High performers are not superheroes: bridging exclusive and inclusive talent management approaches for law firm sustainability

Abstract

This paper elucidates findings in relation to bridging exclusive and inclusive approaches to talent management at law firms that could promote the revision of the up-or-out career model. We explore the competencies required for career success, and we describe high-performing lawyers and their peers' profiles. We surveyed 358 lawyers and stakeholders of the lawyering role in 12 European and Latin American countries. The stakeholders noted that high performance in an array of competencies is necessary for a lawyer's career success, but they still valued legal skills the most. Debunking the superhero myth, we argue that high performers have a narrow focus on legal skills as the driver for innovative solutions for clients, but lack strength in interpersonal competencies. In contrast, their peers have more adaptable mindsets and are more relational and focused on quality. Rather than challenging the up-orout career model, which overvalues the role of high performers, we propose that the talent management exclusive approach is a good fit, and therefore promotes only a minimum of change. For talent management that ensures business sustainability, we support a more inclusive approach linked with strategic talent mapping and assessments that use several competency profiles and present several possible career paths.

Towards a responsible talent management model

“…These findings are similar to previous evidence that fair employment practices (Gelens et al , 2013), CSR practices (Mory et al , 2016), hybrid talent (Ford et al , 2010) and inclusive talent strategies (Meyers, 2016; O’Connor and Crowley-Henry, 2019) affect employees’ job-related well-being, and further give credence to Guest’s (2017) assertion that well-being-oriented HRM practices improve the perception of decent work opportunities among workers, and increased perceived decent work is associated with higher well-being (Cooke et al , 2019). It is also consistent with findings that sustainable HRM practices (Lis, 2012; Vihari and Rao, 2018), CSR practices (Abugre and Anlesinya, 2019) and inclusive talent strategy (Lopes, 2016; Thunnissen et al , 2013) affect organisational well-being measures.…”

“…Meyers (2016) also maintains that when the specific talents of each individual worker are leveraged, they will naturally learn quicker and in turn improves sustainable performance. This is similar to Lopes’ (2016) study of 358 lawyers and stakeholders in 12 European and Latin American countries which revealed that employees included in exclusive TM have a:…”

“…The demonstration of procedural, distributive and interpersonal justice in the practice of TM can determine positive employee outcomes. Firms adopting the exclusive TM forget the fact that the success of the organisation is largely dependent on the contribution and support other employees provide to “talented employees.” In a survey of 358 lawyers and stakeholders in the law profession in 12 European and Latin American countries, Lopes (2016) found that high performers have a:…”

Decent Work and Work Motivation in Lawyers: An empirical research

“…Eleven years later, Lopes (2016) highlights that "Law firms face challenges related to globalization and client pressures for increased quality at lower rates" (p. 225). Forstenlechner and Lettice (2008) listed as key challenges for law companies: the pressure to maximize "billable hours 2 , a lack of prospects and poor working conditions" (p. 642) and considered "the more aggressive headcount management as a buffer for labour cost flexibility.…”

Can artificial neural networks predict lawyers’ performance rankings?

“…The development of lawyers requires in-depth feedback, taking all the skills of the competency framework into full consideration. On the contrary, performance rankings result from a comparison between lawyers' overall performance (Lopes, 2016).…”