INTRODUCTION
CB Resourcing is a leading recruitment firm specialising in the area of recruitment and executive search for professionals working in the fields of knowledge and information, research analysis, data science, and digital and technology positions. They are specialist recruiters for various sectors including academia, government, professional and legal services, consulting, publishing and investment banking.Footnote 1
CB RESOURCING: CLIENTS AND CANDIDATES
Major clients groups include financial services, law and legal services. They work with the private sector, such as with corporates and SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises); publishers; the public sector, including a number of government regulators; and the not-for-profit sector.Footnote 2
CB Resourcing deal with law librarian, legal information management and knowledge management recruitment at all levels. A broad spectrum of roles advertised might include everything from research support librarians in magic circle law firms to knowledge assistants, legal librarians and graduate information trainees. They work through their ‘deep industry networks and in partnership with the British and Irish Association of Law Librarians’ as well as other organisations in the sector.Footnote 3
Where job searching is concerned, candidates can benefit from a range of services that CB Resourcing provide, such as:
• Salary advice and benchmarking;
• Interview preparation guidance;
• Writing a winning CV and a cover letter;
• Careers advice for new professionals and experienced hires.Footnote 4
The editor of this journal asked Simon Burton (Director - Research & Analysis Recruitment) for some insights into the work of CB Resourcing and his thoughts on the recruitment market at the present time, especially in the post-Covid-19 era.
THE QUESTIONS AND SOME ANSWERS
Some background. How, when and why was the company established?
CB Resourcing was set up in 2014. I met Darron Chapman, my co-director (Director - Knowledge Management Recruitment), at an SLA Europe event back in 2010. We both knew the industry well and had backgrounds in recruitment with aspirations to have our own independent firm.
What are the aims of CB Resourcing?
We set out to be the leading independent recruitment firm serving the information industry.
What are the values of CB Resourcing?
We believe in investing in the industry we work in. You'll see our team regularly supporting careers events hosted by the major industry bodies as well as volunteering and sponsoring activities that support the sector.
What areas of the legal information industry are covered?
We work across the information industry in its broadest sense and the legal industry is our largest sector. We work in knowledge management, business research, legal tech and law librarianship from graduate to director level.
In general terms, who are the types of clientele that you are working with?
We work with almost every law firm with a UK based information team, most major consulting firms, most investment banks with a UK-based information team as well as academia, government and information suppliers.
How do you help candidates who are looking for jobs in the industry?
We spend a lot of time with candidates supporting them with interview advice, providing CV feedback as well as connecting them with suitable employers and managing the hiring process for them.
What is the state of play with the job market in the legal information sector today?
The market is currently going through major change. The pandemic brought with it a shift in working locations and patterns that has opened up opportunities to the workforce across the UK. There has also been a notable increase in salaries which you'll see reflected in the BIALL Annual Salary Survey which closely matches what we have seen happening.Footnote 5 There is also a large increase in firms hiring dedicated business research teams where we have placed many candidates over the past year.
What are the growth areas within the information industry?
Within the legal sector the growth areas are business research as well as legal tech. More broadly, knowledge management is a growing area with many sectors outside of legal building new teams, particularly private equity.
How has the pandemic changed the employment marketplace – in general and specifically for the legal information profession?
The biggest changes I've seen have been working location and pattern. Firms are now much more open to a flexible working pattern which has really opened up opportunities for many. We also must remember that it has not been an easy time for many and the past couple of years has presented, and continues to present, challenges for many due to their individual circumstances.
How do you market CB Resourcing?
We use a number of marketing channels but we get our best results from our deep networks and word-of-mouth.
What other services does the company provide?
On a fairly regular basis we will consult with clients on specific projects and bring in consultants to deliver such as, for example, a KM implementation in a greenfield site.
Given that CB Resourcing has close connections with the leading information-related organisations in the UK – such as BIALL (British and Irish Association of Law Librarians)Footnote 6, CILIP (Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals)Footnote 7 and SLA (Special Librarians Association) EuropeFootnote 8 – how important is the interaction with these associations?
We invest heavily in the industry we work in and part of that means getting involved with the professional bodies. Darron and I are both former SLA Europe Presidents and I am currently a Board Trustee for CILIP. We believe in putting the time and resource in and we enjoy working closely with this industry.
What skills will be needed in the future for those working in the legal information industry?
When we have carried out research in the past, the number one skill is customer service orientation. Each skill can't be viewed in isolation; however, analysis and digital skills are also going to be essential. That doesn't necessarily mean being an analyst or a developer though; it's about understanding what is possible and leveraging what you have in place.
We have seen some really fantastic jobs out there over the past year. It's been great to see firms investing in their teams. We are always happy to have conversations with clients or candidates about the market and you can find our details on our website along with several of our research papers.
The CB Resourcing website can be found at: www.cbresourcing.com
