Want To Work at This Firm? First Take This Psychological Test

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Thompson Hine managing partner Deborah Read knew she was taking a risk when her firm began asking applicants to submit to a psychological assessment.

While the corporate world has long spent money on social scientists and consultants who incorporate behavioural science into hiring practices, Read hadn't heard of any law firm employing psychological testing. Like diversity programming and other management techniques common in the corporate world, this was yet another management tool that the legal world had been slow to embrace.

But four years ago, Read felt that changes in the legal industry necessitated a hiring overhaul. No longer would clients foot the bill for a summer associate, or even a first-year associate. Increasingly cost-conscious, clients have begun to resent the on-the-job training that has come at a cost to their bottom line.