Quarter of Associate Lawyers Perceive Their Employers Are Ungrateful For Their Work

The findings of a new survey released by the organisation Thompson Reuters has found that one-quarter of legal professionals who have progressed to achieve Associate lawyer levels admit to perceiving that their employers are not thankful for the work they are carrying out. The survey then progressed further and went on to analyse the attitudes of this demographic of Associate legal professionals towards how they foresee their futures within the profession. In this regard, a large number would strongly think about terminating their employment with their current employers within the next period of twenty-four months if their positions do not change significantly in this regard.     

Our Survey Said…

Several noteworthy statistics emerged when the results of the survey were unpacked by the organisers. They discovered that:

• twenty- five per cent of senior legal professionals who find themselves occupying the position put forward comments which appeared to suggest that they were a medium to high probability that they would transfer their employment from their present provider of legal services to another organisation for employment purposes within the next twenty-four month period. 
• ten per cent of legal professionals communicated feelings of uncertainty around their legal career futures and
• those occupying Associate roles commented that the most significant reasons for the feelings of wanting to leave employment with their current roles appearing to rise to the surface are as follows:
• perceiving that their respective provider of employment are not thankful for the work they are carrying out and
• rates of pay
• the organisers of the survey also looked into the ambition of legal professionals and how they aspire to progress to the level of partnership within the industry. In this regard, the most illuminating feature was the somewhat surprising finding that there is a section of legal professionals who do not harbour the intention to climb up to the elite level and
• In this regard, approximately thirty per cent of the associate demographic approached for their input were seemingly keeping their options open in terms of their future careers

Give Me A Reason To Stay?

This part of the survey on its own would not make for happy reading on its own. However, those organising the survey appeared to have wanted to discover what would give affected senior legal professionals the impetus, wherewithal, and intention to remain in employment with their current employer and not consider vacating their position. When the organisers of the survey examined this data in detail and were seeking out the reasons legal professionals would remain in employment, the top answer put forward by fifty per cent of the survey respondents was increased pay.     

So How Can Providers of Legal Services Encourage the Workforce Stay?

Following the publication of this piece of research those charged with running providers of legal services need to be considering its findings and taking steps such as:

• communicating with this demographic of staff regularly
• recognising the effort the workforce is making on an individual and collective basis
• sending their message of appreciation and gratitude for the effort they are putting in whilst carrying out their daily working duties
• ensuring they are monitoring how senior members of the workforce are not forgotten in terms of the development of their careers 
• make sure their legal professionals have the sentiment that their superiors recognise that the effort they are putting in is being appreciated and
• review how wages are paid to staff, calculated, the breakdown, how often bonuses are paid and if other incentives paid to these affected demographics are appropriate and enticing.   

ASSESSING FIRMS

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THE ARTICLE WAS WRITTEN USING THE FOLLOWING SOURCES 

[SOURCE 1] Hinkley, Emily  Legal Cheek – ‘Unappreciated’ lawyers likely to quit, research reveals – 16 January 2023 - ‘Underappreciated’ lawyers likely to quit, research reveals - Legal Cheek

[SOURCE 2] Hilborne, Nick – “Underappreciated” associate want to leave law firms – Legal Futures – 12 January 2023 - “Underappreciated” associates want to leave law firms - Legal Futures

[SOURCE 3] Urquart, James – Employees favour work-life balance over salary, study finds – People Management - 5 September 2023 - Employees favour work-life balance over salary, study suggests (peoplemanagement.co.uk)

[SOURCE 4] Cave, Dan – Four in five UK business leaders believe flexible working is critical to success, research finds – People Management – 14 December 2023 - Four in five UK business leaders believe flexible working is critical to success, research finds (peoplemanagement.co.uk)

[SOURCE 5] Law Careers.Net – Can I work in law and have a work/life balance? – 01 November 2022 - Can I work in law and have a work/life balance? - The Oracle (lawcareers.net)