According to the National Association for Law Placement, recruiting and professional development departments have experienced many structural changes throughout the past two years.
In a survey released in October, NALP reported that recruiting and professional development departments have experienced many structural changes throughout the past two years. More than 100 recruiting departments participated in the NALP survey, providing their insight on changes that have occurred from August 2008 through August 2010.
One of the main findings is that half of participants reported a reduction in force as well as a reduction in operating budget of more than 10 percent. Of those departments that reported a reduction in staffing, 27 percent stated that two or more workers were laid off. Other companies reported that while there were no layoffs, replacements were not found for individuals who left the company on other terms.
In addition, the NALP survey noted that 42 percent of participants reported an increase in duties, while only 8 percent have had duties taken away. Some of the added responsibilities in recruiting departments include diversity initiatives, mentoring, new hire orientation and performance evaluations. In professional development departments respondents reported hiring, training staff, human resource tasks and risk management as new responsibilities.
When it comes to budgeting, 33 percent of recruiting departments and 20 percent of professional development departments reported that their budget remained consistent while 52 percent of recruiting departments and 67 percent of professional development departments reported a decrease of more than 10 percent. While the survey was unable to provide a conclusive explanation for the changes in departments, the reductions in budget and staffing seem to coincide with the shaky economic climate.
Recruiting and professional development departments are finding that their job description is ever-evolving. According to the NALP survey, one company reported “the recruiting department now handles office event planning, community service activities, and leads the green team.” Another firm reported having to juggle between departments, “the staff person assisting department now was originally full-time in another department, but since September 2008 assists both departments.”
While NALP’s survey results don’t predict dire consequences in recruiting and professional development, the responses from 113 firms shows significant changes in the field.
