White & Case LLP - Publications - Making the Most of the Associate Evaluation Process

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Making the Most of the Associate Evaluation Process

December 21, 2007
Law.com
Karen M. Asner

Considering the amount of time and resources that law firms spend on attracting, recruiting and developing their lawyers, it makes perfect sense that firms also invest in creating an associate evaluation process that enhances the quality of life at the firm by providing associates and partners with an opportunity for open dialogue about management's performance expectations, the associate's progress in meeting them and objectives for professional-development initiatives in the coming year.

At White & Case, we found that the following best practices further shape the talent at our firm and create the foundation for a year-round dialogue.

Ask associates to develop a professional-development plan. Professional-development plans give associates the opportunity to assess their strengths and weaknesses, set specific goals and timelines and identify the actions necessary to attain them. More importantly, it helps them take ownership of their career development and gets their buy-in to the evaluation process.

Offer user-friendly self-assessment forms. Conducting self-assessments allows lawyers to provide information about their performance and shed light on their accomplishments and goals over the course of the year. Self-assessment forms should ask questions that engage associates to explore their performance over the past year and identify opportunities that will enrich their learning and development, such as CLE training, involvement in firm committees, bar association activities or client development activities, among others. It should also help identify skills that need to be developed — legal, leadership, management, business or client relationship. Offer self-assessment forms that strike the right balance of both qualitative and quantitative questions, with check boxes and areas to cite specific examples to support performance evaluation.

Preparing to give a performance review. Performance evaluations afford management the opportunity to apply the firm's performance standards, provide feedback and set developmental goals in line with their practice's objectives. Evaluation interviews should be carefully thought out, and evaluators need to be as honest and precise as possible. What are the key points that must be communicated to the associate? What specific examples can be used to support conclusions of an associate's performance? Be frank and suggest specific actions that the associate should take to correct any weaknesses or developmental gaps. Also consider how you, as the supervisor, may have contributed to their shortcomings in the past year and how you can help improve their development going forward.

Preparing for the evaluation meeting. Associates play a critical role in determining whether the evaluation process will be a meaningful dialogue or a perfunctory interview. They should come armed with highlights of their greatest achievements and contributions over the past year, an honest assessment of areas in which they need improvement and suggestions of resources that the firm can provide to help achieve their professional goals. Partners need to be ready to discuss goals for the next 12 months and what opportunities associates are seeking to develop their careers, such as work assignments, training and development, client development, firm activities and pro bono.

During the meeting. Although associates should take the initiative by asking questions of partners to know exactly what is expected and what they should improve upon, most often partners are relied upon to steer the discussion. Some logistical questions to ask are:

What have been your successes?
What types of projects do you want to do more of?
What have you found difficult?
What are you unsure about regarding your performance?
What expertise or skills do you need to develop?
What has limited your development?
What support do you need?
What do you see as your next challenges?
How can you work up to the next level?

Considering the amount of time spent by partners, associates and administrators on annual evaluations, it makes sense to get the best possible return on the investment by crafting an effective evaluation process that is accurate, timely and consistent. It will enable management to understand associate contributions, define clear metrics of performance, communicate management expectations and develop effective professional-development programs that will help support and retain your greatest asset — your people.

Karen Asner is a commercial litigator and the former administrative partner at White & Case in New York, where she oversaw all administrative aspects of the firm's 35 offices and helped shape firm culture, policies and strategic business objectives.

Any information contained in this interview is for educational purposes only. It should not be construed as legal advice.