How to make the most of experienced secondees

 

By Front Foot Law 31 October 2023

A senior secondee can do much more than help your team through absences and workload spikes. Experienced secondees bring well-honed skills, rich knowledge and a commercial mindset to your business. But how can you make the most of their expertise?

A thorough induction, including background reading, will save you time in the long run. You’ll discover that senior secondees can quickly understand complex challenges and make time-sensitive legal decisions that align with your broader business strategy.

If you’re the main point of contact, you’ll need to be clear on expectations, including agreed hours, and check in to see how they’re going. You will also need to introduce the secondee to your team and all stakeholders on day one.

When your team is stressed, you can’t underestimate the benefits of engaging a high quality, on-demand lawyer — without the financial implications of long-term commitment. They’ll act as an invaluable extension of your team and a point of contact for junior team members, alleviating pressure on the GC.

Experience is priceless, and the only source of knowledge (to paraphase Albert Einstein). If you’re interested in benefiting from rich, commercial knowledge from an astute secondee, feel free to get in touch.

Onboarding a secondee?

Here’s a step-by-step guide to quickly add a secondee to your team in a way that adds the most value to your business. Click here to download the template.

Gen Z to a T

 

By Front Foot Law 31 October 2023

How to get the most out of the new generation

Gen Z is growing up. Born between 1997 and 2012, the youngest Gen Zers are in their teens, inhaling TikTok cats, YouTube stunts and Snap chats, while the older members are now in their mid-twenties. Other generations can’t agree on a label for these digital natives. Nihilistic? Snowflakes? Cynical? Pragmatic? Whatever you think of them, they make up 25% of the world’s population. And by 2025, they’ll comprise nearly one-third of the workforce. So, businesses and team leaders need to understand them.

Gen Zers have lived through the pandemic, climate change and a widening wealth gap. Which might be the reason behind their YOLO approach to life. An American study by Intuit showed that retirement saving is less important for Gen Z than for Ys, Xs and Boomers and that achieving a work-life balance is their top priority.

You won’t find them sharing their best selves on Facebook, but 50% get their news from social media. They look for jobs, partners and discussions in different ways to their Gen X bosses. This generation has new rules and new priorities. And forward-thinking businesses are already looking at how to attract the best new talent.

Let’s look at what’s important to Gen Z.

Values

Gen Zers are looking to work for businesses with values that align with their own. They won’t stand for tokenism — instead, they expect companies to walk the talk.

Transparency

This generation wants clear roles and salaries. In fact, 78% of Gen Zers find a lack of transparency as their number one frustration. This new transparent trend is appearing on recruitment sites such as Stevie, where wages are always advertised.

Balance

Whereas Gen X drove themselves into the ground with unpaid hours, Gen Z won’t feel the same obligation. They don’t necessarily need to find work fulfilment, but a healthy work-life balance is essential.

They’re also looking for:

While some of these characteristics are confronting at first glance, there’s much potential to be harnessed. Their entrepreneurial spirit and online community-building skills can establish new business relationships. And offering clear advancement pathways will encourage more prolonged engagement.

Can your team adapt? Can you provide flexibility, enhance your transparency and deliver personal fulfilment? If so, you’re positioning your team ahead of the pack by attracting the best of Gen Z.