Global law firm Reed Smith has today announced the move to strengths-based assessment of its trainees and vacation scheme students. The first law firm to move to a strengths-based assessment will implement the change from January 2015.

The new process has been designed in collaboration with Capp, the leading strengths-based assessment, product and platform specialist. Together with Capp, Reed Smith interviewed key stakeholders to identify future trends in the legal industry. This, coupled with an analysis of the skills demonstrated by the firm’s highest performers, led to the creation of eight core strengths that will form the basis of the assessment.

Lucy Crittenden, Reed Smith graduate recruitment manager, commented:

“Strengths-based assessment focuses on what students enjoy doing and what energises them, rather than on simply what they can do as the competency model does. Competency style questions rely on the use of past experiences which has its limitations. We hope that this new model will level the playing field for all candidates and therefore help in our diversity efforts, as well as creating a more positive experience for applicants.”

Peter Hardy, Reed Smith partner and training principal, commented:

“In creating this new process, we have looked at the skills needed for our future talent so that we can best serve the changing needs of our clients. Furthermore, this approach is designed to be more natural and personal because responses cannot be rehearsed. This will make it easier to ensure that candidates are a good fit for us and the role, whilst also providing the opportunity to make sure the firm is right for them.”

This follows a number of other innovative graduate and training programmes launched by Reed Smith in the past two years, including the MA (LPC with Business) launched with BPP and the partnership with King’s College London and Paris Sorbonne to support the Anglo-French programme.

ENDS

Note to Editors:

About the assessment

Under the new system, candidates will complete a situational strengths test (SST) after they have submitted their application form. For the SST, candidates answer a number of scenario based questions on-line which reflect situations they might encounter in the role. Candidates, whether successful or not, will receive a feedback report after completing the SST. Successful candidates will be invited back for a strengths-based interview.

About Reed Smith

Reed Smith is a global relationship law firm, with more than 1,800 lawyers in 25 offices throughout Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the United States.

For further information, please visit www.reedsmith.com or contact Annabelle Price (branding & communications executive EME) on +44 (0)20 3116 3787.