The inaugural survey by NALP reveals responses by more than 400 associates across 17 firms
Compensation, work-life balance, and career path are the top factors that associates in Canada consider when they weigh whether to stay at a law firm, according to an inaugural report on associate retention by the National Association for Law Placement.
Released this week, the Canadian Stay Study surveyed 432 associates across 17 Canadian law firms this summer to determine what factors influence their decisions to stay at or leave their firms.
The report follows a parallel survey of US-based associates released in February. Notably, respondents to both surveys identified the same three factors as their top considerations, says NALP Foundation chief executive officer and president Fiona Trevelyan Hornblower.
However, the Canadian and US cohorts diverged when it came to the factors they prioritized less. While American associates ranked hybrid work policies, professional development, and their practice area’s alignment with their personal interests as the fourth, fifth, and sixth most important factors they weigh, Canadian associates put practice area alignment with personal interests, mentoring, and firm culture in the same slots.
Less prioritized but important factors for Canadian associates include professional development, benefits, firm policies, hybrid work policies, workflow management, market perception, location, pro bono involvement, and equity, diversity, and inclusion.
The survey reveals how different demographics rated the importance of each factor. Jennifer Mandery, vice president for research at the NALP Foundation, says she was surprised, for example, by the lack of “differentiation between the importance levels for associates who are entry-level, or just joining their firms, and those who are lateral associates.”
However, male and female respondents diverged much more significantly. Female associates assigned higher priority to multiple factors, including firm policies, flexible schedules, hybrid work policies, and remote work arrangements, than their male peers.
Many respondents also pointed out what compelled them to leave.
Mandery says one frequently-cited factor for leaving was a lack of flexibility regarding remote work, adding that another is “reduced professional development or advancement opportunities.
“They really identify that they're looking for professional development and training that is tailored to them – so not a cookie cutter approach, but something that's really tailored to their individual, specific needs as an individual.”
Trevelyan Hornblower says she hopes the survey will help law firms fine-tune their retention strategies.
“We know that firms are being attentive to overall associate wellbeing, but also within specific firms, they may want to enhance their efforts on behalf of particular cohorts or provide additional support to cohorts,” she says.
Trevelyan Hornblower adds that organizing the survey to reveal how different demographics responded will allow firms to say, “Okay, we are particularly focused on X cohort. We look at the data, and we see that these factors are particularly important to them. Let's tailor our programming, our outreach, or our support for them accordingly.’”
