Hill Dickinson LLP – Winner 2022, Best Flexible Recruitment

With a focus on flexibility and inclusivity, Hill Dickinson’s recruitment strategy makes a career in law more accessible. 

Creating flexible roles 

Significant effort goes into ensuring roles at Hill Dickinson are inherently flexible. Hiring managers are trained in flexible job design so that roles can be assessed for their flexible potential prior to recruitment, and receive continued guidance on encouraging a flexible working environment. Almost all roles within the organisation lend themselves to flexible working due the nature of its service offering. This area is set to improve further, with the upcoming firm-wide leadership programme addressing how to make roles more flexible. 

An open approach 

Hill Dickinson has a transparent approach to flexible working, ensuring their receptiveness to flexible working is visible for prospective candidates by clearly stating in job adverts that they are always happy to discuss flexible working arrangements.  

Conversations about flexibility are held at interview stage, by interview panels briefed in how to discuss the work patterns that can best meet a candidate’s needs. Agreed procedures are also in place with recruitment agents used, to ensure a consistent approach.  

The best candidate for the job 

Through promoting flexibility and proactively looking for talent that would most benefit from flexible working, Hill Dickinson hopes to set new standards for flexibility recruitment in law. Measures have been taken to maximise inclusivity. Hiring managers are trained in unconscious bias to eliminate potential prejudice from the process. They are on track to double the number of women in senior roles by 2024. 

Returners to law  

Hill Dickinson’s ‘Returners’ campaign, promoting the firm as the place to be for those returning to a career in law, looks to enable those who require flexible working practices to apply for roles within the organisation with confidence. Their philosophy is that, as long as client needs are met, working patterns should suit their employees.  

An infrastructure has been put in place that allows the transition back to law to go as smoothly as possible, including the allocation of a buddy, a mentor and coaching support. Flexible working practices also facilitate a return to law for those who need to balance childcare or other caring responsibilities. The firm is dedicated to allowing career progression no matter the circumstances, providing pathways to successful and enriching careers for part-time and flexible workers. Already, the firm has hired three female lawyers who returned to law after a career break. 

The initiative provides a refreshing opportunity for those looking to return to law but needing to balance their career with other commitments.