Developing people is a dynamic process that involves both companies and employees, generating benefits for both sides. In a law firm or a company's legal department, this practice can make all the difference!
To develop its professionals, for example, a company can offer training and even adopt medium- to long-term policies that contribute to the personal and professional improvement of its employees.
The best professionals in the market are constantly seeking to update and improve their skills. Therefore, being a company that develops its employees is a major differentiator. A company that invests in people invests in itself.
But how can people development be applied in law firms or legal departments in practice? Check out the article for more information.
How can you create a culture of people development in practice?
Developing people is part of the routine for market-leading companies such as Coca-Cola, Facebook, Google, and L'Oreal, for example. These world-renowned brands invest in developing their people: one of the most important assets of a business.
However, engaging and professionalizing employees is a practice not limited to multinational corporations. Studies indicate that small and medium-sized enterprises that invest in people development reap better results.
People development vs. Training
There is a subtle difference between developing and training people. While training is usually a one-off company initiative, personal development encompasses a series of medium- to long-term actions.
Training can be part of a people development plan, but the overall action is not limited to just that. In a development program, for example, both technical (hard skills) and behavioral (soft skills) competencies can be worked on.
What are the advantages of implementing people development in your law firm or legal department?
First and foremost, people management is fundamental to improving the skills of professionals within a company or office . A common mistake employers make is failing to invest in employee development, which leads to future problems due to a lack of talent retention.
Lawyers who feel valued by the firm they work for, for example, are more likely to stay and build a career in their job.
Investing in people development makes all the difference in the team's potential. After all, a firm that values the growth of its lawyers creates a competitive advantage over its competitors.
Why have specialists on your legal team?
If you are a Legal Director, a Partner in a law firm, or an HR Manager, you already know that there are several ways to invest in people's development. One of them is to encourage your team to pursue a specialization , as this is becoming increasingly important in a lawyer's daily routine.
Here are three reasons to invest in specialized professionals:
1- Market Highlight
A law firm that employs skilled and up-to-date professionals gains a greater competitive advantage in the market. Having specialist lawyers can be a deciding factor in securing or losing a new client for the firm.
2- More credibility
Clients and partners feel more secure when a lawyer speaks knowledgeably about legal matters in their area of expertise. Your firm, when represented by legal specialists, conveys greater credibility to the public.
3- Assertiveness
A specialist professional can offer more detailed service compared to, for example, a generalist. Having a lawyer to handle specific areas adds value to the work done by the company and shows the firm's commitment to providing the best and most up-to-date service.
How can we apply people development in practice?
In recent months, many changes caused by the new coronavirus pandemic and the digitization of processes have impacted the routine of law firms and legal departments.
Public agencies, companies, government institutions, and professionals have had to adapt to this new reality. Therefore, the need for updating and improving skills has never been more pressing.
Want to start developing people in your office? Check out the step-by-step guide!
1- Performance Evaluation
First, try to identify your employees' technical and behavioral weaknesses to determine what to develop first . A performance evaluation and individual feedback will be essential to designing a development plan.
Similarly, your employee can express their professional aspirations and the recurring demands that arise in their daily work. This will allow for a more targeted people development strategy.
2- Is the bottleneck technical? Invest in a postgraduate degree!
If the need for development is in the technical or theoretical field, investing in a postgraduate degree for the employee is one of the best options. In this case, look for a recognized institution that offers the course in their specialty.
Remember to focus on the quality of teaching and academic and professional recognition when choosing an institution . After all, what you learn in the course will be reflected in your professional work.
3- Look for a Partnership Program
Some educational institutions, such as IDP Online, have partnership programs as a way to encourage companies to develop leadership in legal departments or law firms.
When you find an interesting partnership program , check the benefits for both the company and its employees. IDP Online partners, for example, receive exclusive discounts on postgraduate courses, based on the number of employees enrolled in the specializations.
In this regard, the Planning Group, focused on tax solutions, recently turned to the IDP Online Partner Program to offer its employees postgraduate courses, training, and structured programs exclusively for team development.
“We believe in a people management model focused on creating the best career opportunities for our professionals,” comments Pedro Araújo, managing partner of the Planning Group.
4- Track the results
Developing people is a long-term task. Among the steps in the process is the need for professional monitoring. In other words, performance evaluations and individual feedback are essential at each stage of the adopted plan.
This is because performance evaluation aims to contribute to the continuous improvement of the company's people and closely monitor the progress of the chosen growth strategy.
5. Encourage sharing.
Creating a healthy work environment is also part of the measures taken by a company concerned with the development of its people. However, in a law firm or legal department, the ideal is for the interaction between lawyers to be constructive.
How about organizing internal events? After all, once the lawyer has achieved the desired qualification set by the company, they can give lectures or moderate internal debates in order to exchange knowledge with other colleagues.
Did you see how important it is to invest in people development in your law firm or legal department? Learn more about the IDP Online Partnership Program.