For the past couple of years, associate issues have primarily focused on retention, burnout, and morale as firms responded to the pandemic and then scrambled to keep up with crushing workloads. But now, an anticipated market contraction is causing workloads to normalize. In some cases, work may be lightening up significantly, leaving practices with excess headcount for the time being.
While many firms may be avoiding drastic headcount reductions (still mindful of the long-lasting adverse effects of 2009 layoffs, which left significant gaps in associate ranks when work picked up again), excess headcounts will create different issues. If we are to maintain current headcounts during times of decreased work, we must proactively ensure that associates stay engaged and have growth opportunities during that period.
Here are a few tips for law firm management and leaders who are managing associates while faced with lighter workloads.
Use the downtime to let lessons from the busy period sink in Just like children often have a sudden growth spurt and then adjust to their new size, your associates could benefit from a bit of time to settle after their recent growth spurt. Most of our associates have just been through a busy period unlike any we've seen in recent years. They leaped from one matter to the next with barely a moment to breathe, let alone process how each matter contributed to their learning and growth. A slowdown now can provide a moment of reflection. Ask your associates to organize training sessions to teach their peers what they learned from their various matters when things were busy. Teaching others will cement their own learning while allowing others to benefit, and will provide an opportunity for group connectivity. And don't limit this to senior associates. Allowing more junior associates to share their experiences, even just among others at their level, will help them learn and gain confidence.
Recognize that "playing favorites" can be especially detrimental when there is less work to go around There is a tendency at most firms to keep the best associates busy. It's natural - when you have a strong associate, many people want to work with them. But when there is less work to go around, the downside is that you risk depriving other worthy associates of the opportunity to continue their growth. This isn't to say that the work must be divided equally among all associates. But if the firm decides to maintain higher headcounts through a down cycle, the firm should ensure that partner preferences don't block associates' access to sufficient quality work to sustain their growth.
Don't be afraid to talk about work-life balance during slow periods Law firm work tends to be cyclical, and when a slower period comes along, it's an ideal opportunity for associates to embrace a more comfortable lifestyle for a while. But firms tend to shy away from giving associates advice or guidance on this. Maybe we're afraid of associates getting too comfy? Or of sending the wrong message? But we shouldn't shy away from it. Instead, we should tell our associates that this is a cycle - a normal part of law firm life. Slowdowns happen. When they do, you need to stay engaged with work... but also, when feasible, you can leave work in time to have dinner with your partner and go away for weekends with friends. You can engage in self-care routines that were hard to establish when things were busy. Work will pick up again and this won't last forever, but while work is slower they should be encouraged to appreciate and enjoy it. Importantly, they also need to hear the flip side of this discussion - what balance looks like on the "work" side. How should associates spend their time on days when they only have a few billable hours? What are the expectations around non-billable contributions? Do they still need to check their email in the evenings and on weekends? (Yes.) When hours are low across the group, how can they be sure they are meeting hours expectations? Having these conversations openly with your associates will help them feel confident and supported, understanding what is expected of them.
Find ways for your associates to contribute meaningfully to your practice Even if billable work is slow, there are still lots of ways you can engage associates in projects that are important for your practice. Tackle that Knowledge Management project you've had on the back burner. Have associates co-author articles or blog posts for the group, or involve them in other business development opportunities. When you engage associates in these opportunities, identify the ways in which the project will contribute to an associate's growth and discuss the learning objectives with the associate ahead of time. For example, a junior associate working on a forms project might learn a ton about the structure of a certain type of transaction. Be intentional about staffing these types of projects so you can effectively align learning objectives with the associate(s) who can most benefit from them.
Double down on mentoring and connectivity Put extra effort into connecting with your associates during this time. Remember that your associates may be feeling a bit uneasy - for most of them (if not all) this will be their first down cycle. Investing in mentoring relationships will help them remain calm and feel supported through this time. It will pay off for your firm down the road. The bonds you develop now will make your associates stickier when the economy bounces back and recruiters come knocking. And your team will be a well-oiled machine, ready to take on the increased workload with ease when your practice picks back up.
By: Kandice Thorn, Founder, WorkBetter for Lawyers
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