Purpose of the Role
Reporting to the National Director, Professional Recruiting, the Manager, Professional Recruiting and Student Programs provides regional coordination of the Firm’s recruitment processes and programs for legal professionals. This includes student recruitment, student programs, lateral associate recruitment, employer brand, digital / on-line strategies and effective recruitment systems.
Success is delivering proactive value added recruitment advice, guidance and service to BLG legal professionals to ensure the Firm is able to attract top talent within the legal services sector in Canada.
The Manager, Professional Recruiting is responsible for helping BLG attain a market-leading reputation as an employer of choice in the legal services industry and equal to other leading professional service firms in Canada.
The incumbent may be required to travel.
Key Responsibilities
The key responsibilities of this role are:Professional Recruitment
Administer the Firm’s student recruitment regionally ensuring that BLG recruits the best available talent in the legal student marketplace including the following:
- Effectively communicate the Firm’s market leading employer brand to differentiate BLG in the employer marketplace for students and professionals and differentiate BLG from its competitive peers
- Contribute to the design, development and deployment of the Firm’s digital and online strategy for student recruiting to ensure the Firm’s use of social media and other electronic platforms is best in class for the legal services sector in Canada and equal to other leading professional service firms
- Working closely with the National Head of Professional Recruiting and Regional Head of Professional Resources, manage the Firm’s relationship with law school students, staff, administrators and faculty, as well as the Firm’s presence at law schools, including orientations, prizes, moots, firm tours, and other sponsorship and profile building opportunities
- Ensure the Firm interviews and hires students based on the Firm’s hiring criteria designed to identify the characteristics which define top performing students who fulfill their potential and out perform their peers as associates within the Firm
- Manage the Firm’s assessment and selection methods for student hiring, which may include the use of testing, including competency, cognitive and behavioural components to effectively evaluate the hiring criteria which are developed
- Manage the Firm’s tracking of student and lateral applicants, candidates and hires using VI recruit and/or other leading recruitment technologies
- Manage the summer and the articling student programs to ensure they remain best in class in the legal sector in Canada, including orientation, rotations, mentors, training programs, social events, evaluations and the hire back process
- Administer the Firm’s lateral associate recruitment regionally ensuring that BLG effectively and efficiently recruits the best available talent in the legal marketplace including the following:
- Support BLG partners in the lateral associate recruiting process, including preparing the Lateral Associate Hire Business Case and Role Profiles
- Determine the correct recruitment strategy, including alternative sources to external hiring, e.g. internal mobility, digital media and recruiting agencies
- Ensure the lateral interview process adheres to the Firm’s policies and guidelines for associate lateral recruitment including the due diligence checklist and conflict clearance process
- Working closely with the Regional Head of Professional Resources, manage the Firm’s relationship with representatives of regional legal recruiting agencies
Financial
- Manage the regional Professional Recruiting budget
Communication and Integration
- Meet regularly with the National Head of Professional Recruiting and other Regional Professional Recruiting Managers to ensure consistency across the regions
- Meet regularly with the National Head of Professional Recruiting and the Regional Head of Professional Resources to ensure professional recruiting is aligned with the talent needs of the national practice groups and regional offices
Key Competencies Required
- University degree. Law degree is an asset.
- Bilingual in French and English is preferred
- Experience practicing law or experience in a professional services firm or professional faculty.
- Highly-developed interpersonal, communication, organizational and time-management skills
- Ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, with people at all levels
- Ability to lead and motivate a team
- Outstanding client relationship management skills with internal and external stakeholders particularly with Partners and Associates of the Firm
- Strong operational management focus, ensuring high quality work product, on time and in budget delivery
- Highly-developed analytical and problem solving skills
How to Apply
We thank all applicants for their interest in this position, however, only applicants selected for an interview will be contacted.
At BLG only those BLG members who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 with a vaccine approved by Health Canada will be permitted to attend a BLG office or event. “Fully vaccinated” means having received the full series (usually 2 doses) of a vaccine approved by Health Canada, with more than 14 days having passed since the second dose was administered. “Attending a BLG office” includes attending social or business gatherings organized by the Firm, with limits on the number of attendees in accordance with public health guidelines. With respect to client meetings, only fully vaccinated members of the Firm can meet in person with clients (others can attend virtually), unless prior authorization has been obtained from BLG and the client. For any BLG member who is not fully vaccinated, and if the Firm requires your attendance in the office to perform your role, you must take a rapid antigen test conducted within the 24 hours prior to your coming to the office, and you must show proof of a negative test result. A new test is required for each day you are physically in the office. Accommodations will be made for valid medical and religious reasons.
Everyone at BLG is required to carry out the duties of their role while upholding the important principles of our respectful workplace policies, and treating everyone with respect, regardless of position. At BLG, valuing diversity and inclusion is key to a respectful workplace.
BLG is committed to building and fostering a workplace that is reflective of our communities, where all firm members feel included, valued, and heard. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates but acknowledge the systemic and structural barriers that have, historically, marginalized and barred certain groups from accessing employment opportunities. As part of our commitment to removing barriers to employment, we strongly encourage applications from members of these historically marginalized groups including, but not limited to, Indigenous peoples, racialized individuals, members of the LGBTQ+ community, people with disabilities and women. Accommodations are available, upon request, in all aspects of the recruitment process.
*Please note that relatives of current BLG employees and partners are not eligible for consideration.