I have some good news and some bad news. If you are job hunting, the good news is that the summer is now officially over and employers are getting ready to begin hiring again. If you’re an employer, the bad news is that the summer is now officially over. It’s time to start the hiring process, and you probably have a lot of other demands on your time.

For members of both groups, September marks a time of increased activity. Vacations are over, and the kids are back in school. Even with the slowdown in the economy, there has not as of yet been an equal slowdown in the legal hiring marketplace. According to a recent article in the National Law Journal, some firms are shifting the responsibilities of their associates to other departments, but few firms are experiencing layoffs. Now is the time to make decisions about hiring needs.

As a legal employer, nothing is more important to the success of your business than your employees - lawyers and support staff. They are truly your only appreciating asset. Because yours is a service and knowledge-based business the most critical component of your success is hiring and retaining the best employees.

If you are job seeking, nothing is more important than the decisions that you make regarding career and job choices. Being clear about your skills, and doing a good job of articulating your experience and background are essential for finding a position that will move your career forward in the direction you want it to go.

So how can you clarify this process and make good hiring decisions? For both parties, a plan is needed. If you are a legal employer it is critical that your attorneys meet to make decisions about staff and hiring needs. Although this takes time away from the practice of law, it is an essential exercise for meeting the needs of both your current and future clients.

• Delegate the hiring responsibility to a person or a committee. Without a clear understanding of roles in the hiring process, too many people (or no one) will be responsible for completing this critical task.

• Develop a time line. Many firms only begin the employment search when they are desperate for help. This may result in making hiring decisions too quickly and without having completed a thorough search of the marketplace.

• Utilize positive past positive performance to evaluate future candidates. What are the characteristics of individuals who have been successful in your office? Spend time getting consensus on these characteristics and prioritize them. If you don’t know what you are looking for you will have difficulty in finding the best fit for your position.

• Create a job description. If you will be hiring more than one attorney, multiple law clerks, or a an entry level attorney it is fundamental that everyone be on the same page about what the new hire(s) will be doing. Circulate the job descriptions within your time frame and seek consensus.

• Advertise the position, including a detailed job description. One of the biggest time wasters in the hiring process is receiving applications from candidates that do not meet your hiring needs. Being clear about qualifications will eliminate many inappropriate applications.

• Utilize formal and informal employment networks. Perhaps the best source of new hires are your current employees. Ask them to circulate your job descriptions. Utilize bar associations. The law schools in the area have free job listings for student positions, new graduates, and alumni. Contact trusted colleagues in other offices. Word of mouth will often yield excellent candidates who are not actively job seeking.

• Create a candidate screening process. Measure applications against your pre-determined job description and hiring criteria. Have the committee or an individual select candidates for interviews, and potential alternatives. Send rejection letters to those candidates that you know you will not be interviewing. Write questions to be asked of all candidates that can be measured against your job description and success criteria. Create a candidate interview evaluation form.

• Schedule and conduct interviews. It is best to interview all candidates on the same or consecutive days to create better opportunities for comparison. If it is difficult to do this in your offices due to distractions and time constraints, the local law schools will probably be happy to schedule your interviews in their offices. Determine length of interviews and who will be participating. Although many employers hold multiple individual interviews of the same candidate, committee interviews often provide better opportunities for the employer to get simultaneous feedback about the same candidate. Stick to your time frame. Spend more time asking questions and listening than talking. You will have time to sell the virtues of your position at the time of a second interview or an offer.

• Evaluate candidates and have an offer meeting. Even if you make a job offer on the phone, final negotiations and discussion of the offer should take place in person. Benefits (if available) should be provided in written form. Salary negotiations are better determined after benefit information is provided.

• Communicate with all candidates throughout the process. The job search process is fraught with the same loss of civility as many other aspects of our lives. The employer who maintains contact with all candidates, completes interviewing in a timely and organized manner, and who informs all candidates of the completion of the hiring process will stand out in the job market in a positive way.

If you are a job candidate, September marks the return of the hiring process. Many employers are staffed at a skeleton level until after Labor Day. If you have been job seeking in August, hopefully you have used that time to generate contact lists, and meet with people informally about your employment interests. But now opportunities may be more available.

• Contact bar organizations and legal organizations regarding fall meeting schedules and events. Making yourself visible is an important part of the job search. Networking events, committee meetings, and events begin again after Labor Day. See and be seen.

• Connect with people who have been on vacation. It is likely that you have been trying to reach people who have been out of town. Now is the time to track them down and set up meetings. Let them know that you’re looking for a position and seek their input.

• Seek out job listings. Contact your law school to find out the best way to receive notification of their job listings. Contact the bar associations to learn about their web listings and job notices. Tell people that you are job hunting. Many excellent positions are never formally advertised.

• Read job listings carefully and respond according to instructions. Many employers are feeling increased demands. If job notices indicate "no calls"; please comply.

• Make sure that all of your job search documents are up to date and present you in the best possible light. Anyone in the workplace should have an up to date resume at all times. If you are currently job seeking, make sure your resume highlights your accomplishments as well as your responsibilities. Tailor them to the position that you are seeking. Cover letters should address what you have to offer an employer, not what you expect to gain from the new position. Remember that these tools are a potential employer’s introduction to the quality of your work and a first writing sample. All documents must be proofread repeatedly for possible errors

• Remember that for employers, maintaining their business is their first priority. The job search process can be very frustrating for candidates who do not hear back from employers. Remember that most attorneys are busy practicing law. As important as recruiting is to their future business, current demands will often take priority. Keep the burden of contact and follow up on your side of the equation. Leave written communication and conversation with the employer expecting a call from you – not with you waiting for the employer to call you.

• When going to an interview, make sure you have researched the employer thoroughly. If you can get the names of the people with whom you will be talking, so much the better. Visit the employer’s web site and read any media information that you can find. Contact friends and colleagues to see what else you can learn prior to an interview. Make sure you have appropriate questions to ask. Remember that questions about the work environment are best left until after an offer is made.

• Wait to talk about salary and benefits until after a job offer is made. Some employers will want to talk about salary early in the interview process. As a candidate, you want to know as much about the job requirements prior to making decisions about salary needs. Research the marketplace (try www.salary.com and www.nalp.org, the law schools and bar associations as places to find information) and have a good idea about what your background is worth in the marketplace. Handle the negotiating process as a win-win.

• Leave your current employer on good terms. Give appropriate notice. Inform clients and delegate files. Your past employer is a potential source of future referrals.

Now that we’ve returned to the fall, both sides engaged in the employment process have a lot of work to do. It’s your business and your career. Utilizing a planned process, both parties will be far more likely to get the results they want – a strong match of skills and opportunity that will produce results benefiting both.

About the Author: Wendy Werner is the owner and principal of Werner Associates, a career coaching and legal consulting business.