Date of survey: August 2014 Method: Online survey Number of respondents: 1,249 Employer of Choice status was determined by responses to the following questions/statements: • How satisfied are you with your current remuneration? • "My work provides sufficient opportunities for training and professional development" • "My work offers a clear career progression path for all employees" • "My firm has a strong commitment to achieving gender equality in the workplace" • "My firm provides me with sufficient opportunities to do interesting and challenging work" • "My firm gives me access to the technology I need to do my work effectively" • "My firm has a strong work culture and a high level of engagement" • "My firm helps me to achieve a work-life balance" • How satisfied are you with your employer's support for your wellbeing? Survey participants responded to these questions/statements by providing a rating between 1 and 5, where 1 indicated very dissatisfied or strongly disagree, and 5 showed where respondents were very satisfied or strongly agreed.
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Date of survey: August 2014 Method: Online survey Number of respondents: 1,249
Employer of Choice status was determined by responses to the following questions/statements:
• How satisfied are you with your current remuneration?
• "My work provides sufficient opportunities for training and professional development"
• "My work offers a clear career progression path for all employees"
• "My firm has a strong commitment to achieving gender equality in the workplace"
• "My firm provides me with sufficient opportunities to do interesting and challenging work"
• "My firm gives me access to the technology I need to do my work effectively"
• "My firm has a strong work culture and a high level of engagement"
• "My firm helps me to achieve a work-life balance"
• How satisfied are you with your employer's support for your wellbeing?
Survey participants responded to these questions/statements by providing a rating between 1 and 5, where 1 indicated very dissatisfied or strongly disagree, and 5 showed where respondents were very satisfied or strongly agreed.
SNAPSHOT OF SURVEY PARTICIPANTS This year's survey attracted a diverse cross-section of legal professionals. Solicitors/associates, followed by senior associates, were the two positions most represented in the survey, and the vast majority of employees surveyed had been in their roles for five years or less. Almost 60% of respondents were female.
More than 75% of respondents reported working an average of 50 hours or less each week, and most law firm employees had taken between two and four weeks of leave during the previous year. A snapshot of the respondents to the 2014 Employer of Choice survey is presented at right
EMPLOYERS OF CHOICE
Australian firms with more than 500 employees
1. Maddocks 2. Herbert Smith Freehills 3. Gilbert+ Tobin Highly commended: Sparke Helmore and Corrs Chambers Westgarth
Australian firms with 500 employees or less
1. Squire Patton Boggs 2. Wallmans Lawyers 3. Carter Newell Highly commended: Australian Business Lawyers and Salvos Legal
New Zealand firms 1. Chapman Tripp 2. Simpson Grierson 3. Buddle Findlay Highly commended: Russell McVeagh
Gender
Male
40.4% Female
59.6%
Position
31.60% Other
(includes paralegal and legal secreta naT staff, pract ice managers, HR administrators, graduate solicitors, business development and communications staff, and IT support )
32.40% Solicitor I Associate
AUSTRALASIANLAWYER.COM.AU
Time in current role
40
20
0
37.6% 36.5% 13.7% 12.2% Less 2-S 6-10 More than years years than
2 years 10 years
2.97% Managing partner
8.90% Partner
3.37% Special counsel
Senior associate
Average hours worked each week
C\ 8soh i Q Q ~) '# ~) ~) 32.0% 40 hours or less
43.6% SO hours or less
20.0% 60 hours or less
3.4% 70 hours or less
1.0% More than 70 hours
Annual leave taken in the last 12 months \!)_\!) t:/_ ~ ~ c::J I!) ~ 1!1_ l!i \!) _l!i ~-!-~-~ - - - -••••••• ••••••• • •••••• ••••••• ••••••• • •••••• ••••••• • •••••• ••••••• ••••••• ••••••• • •••••• •••••/ •••••/ •••••/ •••••/ 6.1% 9.7% 17.9% 23.9% 27.7% 14.7%. I have not Less than 1-2 weeks 2-3 weeks 3-4 weeks More than
taken annual 1week 4weeks leave
OCTOBER 2014 117
EMPLOYER OF CHOICE 2014
181 OCTOBER 2014
REMUNERATION
As with most polls of lawyers, respondents to this year's Employer of Choice survey were split on the question of pay. Just over half of employees (55.2%) were satisfied or very satisfied with their current remuneration, while 20.6% were dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with their pay.
Partners were most satisfied with their pay, giving their firms an average rating of 4.14 out of a possible 5, followed by managing partners (3.97). Perhaps unsurprisingly, solicitors and associates were not as satisfied, giving their firms an average rating of 3.13. However, it was in-house counsels who were least happy with their pay, rating their employers 3.10 for remuneration.
HOW SATISFIED ARE YOU WITH YOUR CURRENT REMUNERATION?
Although most respondents agreed or strongly agreed that their employers clearly communicated their career path and the steps to be taken in order to be considered for promotion, approximately one fifth of respondents believed their employers could do better. Managing partners were most likely to agree that their firms offered a clear progression path (giving their firms an average rating of 4.44 out of a possible 5), although other employees weren't so sure: senior counsel rated their firms 3.32, senior associates 3.30, and solicitors and associates gave an average score of 3.35. Again, it was in-house counsel that scored their employers the lowest, giving an average rating of 2.33.
'MY WORK OFFERS A CLEAR CAREER PROGRESSION PATH FOR ALL EMPLOYEES'
Strongly 9.5% disagree
Disagree 11.1%
Neutral 20.9%
Agree 30.8%
Strongly 27.8% agree
TOP-PERFORMING FIRMS
Corrs Chambers Westgarth Carter Newell Chapman Tripp
EMPLOYER OF CHOICE 2014
20 I OCTOBER 2014
GENDER EQUALITY 'MY FIRM HAS A STRONG COMMITMENT TO ACHIEVING GENDER EQUALITY IN THE WORKPLACE'
Strongly 5.7% I disagree
Disagree 7.2% • Neutral 13.7%
Gender equality in the legal profession has been an area of focus for many firms in recent years and, based on the feedback from respondents, initiatives such as mentoring programs for female lawyers, initiatives to increase the number of female partners, and facilitating more flexible working practices to better accommodate employees with family commitments have been positively received. Close to three quarters of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that their firms had a strong commitment to achieving gender equality in the workplace.
In addition to questions about how lawyers rated their current firms, the 2014 Employer of Choice survey included questions about which Australian and New Zealand firms respondents would most like to work for.
The larger firms stood out for voters when it came to choosing their preferred firms. Yet while perceptions of a firm as an employer may impact on the likelihood that a lawyer will work there, as one survey respondent noted, "You don't know 'til you get there".
Which Australia-based law firm would you most like to work for?
1. Clayton Utz
2. Allen & Overy
3. Baker & McKenzie
4. Gilbert+ Tobin
5. Curwoods Lawyers
Which New Zealand law firm would you most like to work for?
1. Simpson Grierson
2. DLA Phillips Fox
3. Minter Ellison Rudd Watts
4. Bell Gully
5. Russell McVeagh
TRAINING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
In contrast to remuneration, training and professional development was a far less divisive issue. Almost three quarters of survey respondents agreed or strongly agreed that their employers provided them with enough opportunities to develop their skills.
QUALITY OF WORK
Most survey respondents were positive about the quality of the work they did in their firms, with less than 10% of employees raising complaints about a lack of interesting and challenging work. But for one survey participant, the low quality of work was not due to the firm they worked at, but to the legal market more generally: "The current Australian legal market makes me want to go overseas ASAP to get more interesting and engaging work."
'MY WORK PROVIDES SUFFICIENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR TRAINING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT'
AUSTRALASIANLAWYER.COM.AU
Strongly 4.7% disagree
I __ _ Disagree 7.9%
Neutral 14.1%
Agree 26.9%
Strongly 46.4% agree
TOP-PERFORMING FIRMS
Maddocks Squire Patton Boggs Chapman Tripp
'MY FIRM PROVIDES ME WITH SUFFICIENT OPPORTUNITIES TO DO INTERESTING AND CHALLENGING WORK'
Strongly 3.7% disagree
Disagree 5.6%
Neutral 12.7%
Agree 29.7%
Strongly 48.4% agree
I _
TOP-PERFORMING FIRMS
Gilbert+ Tobin Squire Patton Boggs Chapman Tripp
OCTOBER 2014 121
EMPLOYER OF CHOICE 2014
221 OCTOBER 2014
SUPPORT FOR EMPLOYEE WELLBEING
The wellbeing of law firm employees has been the subject of countless studies, forums and industry news reports in recent years, and employers have responded with a range of initiatives, including mental health first aid training and employee assistance programs. It appears that these strategies are having the desired impact, with most employees reporting their satisfaction with the wellbeing support provided by their employers. Seventy-one percent of survey respondents said they were satisfied or very satisfied with the mental health support at work.
ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY
Slow servers, unreliable printers and complicated remote working procedures can make even the simplest office tasks unbearable. Fortunately, most of the employees surveyed felt that the technology they had access to at their firms had helped rather than hindered their work. Only 11% of respondents believed they did not have access to the tools needed to work effectively.
'HOW SATISFIED ARE YOU WITH YOUREMPLOYEWSSUPPORTFOR YOUR WELLBEING?'
Very 6.0% I dissatisfied ~~-~-~~~---
Disagree 7.7%
Neutral 15.3%
Agree 27.6%
Very 43.4% satisfied
TOP-PERFORMING FIRMS
Maddocks Wallmans Lawyers Chapman Tripp
TOP-PERFORMING FIRMS
Sparke Helmore Squire Patton Boggs Buddle Findlay
EMPLOYEES ON THEIR EMPLOYERS
"My firm is trying hard to understand and appreciate its staff and their needs. It is not easy, but I respect
their genuine desire to get this right and to improve."
"I am very happy at my current workplace. I have been provided with clear progression path and have no
desire to work for another firm. This firm has a commitment to work-life balance and making the workplace an enjoyable and friendly environment. I have worked at several law firms and this is, by far, the best experience I have had."
"I don't like it! Get me out of here, please!!!!!"
"My firm has a number of added benefits that all staff receive, including health insurance, gym
memberships, birthday leave, etc."
"I would not go back to working in private practice as my job is far more varied."
"There are a number of firms that will be able to provide higher quality work at better remuneration, but I do not
know of any that can offer current worklife balance or relaxed working environment that I currently have."
AUSTRALASIANLAWYER.COM.AU
EMPLOYER OF CHOICE 2014
241 OCTOBER 2014
WORKPLACE CULTURE 'MY FIRM HAS A STRONG WORK CULTURE AND A HIGH LEVEL OF ENGAGEMENT'
Workplace culture is difficult to define, but · Neutral 12.6% employees are usually unequivocal when judging whether a firm has it or not. Legal employers in Australia and New Zealand performed well on this Agree 28.7% front. For the majority of respondents, their firms offered a strong workplace culture and a high level of engagement; only 12.9% of survey participants believed their firm was lacking in this area. Strongly 45.8%
Almost 70% of employees surveyed agreed that their employer helped them to achieve a work-life balance, although a sizeable group (13.4%) did not feel that their firm provided adequate support for their worklife balance.
As expected, employees working an average of 40 hours or less each week were most likely to rate their firms highly for work-life balance. As average working hours increased, lawyers' satisfaction with their employers' support for their work-life balance decreased.
A WORK-LIFE BALANCE'
Strongly 5.5% I disagree
Disagree 7.9% • Neutral 18.2%
Agree 30.3%
Strongly 38.2% agree
0 10
TOP-PERFORMING FIRMS
Maddocks Carter Newell Chapman Tripp
20 30 40 50
AUSTRALASIANLAWYER.COM.AU
EMPLOYEES CONSIDERING THEIR NEXT MOVE
Close to 13% of employees surveyed reported that they would be likely to change their employer within the next 12 months. On a position basis, managing partners and partners were the least likely to leave their current roles, with 90.6% of managing partners and 95.2% of partners saying they were unlikely to change employer in the coming year. In contrast, 24.4% of special counsels and 22.4% of solicitors/ associates reported that they were likely to move in the next 12 months.
Unsurprisingly, the number of hours worked in an average week appears to play a role in how likely an employee is to change firms. Approximately 16.7% of lawyers working 70 or more hours each week were likely to move jobs in the next year, compared to only 9.1% oflawyers working 40 hours or less in a week. Interestingly, of those lawyers working 70 hours or more each week, 83.3% of respondents said they were unlikely to leave their firm - the highest retention rate of the average working hours categories.
Time spent in current role also appears to have an influence. Of the employees that had been with their current firm for more than 10 years, 82.3% were unlikely to move within the next year. Lawyers who had spent two to five years in their role were the most likely to seek out new opportunities, with 17.2% predicting they would change employers.
HOW LIKELY ARE YOU TO CHANGE YOUR EMPLOYER DURING THE NEXT 12 MONTHS?
Likely 12.8%
Unlikely 72.6%
Not sure 14.7%
WHAT THE EMPLOYERS OF CHOICE SAY
Maddocks CEO Michelle Dixon "In my almost twenty years with the firm one thing stands the test of time, regardless of our growth trajectory; the people here interact as friends and family would -while the work we do is important, there's a feeling of belonging, support, respect and humour."
Squire Patton Boggs managing partner John Poulsen "From the Partners of Squire Patton Boggs perspective, the firm initiatives that have given rise to our recognition in the Australian Lawyer Employer of Choice Awards make perfect business sense. There are a number of reasons for this and they all revolve around having empowered and engaged people. Empowered and engaged lawyers do better work and engage better with clients. Empowered and engaged support staff do better work and engage better with our lawyers. This, in turn, supports our core reason for existence, which is to deliver value to our clients. Our clients really notice and comment on this. Being a place where people want to work means that the costs associated with staff turnover are considerably reduced. It also means that when the employment market is competitive, we stand a better chance of hiring the best people.lt becomes a virtuous circle and creates a sustainable business which delivers good returns over the longer term."
Chapman Tripp managing partner Andrew Poole "The quality and commitment of our people is key to the firm's success so it's great to see that they share my pride, both in the results we deliver for our clients and in our unique culture. It's important to me that people enjoy working here and feel that they can be themselves, while still providing the highest level of service to our clients. It's that combination of success and fun that makes Chapman Tripp such a good place to work."
