SHOOSMITHS
an important health and wellbeing aspect. Last year we had a hot yoga session and a talk from a nutritionist. The emphasis is on how to start your career the right way, including how to beat stress, and how to be a well- rounded person.” Once the training contract commences, trainees can expect high-quality work right from the off – hardly surprising, given the calibre of Shoosmiths’ client list, which includes global giants such as Hewlett Packard, Mercedes and Krispy Kreme. “Trainees are given as much as they can handle,” Lynn says. “But there is a good support network there to ensure they’re not being overwhelmed.” Stephanie describes how these various safety nets work in practice. “You can speak to your supervisor,” she says.
“All work should come through them, so they get a sense if you’re getting too much. If you feel there’s an issue, you can then go to your training principal or HR, who are very supportive and encouraging; and really, it’s okay if you’re struggling or need support. You’re encouraged to be open and honest – it’s not just about your output, but about you as an individual.” If this sounds progressive, that would doubtless be taken as a compliment. “Shoosmiths as a business is very forward thinking; it’s not afraid to make changes,” enthuses Samantha. During her tenure – she joined the firm six years ago – the firm has rebranded and continually upgraded its premises: at the time of writing, the Reading office is undergoing a major refit, while the Manchester office is
moving, and a Leeds office has just been announced. “The latest buzzword is ‘agile working’, whether it’s from home or any of Shoosmiths’ different offices. It means that everyone can be more efficient with their workload. It’s about cost savings, time savings and working smarter.” There is a sense that Shoosmiths is cherry picking those advances which will add most value for clients and staff alike, while retaining the practices that are working just fine. This is likewise the case when it comes to feedback throughout the training contract, which is provided at both a mid-seat review and a final review at the end of each seat. “The mid-seat one is particularly helpful,” says Stephanie. “You can take a look at where things are going while you still have three months to go and it gives you the chance to refocus, if you need to. If something’s not quite right or if you’re just getting work from one person, then you’re not getting a real picture of how that department works – it’s important to raise these issues. For appraisals, you get feedback from the whole team; it’s so encouraging that you often forget you’re being assessed.” All this investment in recruitment and trainees is not just a drive to win more prizes (although that does seem to be a gratifying side-effect); the Shoosmiths ethos is that getting and retaining the right people is the only way to build the firm and move it forward. “We’ve been values-based for years and years,” Lynn points out. “And we’re widely acknowledged as living these values. Our people are our greatest strength. I’ve been
Anyone who actually meets us – at law fairs or at assessment days – says, ‘You can tell you’ve got something really different’
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