Please enjoy this blog authored by Rachel Bailey, Product Marketing Manager, Opus 2 and Laura Seigler Zerr, Training Specialist, MLT Aikins LLP.
You only get to make a first impression once and onboarding is that first impression. Effective onboarding is a crucial component of a successful legal team, particularly in the fast-paced world of litigation.
Taken from an interview with legal onboarding expert, Laura Seigler Zerr (lead training specialist at MLT Aikins) and Rachel Bailey (product marketing manager at Opus 2 and ILTA litigation support CCT member), the two discuss practical tips for creating an onboarding toolbox. This conversation highlights best practices that ensure a seamless transition for legal professionals.
The interview also delves into the importance of tailoring onboarding to individual needs, leveraging learning management systems, and implementing a phased approach to skill development. By prioritizing connection, efficiency, and continuous assessment, firms can create an onboarding experience that sets new hires up for long-term success.
Rachel: Let’s start with the big picture, why is onboarding so important?
Laura: Onboarding is the foundation of the success of the individual. The moment that they walk in the door, we need to have a white glove experience top of mind. We work to ensure that everything we do, even if it's the office introductions, even if it's the office tour, we really are intentional. Successful onboarding will ensure a seamless transition whether it's technologies, policies, internal processes, or who they're going to be reporting to etc.
What is unique to onboarding for litigation teams?
First, it depends on what type of hire it is. Are they someone with existing clients or someone who needs to learn about how our court system works? Let’s take an example: Someone coming in with existing clients. We need to know about their drop-dead deadlines and previous commitments. We start learning about this during pre-onboarding weeks before they come in the door.
Then, we go through all our internal processes: who are the case managers, our client identification verification process, our trust account management system, the unique software that supports the litigation group. A lot of this information is important on day one given the deadline-driven nature of litigation.
Let’s go through some onboarding materials and best practices:
Welcome materials – We do a welcome e-mail one week prior to their start date and we have their orientation schedule in that welcome e-mail. Once they start onboarding, we give HR and organizational information. We do something called the “lawyer profile” where we have the lawyer and the legal assistant meet to talk about the firm’s practices.
Training materials – Being an in-house legal educator, I know that we need to be super efficient because we're a very small team. We give out a module within our learning management system that includes reading, videos, and knowledge checks. However, people often forget what they learned unless the practice using it, so we want to make sure people have resources they can go back to. We want to ensure that people are getting trained by the experts, so we bring in the case managers or litigation support directors for in-depth training.
Policies and procedures – We also use a module-based format for this, but it differs by team or practice area. It’s important to do regular reviews in this area as well.
Technology tools – It really depends on the tool. Because people come in with lots of different background knowledge or lack of knowledge on different systems it has to be tailored. We do live training for things with a steep learning curve because we want to ensure that they are following along and clicking along. Case managers then help train on the actual case files and data.
Mentorship and support systems – Mentors are the real experts on the way litigation teams run, so it is absolutely key to assign mentors early on. We also want to make sure new hires have someone at their level to talk to and provide perspective from a similar vantage point. Give people options so they find a good fit.
Once folks have all these resources, is there something they can go back to like their intranet?
It’s a perfect mix of everything (which is a terrible answer for you). We do have our intranet with ongoing materials on there. The learning management system is good for auditing because we can confirm who did the modules. We also like to schedule regular check-ins to be sure folks have the resources tailored to their needs.
Could you talk about the timing for onboarding?
I like a phased approach, like the 30/60/90-day approach. Within the first 30 days, it's really getting the technology, the policies, the processes, all of that up and running to be successful. Then, mentors often help get into more specifics in the next 60 to 90 days while we continue training on different topics.
Do you have any tips for firms looking to bolster their onboarding program?
Assessing needs is huge. Then, adjusting based on who needs help and their particular learning style. Often, onboarding is like a curriculum that can’t be adjusted. We’ve had more success when we consider personality, whether they have capacity to learn based on their workload, if they are just off and need to push. After week one, we send the new hire a feedback form to see what went well and what didn't go well. Then, we make changes based on our approach.
Another best practice is assessing skills prior to onboarding and assessing skills after onboarding to understand the impact. However, it can be challenging to figure out ways to measure that.
Onboarding is so important, but how do you compete with everything else that needs attention?
We use Continuing Professional Development here in Canda [Continuing Legal Education in the US]. So we strategize for people who need training sessions later in the year before it’s due.
Bringing it back to efficiency, I try to ask for a short amount of time that will have a big impact. I always frame it as how it applies to the new hire. I work to explain how it's going to help their billable hours, how it's going to help their practice, how it's going to make a more efficient lawyer so on.
Is there something that folks who've gone through your training program would say like they appreciated the most?
I have gotten amazing feedback that people enjoy the connection. Having someone who is not their manager who they can be honest with. I always say “I’m your best friend. Be as vulnerable and transparent as you can with me, because I'm the one that's going to set you up for success.” We’re all human and we don’t expect you to come in the door knowing everything. Ultimately, coming together as a team, knowing that we're people, and holding each other up in order to be successful has been the mindset that keeps me going.
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