When it comes to recruiting legal professionals, employers might want to showcase their workplace benefits programs, new research by Robert Half Legal suggests. Nearly seven in ten (69 percent) lawyers interviewed cited “flexible work hours or telecommuting” as one of the best incentives for recruiting and retaining legal professionals, followed by “free or subsidized training or education” (50 percent) and “on-site perks” (33 percent). “Higher compensation” ranked fourth, with 14 percent of the survey response. In a separate question, one-quarter (25 percent) of respondents said “leadership or advancement
opportunities” would most entice them to take a job with another law firm or company, followed by “more interesting work” (14 percent) and a “flexible schedule or telecommuting” (12 percent). “Higher compensation” ranked fourth, with 9 percent of the survey response.

The survey was developed by Robert Half Legal, a premier legal staffing firm specializing in the placement of lawyers, paralegals and other highly skilled legal professionals. It was conducted by an independent research firm and is based on telephone interviews with 350 lawyers in the United States and Canada. All of the respondents have hiring authority within their organizations.

“For lawyers who are already highly compensated in many cases, job satisfaction is often linked to nonmonetary criteria,” said Charles Volkert, Executive Director of Robert Half Legal. “These attorneys may be enticed to leave their current employer for a firm that offers more advancement opportunities, meaningful work or better work-life balance.”

Volkert added that these factors may hold more sway than raises when it comes to recruiting and retaining Gen Y professionals. “In particular, Millennial workers, who often place great value on collaborating with their colleagues and balancing their professional and personal obligations, may seek employers who offer telecommuting, flexible work schedules and a teamoriented environment,” he said.