Blog: 4th July, 2025- Nik Stoate, Venn Group, Corporate Partner

How to stand out in a tough market: What you can control when hiring local government lawyers

In today's challenging and competitive legal recruitment market, securing the best talent requires more than just posting a job advert and hoping for the right response. To attract top-quality candidates, you need to stand out from the crowd with a distinct offering that sets you apart from other employers and authorities.

It might feel like you have little room to manoeuvre. Budgets are squeezed, pay grades fixed and any new perk needs approval at the highest level. Yet even in a tight environment, you hold more influence than you realise. How you tell the story of your team, welcome candidates and approach the recruitment process can make all the difference.

Thinking outside of the box

When every job ad demands someone who has done the same role before, you end up fishing in the same small pond as every other council. That approach can leave vacancies open for longer, piling pressure on your existing team and risking burnout. You also miss the chance to discover talented people with transferable skills and fresh perspectives. Where the opportunity presents, open up the criteria of what you are looking for to ensure you consider as many potential candidates as possible.

The market is competitive, but that doesn't mean you're powerless. Small changes to your approach can dramatically improve your success rate.

Small changes, big impact

Here are some real examples from councils we have recently partnered with, that have found effective ways to position themselves in the market:

Rapid Response: One council now provides feedback on every CV within 24 hours, schedules interviews immediately and makes same-day offers where possible. They also offer informal pre-application chats for hesitant candidates.

Walking the Talk: Another authority guarantees full remote working in the contract and offers annualised hours. They speak openly about trust and autonomy in their adverts, and their reputation for delivering on promises attracts candidates who value genuine flexibility.

Nurturing Junior Talent: A third council opened junior roles to those still awaiting qualification or trained abroad. They emphasise ongoing training and chances to explore different legal areas. By sharing success stories of these hires, they now attract graduates and career-changers who might never have considered local government work.

Making it work for you

The beauty of these approaches is that they don't require budget increases or policy changes. They're about being intentional with what you already control: your messaging, your processes, and your mindset about what makes a good candidate.

Consider which constraints you face and which opportunities you might be overlooking. Could you respond faster? Tell your story better? Look beyond the obvious candidate pool?

If you're considering external support, choose partners who understand local government's unique challenges and can help you think creatively within your constraints.

Your next steps

The next time you're recruiting, ask yourself: what small change could make the biggest difference? Whether it's rewriting that job description, speeding up your process, or taking a chance on someone with potential rather than just experience, you have more control than you think.

What will you try differently?

Nik Stoate brings specialist expertise in permanent recruitment of local government lawyers and is pleased to offer strategic guidance and considered counsel to support your campaign. As the exclusive recruitment corporate partner of the LLG, we are committed to supporting it members with meaningful input.

Contact Nik on: nstoate@venngroup.com www.linkedin.com/in/nikstoate