Law firm leaders say that agility is key if they are to attract and keep talent, as well as support an increasing demand for better work-life balance.
Managing partners, FD’s, CEO’s and heads of IT from 20 law firms who attended a recent innovation forum hosted by Converge Technology Specialists (ConvergeTS), the country’s only dedicated cloud computing provider for law firms, were in unanimous agreement that an agile workforce, where staff do not require office space and instead are powered by IT, enables imaginative use of skilled people and results in more time dedicated to generating revenue than spending time travelling.
This sentiment was echoed by Richard Hodkinson, Chief Technology Officer at DWF and non-executive director of ConvergeTS; Richard and his team at DWF support 120 homeworkers and 400 agile workers who are able to work from anywhere, at any time.
Nigel Wright, founder and managing director of ConvergeTS says: “The reality is that there is a growing expectation amongst potential recruits that firms will automatically be agile; those that aren’t will lose out on attracting new talent and retaining existing talent.”
Participants heard that it might not be plain sailing at the outset when moving towards an agile workforce, and that addressing potential cultural issues around adopting new ways of working and using new devices, ensuring senior as well junior staff were on board, as well as making sure the firm’s bandwidth is fit for purpose, especially for areas like video conferencing, were important to get right before any real benefits would be experienced.
“Utilising new technologies such as cloud-based computing is a great example of IT becoming a profit centre rather than a cost centre, as it enables firms to reap the benefits of space cost savings, high staff retention and more time dedicated to clients. It is also important to note that much of the cloud-based technology enjoyed by larger firms like DWF is just as accessible for smaller firms on a cost per user, per month basis, which will enable them to remain competitive,” explains Nigel.
Replacing its earlier IT director’s forum series, ConvergeTS’s innovation forums are designed to bring together managing partners and IT directors to discuss key issues for law firms, demonstrating the symbiotic role of IT in law firms today.
