"All tears and tissues" is what Carol Ashton, human resources (HR) director at DLA Piper, says the function is often written off as. Often viewed as a 'softer' support function to a business, it is not surprising that historically, many HR teams – particularly within the pressured environment of a law firm partnership – have sometimes struggled to gain traction.

But speaking to global HR heads at some of the largest UK and global firms reveals a sense attitudes are changing, with a number of issues in the post-crisis years demonstrating the importance of having the function embedded within the firm.

Ashton explains: "Going way back, HR very much operated in the personnel management space. Much of that shifted in 2008/09, [after] the global financial crisis. There was a paradigm shift in the legal sector and that was mirrored in the breadth and depth of HR functions, as HR teams have moved into that real trusted adviser role, either on individual issues or organisational issues."

International HR and development director at Taylor Wessing, Liz Bunce (pictured right), agrees that the role has gained more respect in recent years, saying she is viewed as "a genuine partner" in the business, adding: "HR is not seen as a support function – it is truly embedded in the firm."

Law firms in particular can throw up their own challenges for HR professionals, with the long hours culture, competition for work and the pressure to make partner adding to the list of issues they have to deal with.

Added to this, "it's a naturally conservative environment with a culture of checking, balancing and critiquing", says Ashton. "There's a particular ethos within law firm culture of loathing any hints of bureaucracy – whether actual or perceived. You need to win the hearts and minds of the partnership to get things done."

There's a particular ethos within law firm culture of loathing any hints of bureaucracy – whether actual or perceived

Ashton, who has worked at a variety of professional service firms as well as corporates, says that once this trust is established the rewards are immense.

"You really have to prove the value that you bring – but what you get in return is real professional stimulation from incredibly bright people. I haven't always had that opportunity. Working in this environment means I have to always be on my game."

Kay Willis, global chief people officer at Anglo-US firm Hogan Lovells, agrees. She says: "Working alongside very bright people, whose training is all about spotting the flaw in what you are proposing, certainly keeps you on your toes."

Alternative legal services

As client pressure to keep a lid on costs has led to the preponderance of more flexible and sometimes outsourced alternative methods to deliver legal advice, such as near-shoring ventures and contract lawyers, an extra layer has been added to what HR functions have to deal with.

At DLA, where a collaboration with Berwin Leighton Paisner's flexible lawyer spin-off LoD in the UK and Australia has brought a new swathe of lawyers under the firm's mantle, Ashton confirms: "The current and continuing changes in how firms deliver legal services poses questions and challenges for HR teams. Flexible lawyers are only with us for a certain period of time. We have to consider what our promises are to them."

As well as issues specific to law firms, HR teams also have to contend with general employment matters – but firms have a trick up their sleeve to help them understand the ins and outs.

Willis (pictured left) says that Hogan Lovells' HR team is "very fortunate" in having access to advice from employment lawyers. She says: "We have a great relationship with our employment team, which means we have access to expert advice whenever we need it – this makes the job of keeping up to date much easier."

Such issues that have arisen recently include new rules regarding reporting gender pay gaps, with government regulations set to be introduced that require companies with 250 or more employees to carry out an equal pay review and publish their gender pay gap.

Ashton calls this "one of the biggest employment changes ongoing currently", while Willis also highlights shared parental leave as a recent example of a "significant" change in the law.

Caroline Rawes, global HR director at Ashurst, says that shared parental leave is something her firm is very much keen to be on top of.

Flexible lawyers are only with us for a certain period of time. We have to consider what our promises are to them

"I hope the changes will see men sharing the responsibility for childcare in a way that will mean the impact of childcare responsibilities is not felt exclusively by women," she comments. "At Ashurst, we have many talented women and I am hopeful that this change will provide more options for women to continue in their careers."

The generation game

The incoming millennial generation, often characterised as praise-hungry, tech-savvy and sharing a strong sense of entitlement, has also thrown up challenges for HR teams across the City.

Taylor Wessing's Bunce expands: "It's a very interesting time to be a HR professional. The onset of artificial intelligence affects how we consider our people models, as does the latest generation of lawyers' expectations. Our challenge is understanding that you now have all sorts of different people in the business and they have different career expectations – some don't view making partner as the ultimate goal."

For firms with an international reach, a one-size-fits-all approach simply doesn't cut it. Firms must respect the different cultures across the jurisdictions in which they operate, while equally trying to ensure as much consistency as possible.

Bunce explains: "You have to lay out an agenda and framework but you must be cognitive of local differences – UK partners will respond well to something that German partners might not, for example."

Recruiting for the role

So what are the skills you need to succeed as a HR professional in a law firm environment?

Ashton says she lets those she interviews know what they are letting themselves in for: "I always say to people that I interview: it's a tough environment but you have unrivalled opportunity to shape exciting things and really make a difference."

Our challenge is understanding that you now have all sorts of different people in the business and they have different career expectations – some don't view making partner as the ultimate goal

HR professionals at DLA Piper have backgrounds in HR, legal, accountancy, IT and communications. Despite these varied backgrounds, Ashton says there are certain core characteristics they all embody, and need to succeed. "You have to be as obsessed with your internal client service and delivery… as the lawyers are with their external clients. You need to have high levels of emotional intelligence; a certain tolerance for complexity and ambiguity; a commercial mindset; and you have to be really good at written communications."

Willis adds that it is vital to have "the ability to build good relationships at all levels" and that other bonuses include curiosity, a sense of humour and being a good listener.

Ultimately, law firm HR teams know perhaps better than anyone the stresses modern partners and staff in a law firm are under. It is the skill of the HR professional to tailor their approach to that audience – as Ashton puts it: "In a law firm environment, fee-earning is king. Anything that takes the fee earner away from doing that for a significant amount of time is challenged or avoided. You have to respect the fact that they are time-poor and keep things focused."

The UK top 10′s global HR directors
DLA Piper – Carol Ashton
Clifford Chance – Claire Howe
Allen & Overy – Sasha Hardman
Linklaters – Christine Lynch
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer – Kevin Hogarth
Norton Rose Fulbright – Lak Purewal
Hogan Lovells – Kay Willis
Herbert Smith Freehills – Helen Anthony
Ashurst – Caroline Rawes
Slaughter & May – Louise Miekle

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