As we settle in to the new year and with the arrival of review season, many of you may be taking time to evaluate your career aspirations and reflect on the future. In the ever-evolving legal landscape, and in the face of sustained inflation and rising interest rates, staying abreast of market trends is crucial for both seasoned lawyers and those embarking on their legal careers. At The Heller Group, we are frequently asked questions by candidates about what trends we see in the legal hiring market. We continue to observe shifts in demand for various specializations and strive to provide valua ..read more

This October, The Heller Group was thrilled to again sponsor the Annual Young Women in Law Charity Gala which featured its much-anticipated keynote speaker, Lisa LaFlamme. The event brought together over three hundred members of our legal community to celebrate the experiences of being a woman in law and to support Canadian Woman for Women in Afghanistan. Attendees of the event were graced with the profound wisdom and insights of the keynote speaker, Lisa LaFlamme. Renowned for her achievements and contributions to the world of journalism, Lisa’s message was nothing short of powerful. With a c ..read more

Let’s face it. Interview processes can feel intimidating for candidates at all ages and stages of their careers. However, it is important to remember that an interview process is just as much an opportunity for you to learn about the potential employer as it is for them to learn about you! As a job seeker today, your priorities and expectations are likely different than those who came before you. You may wish to know what a firm or organization’s position is regarding topics such as work-life balance, company culture, and career development opportunities. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (“DE&a ..read more

Traditionally, interviews with employers involve asking candidates about their qualifications, work experience and skills. These interviews often come to resemble a conversation where the candidate walks a prospective employer through their experience and the interviewer may choose to drill down on certain areas that they find particularly interesting or relatable. And there it is – bias. Overall, traditional interviews can be prone to bias, may not provide a complete picture of the candidate’s abilities, and may not be a reliable predictor of job performance. As a result, organizations may be ..read more

We are halfway through February, *insert joke about time flying here*, and the excitement of the holidays has faded away, taking with it our commitments to 2023 New Year’s resolutions which have –yet again—gone in one year, and out the other. We know that this time of year can feel dreary and dull for many. We have set out below some helpful tips for staying positive during this season , also referred to as “False Spring” For many of us, the “winter blues”, is in full force and effect. The combination of less daylight, grey skies and chilly temperatures may have you more frequently reaching fo ..read more

You have probably heard of “unlimited paid time off”, a recent emerging employment benefit offered by companies to promote better work-life balance, but is this benefit really as great as it appears on the surface? The Pros An unlimited vacation policy allows employees to take a fully paid leave without restrictions on a specific number of days, in contrast to traditional vacation packages that state exactly how many days an employee can take off with pay each year. This benefit is being used by companies to attract new hires while boosting morale of existing employees. These policies are adva ..read more

The year 2020 has, to be blunt, been bad for jobs. Between February and April, the Canadian economy lost three million jobs, while some major law firms cut salaries, temporarily laid off staff and postponed their student programs. That’s why the results of our annual Bay Street Hireback Ranking are a pleasant surprise. On average, the largest law offices in Toronto hired back 85 percent of their articling students as first-year associates. That figure is lower than last year’s stunningly high 98-percent average, but it’s roughly on par with the 2016 hireback seaso ..read more

Over the past two years, employees have traded in their offices for whichever room in their home was quiet and away from their partners or children. From bathrooms to coat closets, employees had to get creative in finding quiet space away from others working and learning at home. The debates that have ensued since this transition are numerous: does working from home promote a better work-life balance? Or does it force employees to simply live at work? What about company culture? Is the physical presence of employees in the office mandatory to create a collaborative and engaging workplace? The ..read more

Just as there have been significant changes to the way we work in recent months, companies have also had to change the way they recruit in order to continue to connect with candidates remotely. While we have previously blogged about tips for conducting successful video interviews,  a new challenge has emerged for candidates – how do you go about assessing a company’s culture in a remote interview? The new normal means that you may have to make decisions about the fit of a role and a company without having the opportunity to visit the office in “normal” conditions. You will not be able to ..read more

The saying “the days are long, but the years are short” could easily apply to the first few years of practice for lawyers. Despite the inevitable long days and nights, your first and second years of practice go by in a flash – you are learning lots of new skills, taking on many different types of transactions and files for the first time, and working with new lawyers with different styles. The learning curve is steep and, at times, can be exhausting, but these years serve an important purpose – figuring out how you want to shape your career. Many candidates find that by the time they have reac ..read more