Is HR “a load of b*ll*cks?” One bolshy partner suggested recently that it was, to one of the directors of Couraud Consulting. Clearly Couraud does not agree, but it is striking that there still remain partners out there who proudly declare that they have (and want) nothing to do with people strategy. I come across them all the time.
It has become pretty clear to me that law firms increasingly fall into one of two categories when it comes to human resources (HR). Some of the more sophisticated firms are making real efforts to manage their people more effectively and commercially, to measure their performance and develop them – and to encourage partners to get involved in doing so. Not all of those efforts produce results, of course, which is ultimately what matters, but in a sector as conservative and as change-resistant as the law, the intention alone should be applauded. But in some firms the issue remains as basic as persuading partners that people strategy matters: that it is not in fact “a load of b*ll*cks” and that it cannot and
