Moving Beyond One-Size-Fits-All: Personalizing Performance Evaluations

Posted by

Kate Harry Shipham

Posted on

Feb 17, 2025

In the legal industry, the battle for top-tier marketing and business development professionals is fierce. While competitive salaries, strong employer branding, and clear career paths are standard ways to attract talent, many law firms overlook subtler factors that can make a significant impact. Here, we explore some of the unseen strategies that can help law firms secure the best marketing and business development professionals.

1. Leverage the Firm’s Unique Story

Most law firms have a narrative, but few effectively communicate it to prospective hires. People want to work for organizations that have a compelling purpose and culture.

Insightful Action: Instead of relying on generic branding, highlight the firm’s unique journey, core values, and mission. Share authentic stories of how the marketing team has shaped the firm’s success. Use social media, podcasts, or behind-the-scenes videos to bring the firm's personality to life.

2. Create a Marketing-First Mindset at the Leadership Level

Many talented legal marketing professionals hesitate to join law firms because they feel their role will be secondary to the attorneys’ work.

Insightful Action: Senior leadership must actively endorse and integrate marketing and business development into the firm’s strategy. Host executive-led marketing summits, ensure business development leaders have a seat at the table in decision-making, and provide clear growth trajectories within the firm.

3. Provide the Autonomy That Marketers Crave

Marketing and business development professionals thrive in creative and strategic environments. If they feel micromanaged or restricted by overly traditional processes, they may look elsewhere.

Insightful Action: Give marketing leaders the space to experiment with new strategies and digital tools. Offer flexible work arrangements and allow professionals to test and learn without excessive red tape. Encourage innovation through structured ideation sessions.

4. Tap into Niche Professional Communities

While job boards and LinkedIn are common recruitment tools, the best marketing professionals often engage in niche communities outside these platforms.

Insightful Action: Establish a presence in specialized communities such as legal marketing Slack groups, invite-only networking circles, and exclusive leadership forums. Sponsor industry events or create proprietary research to engage with marketing professionals at an intellectual level.

5. Sell the Firm’s Marketing Technology Stack

Tech-savvy professionals want to work for firms that embrace modern marketing tools. If a firm is using outdated or restrictive software, it may deter top talent.

Insightful Action: Highlight the firm’s investment in technology by showcasing tools such as CRM systems, data analytics platforms, and AI-driven marketing automation. Provide training opportunities to show candidates that they will be working with cutting-edge technology that enhances their effectiveness.

6. Offer Non-Traditional Career Progression

Law firms often focus on traditional career paths, which can feel limiting to those in non-legal roles.

Insightful Action: Create alternative career paths that offer long-term growth. Whether it’s a hybrid role that combines business development with strategy or an opportunity to transition into leadership positions, showing that there’s room to grow is key.

7. Invest in Thought Leadership and Industry Influence

Top marketing and business development professionals are drawn to firms that are respected in the industry.

Insightful Action: Position the firm as an authority in legal marketing by encouraging team members to publish whitepapers, speak at industry events, and participate in panels. Offer marketing hires opportunities to develop their own personal brands within the industry, showcasing them as leaders.

8. Create a Cross-Functional Hiring Process

It can be the case that hiring decisions for marketing professionals are made by HR or firm administrators who may not fully understand the role’s strategic importance.

Insightful Action: Involve attorneys, partners, and existing marketing team members in the hiring process to assess cultural fit, creativity, and strategic thinking. This collaborative approach demonstrates to candidates that marketing is valued within the firm.

9. Foster an Inclusive and Experimental Culture

The legal industry has a reputation for being slow to change. Many professionals shy away from law firms due to concerns about rigid structures.

Insightful Action: Show that the firm values fresh perspectives by encouraging team members to propose and implement experimental marketing strategies. A firm that embraces adaptability and innovation will naturally attract forward-thinking professionals.

10. Prioritize Emotional Intelligence Over Credentials

While skills and experience are crucial, the best marketing professionals excel at building relationships and understanding human behavior.

Insightful Action: During the hiring process, focus on emotional intelligence (EQ) and cultural fit rather than just qualifications. Use behavioral interviews, real-world scenario assessments, and peer evaluations to assess how candidates interact and problem-solve.

Our Final Thoughts

Attracting top legal marketing and business development professionals requires a more nuanced approach than simply offering competitive salaries and perks. By focusing on storytelling, autonomy, industry influence, niche networks, and innovative hiring strategies, law firms can differentiate themselves in the race for the best talent. In a competitive legal market, those firms that break away from traditional hiring methods and embrace a dynamic, marketing-first culture will secure the industry’s top professionals.