruitment Administrator.

The person

This is a busy and challenging role and it is likely that your background and experience will include the following:

  • experience of working in a law firm or professional services environment with a sound knowledge of the new SQE route to qualification; and/or
  • experience of recruiting apprentices (ideally in legal or professional services roles, but this is not essential).

The role additionally requires someone who:

  • is enthusiastic with a real passion for graduate and early talent recruitment within a professional setting;
  • is methodical and organised in their work;
  • thrives on setting their own agenda and who is self-managed and confident in setting and prioritising their own workload;
  • is comfortable working with demanding internal clients and delivering exceptional client service within tight timescales;
  • has excellent written as well as verbal communication skills and is able to adapt their style to be able to build relationships with a wide range of internal clients, while also being the external face of the firm with potential candidates;
  • is a team player, who enjoys working within a busy, but professional environment;
  • is willing to take on new responsibilities and challenges.

The activities

Graduate apprentice solicitors

The focus of this role will be supporting the firm to introduce a new graduate apprentice solicitor route to qualification, that will run alongside our more traditional trainee solicitor route.

This will include:

  • to begin with, the role will focus on internal candidates and the successful person will be responsible for putting in place a formal recruitment process and then management and delivery of that process each year;
  • working closely with the Graduate Recruitment Manager to ensure an appropriate balance between graduate apprentice solicitors and trainee solicitors;
  • working closely with stakeholders to understand resourcing requirements;
  • continually reviewing the process, improving where necessary and communicating across the firm to implement the best process and programme;
  • being the main point of contact for graduate apprentice solicitors during their apprenticeship and liaising with supervising Partners as necessary to ensure appropriate support is provided to the graduate apprentice solicitors;
  • liaising with the external training provider and internal supervisors to support the graduate apprentice solicitors during their apprenticeship;
  • supporting the graduate apprentice solicitors to qualification including ensuring compliance with SRA regulations and processes.

Trainee solicitors

  • Whilst the focus of this role is graduate apprentice solicitors, this role is an agile one that will also require you to support the annual graduate recruitment process for Trainee Solicitors that will include:
  • supporting marketing and attraction activities to include the annual law fairs (that normally take place between September and December) and advertising across the various student and firm channels;
  • assisting with assessment and selection of our trainee solicitors including assisting with the firm’s annual summer vacation scheme;
  • supporting the Newly Qualified recruitment process from the internal candidates who are due to qualify as solicitors. This includes supporting the approval process for roles and liaising with relevant Partners and trainee solicitors in the application and selection process;
  • when required, supporting the seat moves process every four months for existing trainee solicitors to new areas of the business;
  • being a point of contact for trainee solicitors with queries during their training contracts.

Pre-employment screening

Please note that, in the event that we make an offer of employment, we will conduct pre-employment screening that includes checks relating to your professional and academic qualifications, references from previous employers, your eligibility to work in the UK and any disciplinary history recorded with the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). You will also be required to complete a self-declaration to assess your character and suitability.

Disclosure and barring service check

This post is also subject to a satisfactory response from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

The Mills & Reeve Business Services career structure

We have a firm wide Business Services career structure and a published career progression framework.  Within the firm wide career structure there are five career levels.  For the purposes of the framework, this role is at an Advisor level and the role profile that details the outcomes and activities expected of across the firm is included with this job description.  Further information on the firm’s Business Services career structure is available from the HR team.

The package

As you would expect, the firm offers a generous salary and benefits.  The firm’s standard benefits are detailed in the following link:

https://www.mills-reeve.com/careers/benefits

The firm

What really sets Mills & Reeve apart from other law firms is the way we work with our clients. We understand that clients, in the 21st century, no longer want a traditional law firm – they want one that embraces forward thinking approaches to service, billing, commercial know-how, innovation, people management and community engagement.

Why not find out more about what it’s like to work at Mills & Reeve by taking two minutes to watch our video?

https://player.vimeo.com/video/157575542

And finally

Mills & Reeve is committed to providing an inclusive and supportive working environment. We are happy to consider flexible working arrangements and endeavour to achieve the right balance for both our people and the business. This attitude to flexible working ensures we continue to provide outstanding service to our clients, whilst allowing our people to develop their careers in the knowledge that personal priorities will remain just that.

Mills & Reeve is committed to promoting equality, diversity and to providing an inclusive and supportive environment. Please click the link below to find further information regarding our diversity policy.

https://www.mills-reeve.com/about-us/diversity-and-inclusion

If you would like any more information about Mills & Reeve, you can visit our website by clicking on the following link:

http://www.mills-reeve.com/