Our industry partner, Simply Law Jobs, has announced that the legal job site is undergoing the biggest transformation in its 18-year history.
Based on in-depth research into the industry, as well as extensive feedback and insights provided by Simply Law Jobs’ clients and jobseekers, the site will be relaunched with a brand-new look, new and exciting features, and old favourites that have been updated or revamped.
The job site has been optimised so jobseekers and recruiters can connect in the quickest and easiest way possible. This includes better search filters, enhanced candidate profiles, prompts to provide better job advert descriptions, and an improved candidate management system to manage job applications more efficiently.
The relaunch also aims to eliminate common bugbears of jobseekers, such as excessive time spent applying for vacancies and not hearing back from employers after applying for jobs.
In a recent survey, 32% of Simply Law Jobs users said that job adverts don’t provide the information they are looking for. With the new prompts for employers to provide better job descriptions in adverts, jobseekers will be able to gain a better understanding of the job responsibilities, skills requirements, benefits and company culture.
This will help jobseekers better match themselves to relevant career opportunities before taking the time to apply for jobs. Recruiters will also benefit by receiving better-quality applications.
In the same survey, 42% of users said the most frustrating part about job hunting was not hearing back from a recruiter after applying. With an improved candidate management system, recruiters can update candidates on the status of their application at the click of a button.
Better communication will improve the candidate experience and allow jobseekers to concentrate on the next stage of the recruitment process, whether that be applying for other jobs or preparing for an interview.
For the first time ever, the revamped site will allow jobseekers to apply for jobs using their Simply Law Jobs profile instead of their CV. The candidate profile allows jobseekers to showcase their talents, skills and experience, which means a better chance of reaching the interview stage and landing their dream job.
The relaunch was triggered in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. When the first national lockdown was announced in March 2020, recruitment activity was put on hold by many employers.
Dave Capper, Simply Law Jobs Director, said, “As soon as the lockdown restrictions were imposed, activity on the site slowed down. While it wasn’t ideal, it did give us the opportunity to sit back and reflect on where we could make improvements.”
He continued, “We reached out to clients and jobseekers to ask them what they loved about Simply Law Jobs, what they didn’t and what could be implemented to improve their experience. We always knew that we wanted to provide a platform inspired by the needs of the people who use it most.”
The relaunch, going live mid-March, is just phase one of the regeneration. Phase two will concentrate on career development and creating a community in which professionals can connect. This will include mentorship guidance, career case studies, upskilling opportunities, end-to-end career guidance and much more.
Capper said, “After reaching out to our jobseekers, we discovered that there was a need to expand our offerings. Our focus has always been on connecting jobseekers with jobs, but our future vision is to support professionals from the minute they consider joining the legal industry through the process of gaining their qualifications and experience, during the job search and throughout the course of their career. We want to be there every step of the way!”
Phase two of the relaunch is expected to go live in May 2021.