TLT eschews conduct code to bag trainees ahead of September deadline
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Bristol-based TLT Solicitors has defended its controversial decision to offer training contracts to applicants ahead of the usual 1 September deadline.
The firm has so far made seven offers to applicants from its four week-long Easter and summer vacation schemes and has given each of them just seven days to make their decisions compared to the recommended four weeks.
The firm’s HR director Graham de Guise said: “The reason we do this is that we want to secure the best possible candidates and don’t want to have to wait five or six months to make an offer. Candidates who feel they can’t make their decision within the week obviously get an extension.”
The Solicitors Regulation Authority has a voluntary code, which states law firms should only make offers to penultimate year students after 1 September and give them four weeks to make a decision.
One graduate recruitment manager branded TLT’s decision to make offers before the deadline as “underhand”.
“It’s outrageous,” she said. “They’re backing students into a corner, especially in the current market when training contracts are hard to get. They’re taking advantage of students’ desperation.”
But Guise defended the move. “We’ve opted out of the code as it’s voluntary. We’ve always felt that it’s unfair that some candidates hold onto multiple offers and therefore reduce the opportunities for the rest,” claimed Guise.
Meanwhile, TLT has become the latest firm to announce that it will be retaining 100 per cent of its newly qualified solicitors this year.
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Readers' comments (16)
Anonymous | 13-Aug-2009 2:20 pm
TLT are taking advantage of the weak position students are in and landing students who would probably be made offers elsewhere. It also defeats the objective of Easter Vacation Schemes - which are designed to give an insight into the different types of firm.
It is not easy finding the right firm and putting pressure on Students to accept a 2 year training contract when they have not had ample time to be fully informed is not fair. It took me three vacation schemes to fully understand the real differences between three firms. Had the first acted like TLT I would have accepted a Training Contract with a firm I would have hated.
I hope that these Students can accept the Training Contract then withdraw from it at a later stage (should they be made another offer).
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Anonymous | 13-Aug-2009 3:21 pm
Sorry but I can't feel too sorry for these students - they have a job offer at the end of the day.
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Anonymous | 13-Aug-2009 3:23 pm
I agree with the first post.
Awful way to treat these applicant who are probably at their most vulnerable (and important) part of their career.
My advice is accept and withdraw should you get a better offer. It's hardly like they have had any consideration for the prospective trainees' contractual rights when they defferred vast numbers of them.
(p.s. Also I have previously worked for them for two years- It's really not that special.)
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James | 13-Aug-2009 3:23 pm
Replying to the above comments:
TLT are not necessarily exploiting the weak position of students. Firstly, they are offering extensions to those who cannot decide, and secondly, they are only making offers three weeks before they would usually. If someone was offered a training contract then (with extensions) they could be a very similar position to those who will be offered their Training Contracts on September 1st.
Lets not blow this out of the water.
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Metallica | 13-Aug-2009 3:41 pm
Is this much ado about nothing?! Candidates at TLT will have what thousands will not have - a training contract offer! I wouldn't be surprised if all TLT candidates accepted offers within the first day given this current climate rather than waiting 7 days. So what's the big deal?
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Fulci | 13-Aug-2009 3:42 pm
I somehow doubt that making an offer of a training contract on a high salary is taking advantage of someone. If so then feel free to use and abuse me.
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Anonymous | 13-Aug-2009 5:24 pm
I really don't see what the fuss is all about. If the students don't want to accept the offer, then fine, don't. In some ways, this could be a great thing for some students who have decided already that TLT is the place for them - it will save them nearly three weeks of needless anxiety and stress.
TLT have made a bold move – though hardly “outrageous” . I do think though that giving one week to decide is a tad harsh – perhaps they should extend this to after the deadline so that those who don’t immediately wish to accept the offer won’t feel pressured to do so – but there certainly are benefits to many candidates by doing it this way. OK, it is breaking free from the traditional "rules" but they have clearly made a bold decision to get who they want and good luck to them.
And, after all, at the moment any job is a good job.
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Michael Jacobs | 13-Aug-2009 7:44 pm
We saw how extremely helpful and tough the SRA were when Shoosmiths were essentially threatening to terminate training contracts. Although TLT are going against guidelines rather than regulations, I am sure the SRA will look at this very closely and consider the code of conduct for firms and graduates with regards to offering training contracts.
As it stands, although two wrongs don't make a right, the second a firm starts behaving in a matter contrary to SRA guidelines, I don't see why they should expect the students being offered places to behave to such standards either. I.e. they shouldn't be able to complain about any student who accepts then changes their mind upon receiving an offer from elsewhere further down the line.
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Anonymous | 13-Aug-2009 8:43 pm
Many firms break the 1st September rule anyway, although they may not put anything in writing, many will give you a call and tell you they are going to offer on the 1st or have some secret code!
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john | 14-Aug-2009 12:10 pm
Some of the above posts miss the point.
If Firms start making offers even earlier, it will trigger a rush to sign the best candidates even earlier giving students even less time to make an informed decsion about their career.
If firms break the 1st September and inform you that you are going to have an offer then its not a problem, because you will have time to complete vacation schemes, get other offers and make an informed decision.
TLT are breaking a code everyone else sticks to.
To the person that said they are extending the deadline to those who wish, how many students in that position would ask to have the deadline extended - not many!
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