BEST RECRUITER – LARGE CITY FIRM
not have the chance to do at some of our competitors, and that attracts a particular type. It’s not for everyone, but for those who are keen on getting involved with exciting work beyond what you would expect of a trainee, it is one of our key differentiators.” For today’s trainees, some of that exciting work is the fallout from the Brexit vote, as Rachael reveals: “I am currently in the EU department and part of the Brexit team. I did a lot of preparatory work leading up to the vote, including two versions of the same memo – it was a bit terrifying making sure that I posted the right one on the morning of 24 June!” It was a Bakers event during her (non-law) undergraduate degree that made Rachael rethink the profession: “I liked how fun the case-law sessions were and was surprised to discover how being a lawyer was about working in a team and finding creative solutions to problems – it was the opposite of the image I had in my head! I then spent a year abroad, working in an ad agency. I was first in the marketing department, but swapped to the legal team as the work was much more interesting. It confirmed the impression I had got at the Bakers event.” Rachael duly secured a training contract following a vacation scheme in 2012, but found that her relationship with Bakers was firmly cemented well before the official start date: “We had a celebration drinks party after we received our offers and the firm stayed in touch in my final year at uni. During the GDL and LPC, we were invited to the trainee summer party, firm-wide Christmas party and several other events. Towards the end of the LPC, we were invited into departmental talks to help us figure out which of them we might want to choose as seats. It’s nice to have a bridge between the academic theory and what it means day to day.” Rebecca Ryalls, senior graduate recruitment and development officer, explains that forging these early bonds is a key priority: “Right
from the point of signing their offer, prospective trainees are encouraged to get involved with the firm as much as they would like. It definitely helps that they do the LPC with their cohort, so that when they start, they are doing so with friends. It also means they have a pool of people to call on if they’re nervous or worried.” “Doing the LPC together and coming into the office in advance all helps them to feel at home and creates a sense of esprit de corps when they eventually arrive,” agrees Ed. “They have a three-week induction, which is a chance to get their feet under the table and work their way round the building before they join their departments.” Even more welcoming for trainees is the determinedly inclusive culture that pervades the firm; a previous winner of the LCN Commendation for Diversity, Bakers is at the forefront of championing diversity within the profession. “I have always valued that you can really be yourself here,” enthuses Ed. “We take diversity very seriously and there is a genuinely open culture – whatever your background or experience, sexual orientation or even taste in music! The nature
of Bakers is that it was created from its inception as an international firm, so it has always been outward- looking. That transmits throughout the organisation, but particularly in the London office. There is space for everyone and by welcoming a breadth of people, we make ourselves attractive to students. There is no doubt that the organisation benefits from having a diverse workforce and set of experiences, so it makes business sense as well as being the right thing to do.” Rebecca highlights certain aspects of the recruitment process that are designed to realise this imperative, as well as taking into consideration the candidate experience. Not least is the fact that every application is vetted by a human being: “We get thousands of applications and we’re a small team, but we look at every single one, regardless of whether it meets the academic criteria – there is no filtering. We have also incorporated contextual data into the system, so people who may not traditionally have got through now do because we know more about their background and where they’ve come from.” The introduction of video interviewing instead of phone interviews allows candidates to “slot it in
We take diversity very seriously and there is a genuinely open culture – whatever your background or experience, sexual orientation or even taste in music!
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