The Diversity & Flexibility Alliance is a think tank dedicated to creating work environments centered on inclusion and innovative thought leadership. The Alliance empowers organizations with the tools necessary for advancing women, fostering flexibility, and retaining top talent.
To learn how we can help your organization, please get in touch.
Action Step – Make Your Flexible Work Policy A Recruiting and Retention Tool
The Alliance’s Action Steps are designed to assist organizations with implementing practical strategies and policies related to diversity and flexibility. Members can access full versions of all of the Alliance’s Action Steps in the Member Resource Center.
MAKE YOUR FLEXIBLE WORK POLICY A RECRUITING AND RETENTION TOOL
If your firm’s flexible work policy is largely unused, or used only by a handful of lawyers who are mothers of young children, you may be missing out on an easy, effective, and comparatively inexpensive way to recruit and keep great lawyers. If your firm wouldn’t exactly be called a “lifestyle” firm, then a reduced hours program that lawyers are encouraged to use can be a strong recruiting and retention tool. Candidates will flock to your door, and the attrition treadmill will slow, but only if your flexible work program is non-stigmatized…
Action Step – Take Your Firm’s Measure
The Alliance’s Action Steps are designed to assist organizations with implementing practical strategies and policies related to diversity and flexibility. Members can access full versions of all of the Alliance’s Action Steps in the Member Resource Center.
TAKE YOUR FIRM’S MEASURE
What gets measured gets done, so measuring the effectiveness your firm’s retention program makes sense. Benchmarking where your firm is now with respect to key indicators will let you know where your firm needs to concentrate its retention efforts and will tell you later if your firm is making progress in retaining its valued lawyers. Here are some key measures worth exploring:
Action Step – Remove Mixed Messages From Flexible Work Policies
The Alliance’s Action Steps are designed to assist organizations with implementing practical strategies and policies related to diversity and flexibility. Members can access full versions of all of the Alliance’s Action Steps in the Member Resource Center.
REMOVE MIXED MESSAGES FROM FLEXIBLE WORK POLICIES
It makes good business sense to have a policy that puts in writing the terms and conditions under which lawyers can work reduced or flexible hours – unless the policy contains negative messages that undermine your firm’s flexible work program. What sort of mixed messages? Here’s just one example of a grudging introductory paragraph that makes it clear that flexible work is not encouraged:
“Lawyers are expected to work full-time schedules as necessary to meet the needs of the Firm’s clients. The Firm will consider requests to work less than full-time, but such requests will not be routinely granted.”