Effective Ways to Increase Productivity at Your Law Office
Regardless of whether you are part of a civil or criminal law firm or represent plaintiffs or defendants, having an efficient and effective staff will make a world of difference. The support staff is essential to the caliber of clients you attract and the success of your cases. Continue reading to discover ways to engage your employees in cases and learn ways to increase productivity at your law office.
In addition to the senior partners in a firm, there are often paralegals, legal assistants, bookkeepers, office managers, and administrative staff. Depending on the firm’s size, there may even be runners and a marketing department. With this many employees, it is essential to have employees engaged in every aspect of the firm.
Some ways to get employees engaged and increase productivity are:
Involve Employees in Case Background
It isn’t strange for law firms to have meetings once a week to discuss new cases or case strategies. These meetings typically give the lawyers a chance to hear from other attorneys the best ways to succeed in a particular case. Although that is a great way to keep other attorneys in the loop about cases, it is also essential for support staff to hear firsthand information. That can be done by creating an intake memorandum that all staff gets or having support staff meetings to share case information every few weeks.
There are several benefits of sharing the information with all staff. One advantage is that it fosters a system of inclusion for all employees. Another benefit is that you may be surprised about what other employees know that can add value to your case. Involving employees in cases and case background allows them the freedom to want to reciprocate if they know anything.
Share Benefits of Big Victories
Regardless of what side of the law you work on, you want to win your cases—having a staff who strives for the same and works toward that. Besides a paycheck, sharing the benefits of a victory is vital to staff morale. In addition to monetary bonuses, there are multiple ways to celebrate and acknowledge staff contributions when there are victories. Some of those ways include:
Taking staff to lunch or dinner.
Give everyone a paid day off.
Giving all employees gift cards.
Invest in Advanced Technology
As with most businesses, law firms need more than a computer and an updated law library to prepare cases properly. They need to invest in advanced technology and the right tools to increase productivity in their law firm. There are legal case search programs and apps that dig deep into cases and case law will help improve the productivity of your law firm. Case search apps will provide your support staff with a steady way to research and pull various legal reports. The information is up-to-date and advanced to give your firm the upper hand on cases.
Read more : 10 Best Online Productivity Tools for Lawyers
Teach Employees to Prioritize
It is not a given that employees know how to prioritize their work. That means, when it is left up to the employee, sometimes things fall through the cracks. Employees who don’t prioritize become overwhelmed, stressed, and unfocused. Teaching employees to prioritize their work is vital in a smooth-running firm. When major cases are all on a timeline and dates seemingly run into each other, employees must understand the benefits of prioritizing their work. It will make them more productive.
Encourage Home/Work Balance
A healthy home/work balance is one where work doesn’t get in the way of taking care of your family and your home life doesn’t work effectively. It is a balance that many have a hard time with because of their commitment to their job duties. However, having a good home/work balance produces happier employees and more focus on their job. They come to work prepared and ready for the job at hand. Similarly, when they are at home with their spouse and children, that is where their attention is.
Employers who work with employees whose schedules may need to include getting off a few minutes early to pick kids up from daycare show appreciation for those employees. When they understand that employees have sick children and allow telework, they benefit them and the firm. Encouraging the home/work balance is essential for increasing productivity in a law firm.
Conclusion
As you have read, a law firm must have employees who are engaged and interested in the work they are doing for the firm to be successful. Some ways that they can do that are listed above. If you are interested in increasing productivity at your firm, follow some of these tips.