Who is The Big Bee Search?
The Big Bee Search was founded to assist in the requirements of international law firms, growing SMEs and global corporations who were facing difficulties attracting the best legal professionals into their business, ranging from newly qualified lawyers and junior counsels to partner level experts and general counsels.
We are a specialist legal recruitment company with a focus on search assignments, servicing the UK and international legal market. Our candidates are fully qualified and/or multi-jurisdictional qualified solicitors. With a base in London, our international coverage includes emerging Asia, USA, Australia, UK and continental Europe. We tailor our search method to each client’s specific need, whether it is a contingent or a retained search assignment, or any arrangement in-between.
Our work ethos with both clients and candidates is one of professionalism and discretion. Our delivery is precise and efficient. We believe less on passive advertising, and more on having a direct and strategic route to market. Client and candidate’s recommendations are of utmost importance to us. Even though we cannot help every single candidate to land on their dream career, your experience with us as your representative throughout the whole process is of great value to us. To us, the way and the practice are as important as the end goal.
We are active search consultants who constantly reach out to the passive job seeker’s pool in order to connect with the best talents we can. At any given time, only 20% of all appropriate candidates is actively job-seeking. Those are the people who are likely to respond to advert directly. However, our job is to speak to and connect with the remaining 80% such that when you come to us for help, we have people on our books that will interest you and be right for you.
Best Practice
Search with Professionalism, Precision, Discretion
We adopt ‘best practice’ in our recruitment service. This has a few implications, the most important of which being all clients and candidates’ information, including CVs, personal details and contact methods, are all kept private and confidential. No one except your consultant will have access to sensitive information, including previous conversations. We don’t necessarily encourage consultants to share candidate information internally except when appropriate and conducive to the process.
We treat all information given by clients and candidates with sensitivity and care. We are fully compliant with the Data Protection Act. Secondly, NO introduction without prior consent from candidates. If there is any statements that the Big Bee Search sticks to religiously and practises, this is the ONE. Speculative introductions are made UNNAMED, and will only be used after the process has been discussed and approved by the candidate.
Thirdly, we have a database system that records all information accurately and duly, which gets updated on an on-going basis. This helps us in keeping in touch with candidates and clients regularly. We keep a 100% accurate record of all the introductions we make on behalf of a lawyer. Fourthly, we regard highly our honestly and openness with clients and candidates. If we are not the best people in the market to help you; or if what you are looking is unrealistic; or what you are offering is below market competition; or what your ideal person type does not exist; we hope to be able to tell you with sincerity.
We do not promise what we cannot deliver. And we do not over-promise and under-deliver. We believe an open, trusting and on-going dialogue with our clients is the way to get our good reputation in the market.
News and Updates
“Random act of kindness”: how corporates move individuals
Having recently realized that Pret gave away a million cups of coffee a year for free as their "random act of kindness" loyalty scheme, I was immediately inspired by such a campaign. Having gotten a [...]
The controversy of whether recruiters are needed
Every once in a while, there are those in the media that declare recruiting as a profession is coming to an end. It happened after the dot.com bust and subsequent recession earlier this century, and [...]
What do we do?
We offer legal recruitment specialist advice and market knowledge for a variety of clients including:
• Global financial institutions • Multi-national corporations
• Law firms • Mid-cap businesses • Start-up businesses
The range of requirements coming from our clients means that our services is broad, ranging from short-term to long-term needs while guiding companies through growth, market entry, restructuring or turnaround.
The Big Bee Search delivers value to our clients through our industry sector focus and niche market expertise. We are founded on the principle of quality not quantity. We do not overlook the rare and unique requirements of a mandate to just deliver at a mediocre level. We strive to aim at a 99% match rate, if not 100%.
We take responsibility for meeting our clients’ needs very seriously – listening, negotiating, advising – often in difficult circumstances. We aim to become THE long-term and trusted adviser and recruitment partner for all of our clients, working as part of your integral team to acquire and strengthen your most important asset – the people in your business.
Values and Principles
Integrity
Very often, and understandably so, recruiters acquired a bad name for treating candidates as pieces of assets as they are under pressure to make a placement. At the Big Bee Search, relationship and trust with people take priority over an immediate placement. We treat our candidates with full respect and empathy. We are in it with our clients and candidates for the long run. We we care about how we come across. We care even more about having a growth strategy and creating a win-win situation for everybody rather than merely making a one-off fee.
As consultants, we work on improving our market knowledge on daily basis so that we can provide a thoroughly researched, studied, and practical solution to the people we work with. We examine every situation with care and treat your headache as our own. We take time to meet with people and understand our candidates. We believe that trust and rapport can only be built in person – not via a telephone, and least of it via emails.
Honesty & Openness
We are a team of solution-focused and caring individuals. We are open and honest with client and candidates. We act as your recruitment solution and career advisor.
If a hiring mandate requires immediate action as well as a relatively long period of effort, we will tell you that a retained search is your best solution. If you are not certain about the urgency of your hire and would appreciate a fair amount of external resourcing and advices, we will advise on tackling the problem with a contingent approach. We do not force a solution on you. We help you reach your objectives. We have on-going open dialogs with clients and candidates, so as to act in your best interest.
The hardest part of the job is to be tough enough with clients and tell them ‘no’ when it is needed. Sometimes. it is just a ‘no, we can’t do it;’ or ‘no, this is unrealistic.’ We will be honest with you without being offensive. Because we are sensitive and empathetic towards the people we work with. However, we do not like to sugar-coat reality as we believe that reality checks help you get stronger, more aligned, and more competitive.
Moreover, we refer you to the people in our network who can best assist you, as a good will lasts longer.
Discretion
We are not quantity-driven. We are driven by quality and quality only –in our work and in our network. We work with those who trust us, and want to work with us. We let people make their own decisions.
We approach our clients and candidates with ultimate professionalism and discretion. We mirror the way our candidates and clients work, and think. Being the trusted career advisor and recruitment partner are our goals in the process.