BAKER & MCKENZIE
answer. Every interviewer wants to be there – all the partners and associates have volunteered to take part.” As for most firms, the three-week vacation scheme is a crucial part of the process, allowing the firm to assess candidates, but also giving them time to work out whether Bakers is the right fit for them. “On the one hand, the scheme gives us the chance to see individuals in a work environment, but it is also our opportunity to win them over,” Ed elaborates. “It’s not just presentations and social events; candidates spend a significant time in two different departments, giving them a real chance to see what trainees do and experience some work themselves. They also get to establish whether they are comfortable in a firm like this – we all spend a lot of time at work, so one of the most important things is to be somewhere you can be yourself.” There is no time for anyone to rest on their laurels; the entire process remains under constant scrutiny to identify anything that needs fine tuning. “We have weekly team meetings and we address anything that is flagged up,” says Rebecca. “For example, we give out a questionnaire at the end of the vacation scheme and then look at the feedback – we welcome it all, even if it means we have things to work on. There is also a trainee forum, which gives them a specific voice.” “We are always reviewing what we’re doing, what might change and what else is out there in the market,” adds Ed. “Trying to constantly improve is key – the best way to do that isn’t to stare into our navels, but to speak to students, trainees and prospective trainees about their ideas and views.” Rachael goes on to reflect on some of her experiences since joining the firm: “In the first week you have a welcome tea with the existing trainees, who are a very important support network and it’s great to be able ask them questions. You also have an associate buddy, who is an important source of information when you’ve
around their lives and workload, so it is much more flexible, and we can make a decision more quickly”. Tweaks to assessment centre timings were another recent change: “We wanted to make the experience as comfortable and reflective of the firm as possible, so we moved the start time from 9:00am to 11:00am, to stop people having to commute in at a busy time and being flustered by the time they got here. We also break the day up into manageable chunks, so there is a group exercise at the beginning, focusing on teamwork – we’re not pitching people against each other – followed by lunch with the trainees. Grad rec doesn’t go to the lunch and it’s all off the record, so candidates can ask questions of the trainees and get a feel for the people they might work alongside.”
Training is not exclusive to trainees at Bakers; one of the most important things for Rebecca’s team is ensuring that interviewers are also fully up to speed with what is required of them. “We get a lot of feedback about how nice the interviewers are,” she observes. “All of them are trained so that if a candidate is struggling, the interviewer can bring them gently back to an
Prospective trainees like that they can join a major firm, but be part of a relatively small and intimate cohort
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