JOB DESCRIPTION
About Herbert Smith Freehills
As one of the world’s leading law firms, we advise many of the largest and most ambitious organisations across all major regions of the globe. With over 5,000 people, including 3,100 lawyers and over 2,000 business services professionals, operating from our global network of offices across Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and North America, Herbert Smith Freehills is at the heart of the new global business landscape providing premium quality, full-service legal advice.
We recognise that the success of our business and our clients relies on the skills, knowledge and ideas of all our people. Our environment is one in which high performance is expected, in return, we will provide you with rewards and opportunities tailored to your personal and professional goals.
The Opportunity
Key Internal Relationships:
HR Director, Workforce Planning, Strategy & Implementation; Head of Recruitment, West; Early Careers Recruitment Team; Lateral Recruitment Team; Graduate Recruitment Partners; Solicitor Apprenticeship Partner Sponsors; Graduate Recruitment Interviewing Panel Partners; Trainees and Associates; Alumni teams; Specialist HR teams as appropriate.
Key External Relationships:
Universities; Campus Ambassadors; Applicants; Future Trainees; Aspiring Solicitors, Rare Recruitment, MyPlus Consulting Social Mobility Foundation; Media Suppliers
The Team
The team comprise of one manager, one senior marketing adviser, two advisers, three assistants and one admin assistant.
The team are responsible for recruiting 65 trainee solicitors per annum for start dates in March and September and 120 vacation placement students for two and three-week placements in winter, spring and summer. As well as 2 solicitor apprentices.
This role will offer scope for creativity, use of initiative and personal development and is an exciting position within this high performing and well-established team.
Key Responsibilities
Vacation Schemes
1. Assist with managing vacation scheme applications on applicant tracking system (Candid), including monitoring online testing via Sova
2. Adding candidates to the "ones to look out for" list and checking applicants against this list
3. Make necessary adjustments for candidates as required
4. Review vacation scheme applications
5. Deal with general candidate enquiries (by email or phone)
6. Responsible for keeping Candid up to date and updating HR statuses post-AC
7. Ensure accurate recording on Candid of Assessment Centres and vacation scheme feedback
8. Manage the database, ensuring accurate reports can be compiled
Preparation for Vacation Schemes
9. Book rooms and speakers for presentations, workshops and internal events
10. Arrange catering including noting dietary requirements
11. Book in all presenters and ensure they have reviewed and updated slides prior to each presentation
12. Book external social events
13. Prepare Programme of Events/photo booklet and ensure all sections are kept up to date
14. Adding candidates to Workday
15. Set up IT log-in details and liaising with IT to arrange equipment
16. Work with internal HR teams to ensure all vacation scheme students have been added accurately and leave dates specified
17. Preparation of security passes
18. Organise payroll for students
19. Send out joining instructions to participants
20. Send Trainee Buddy instruction emails
21. Arrange first day and departure feedback sessions
22. Initiate and manage the pre-employment screening of vacation scheme students
23. Compilation of "welcome" and "goodbye" gifts
During and post vacation schemes
24. Check rooms, refreshments and equipment for presentations/workshops each day
25. Liaise with all presenters and ensure slides are uploaded as required
26. Assist Adviser in carrying out the Right To Work Checks
27. Ensure students are made aware of any changes to the timetable in the printed booklets
28. Manage invites and list of attendees for events and organise name badges
29. Collate supervisor evaluation forms and ensure packs are ready for the partner wash up session
30. Update students' individual folders throughout the duration of schemes
31. Attend to ad-hoc queries from students
32. Attend vacation scheme events
33. Create and send a feedback survey towards the end of the scheme
34. Managing the offer/rejection process including the post-offer process/TC onboarding process
Assessment Centres (ACs)
35. Responsible for booking partners and senior associates for Assessment Centres in a timely way including assisting with last minute replacements
36. Putting together daily AC timetables and ensuring the partners and candidates have all of the materials needed
37. Ensuring the schedules have been created on our digital assessment centre, SOVA
38. Ensuring the candidate and assessor rooms are set up prior to each AC including printing assessor materials
39. Book trainee tours
40. Assist with the running of ACs
41. Ensure all feedback is collected for each student
42. Produce offer and reject letters as required
43. Coordinate feedback emails to unsuccessful candidates in a timely manner
Campus Ambassadors
44. Organise the campus ambassador recruitment process, including advertising roles, processing and pre-selection of applications and arranging and conducting interviews with alumni
45. Organise onboarding process, including offer letters, payroll forms, welcome packs and induction days.
46. Create ways to incentivise campus ambassadors with social media challenges and prizes for excellent promotional work
47. Maintain relationships with the campus ambassadors throughout the year and ensure that we are using them effectively and that the alumni teams are also in contact with them
48. Ensure campus ambassadors complete the annual feedback survey and provide a summary of recommendations
49. Order and project manage "thank you" gifts for campus ambassadors.
Solicitor Apprenticeships
50. Work with manager and advisers to ensure effective promotion and outreach to school leavers for the Solicitor Apprenticeship programme.
51. Assist with managing the application process, including issuing the online test, reviewing application forms and helping to run assessment centres.
52. Make necessary adjustments for candidates as required
53. Support the keep in warm strategy for candidates between offered and starting at the Firm.
University Liaison/Events
54. Manage your alumni team and sponsorship agreements/activities with your universities
55. Manage the budget for your universities and liaise with lead trainee to book skills sessions and other ad hoc events
56. Use events software, Phenom to create events and manage sign-ups
57. Use Vantage to promote events
58. Attend campus events/law fairs between October-December
59. Build links with careers services, law faculties, academics, students and societies to help promote events
60. Organise and assist with diversity events, particularly those with Rare Recruitment, Aspiring Solicitors, MyPlus Consulting and Social Mobility Foundation.
61. Organise insight days with high achieving students at our target universities
Introduction to Law Workshop (with other assistants)
62. Manage spreadsheet of students and their contacts
63. Responsible for designing programme of events and finding supervisors
64. Book presentations and speakers
65. Liaise with the partner contacts and supervisors regarding placements
66. Ensure all 14-18 year old participants receive the relevant risk assessment
67. Preparation of security passes
68. Send out joining instructions to participants
69. Run at least one of the two-day sessions per year
70. Ensure all students sign the confidentiality agreement and bring their passport on the first day
First Year Workshops
71. Organise the recruitment process for first year workshops, including advertising, selection and coordination with candidates
72. Arrange workshops/briefings/presentations to ensure we present a well-rounded view of the firm during the workshops
73. Organise seat allocation for first year workshops
74. Assist with organisation of hotels and the evening event on each workshop and attend this event
75. Send out all joining instructions to participants, compile induction packs and produce an evaluation of feedback at the end of the workshops
76. Organise follow up event with first year workshop attendees
Future Joiners
77. Be the main point of contact for all future joiner queries and respond in a timely manner
78. Keep the Future Joiner data room and HR personnel files up to date following vacation schemes and offer acceptances
79. Initiate and manage the pre-employment screening of trainees 3 months before they join
80. Flag all future joiners requiring visa's to the international mobility team in a timely manner
81. Communicate to BPP the HSF cohorts and ensure they are made aware of all cohort changes
82. Pay future joiner maintenance grants and SQE and PGDL fees as well as managing the discretionary grant budget
83. Arrange PGDL/SQE reimbursements and pro-rated maintenance grants where necessary following TC offers from each vacation scheme
84. Maintain the Future Joiner Payment spreadsheets
85. Organise future joiner events including a Future Joiner Quiz in April and a Summer Party in July
Diversity
86. Assist GR Advisers in implementing any reasonable adjustment requests from candidates attending interviews and vacation schemes
87. Assist GR Advisers with reviewing applications for the Roger Leyland Scholarship
88. Organise interviews for the Roger Leyland Scholarship and ensure the scholars are paid each year
89. For all future joiners, ensure they have been offered the opportunity to have a mentor/buddy at the firm
90. Help conduct first round telephone interviews for the India Internship.
91. Organise the final interviews and candidate travel and accommodation during the India trip each September. Ensure offers and rejections are sent out in a timely manner and feedback is collated and given to students who request this
92. Arrange flights and accommodation for the successful India interns joining the summer vacation scheme and ensure the international mobility team are made aware of the candidates prior to them coming to London to initiate visa process
General Administration
93. Answer phones, taking messages, dealing with queries where possible (including replying to ad-hoc letters/emails that come through to the GR Inbox)
94. Ad-hoc duties as requested by the Early Careers Recruitment Advisers/Manager
95. Raise invoices in timely manner
96. Maintain and update all standard letters and emails
97. Feedback any improvements which could be made on an on-going basis throughout the vacation students recruitment year
98. Review schemes and assist with implementation of new initiatives
99. Assist other members of the EC team during busy periods, e.g. Events Season
Skills / Experience
100. We would expect the successful candidate to be educated to degree level
101. A minimum of 12 months previous office experience (desirably in early careers recruitment), but would consider those with less or more experience providing they meet the required competencies
102. Events organisation experience desirable but not essential
103. Proficiency in Microsoft Office Products, in particular in Excel
Team
Human Resources
Working Pattern
Full time
Location
London
Contract type
Fixed Term Contract
Diversity & Inclusion
We are committed to attracting people from all backgrounds and creating a respectful and inclusive culture where everyone thrives. We see this as essential to our success, including our ability to innovate and achieve sustained high performance. This is a key part of our Values—Human, Bold, and Outstanding.