Many law firms experience a bad rap due to the perception that attorneys and paralegals are expected to work long hours and meet unrealistic expectations. And it’s certainly true that many law firms might unintentionally (or not) overextend their employees. Unfortunately, not only can this be a detriment to morale, but it can also lead to paralegal and staff burnout.
In a high-stakes, high-pressure work environment like that of a law firm, it can be challenging to balance mounting workplace expectations with a healthy employee environment. But it’s possible. Here are some tips for fostering a positive culture in your law firm regardless if your staff is working in person or remotely.
Strategies for Building a Positive Law Firm Culture
The antidote for poor morale and a negative workplace culture lies in collaboration, communication and support. It can take time and serious effort to build a positive culture at your law firm (and the challenges are further compounded if you have a remote staff), but it’s imperative to do so if you want to retain the best employees and attract top clients. Here are some ways to do it:
- Lean on technology – Your law firm already runs on technology, but you can likely be doing even more to leverage its capabilities for a remote staff. Assess your greatest areas of need and ensure your technology is meeting those needs. Then, train, train, train your staff. Nothing leads to greater frustration and inefficiency than not knowing how to effectively use a tool.
- Communicate frequently – At a minimum, you should be meeting weekly with your remote staff to ensure that everyone is still on the same page. This is also an opportunity for your staff to ask questions and feel heard.
- Celebrate small victories – A positive culture is one that recognizes accomplishments of all shapes and sizes, not just winning the big cases. Make positive recognition a part of the daily workplace experience and culture at your law firm.
- Create a “fun” channel – If you use Slack or another collaborative tech platform, create a space for sharing workplace victories or other non-work-related nonsense. Did someone find a funny meme? Post it here. Need input on house-training your new pet? Ask for it in your fun chat. Giving employees a remote space to let loose and engage with a splash of good news enables connections and can often provide a much-needed respite from work stress.
- Consider in-person social events – There’s an app for everything but in-person social contact. Consider getting the entire team together occasionally to build rapport and relationships. If staff will be flying in from elsewhere in the country, you could pair in-office meetings with some after-hour social outings.
Culture is an essential part of maintaining connections and retaining top talent. Fortunately, technology can help with everything from improving communication and collaboration to ensuring safe, secure connections for all your firm’s data. To learn more and ask your questions about the best legal technology for your law firm, contact us at Honeycrisp.
