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A Whitepaper by APT Search
Bridging the eDiscovery skills gap
Are you ready?According to respected market research consultancy Gartner,
the eDiscovery market is set to grow by 14% per annum over
the next four-to-five years. Already, the recruitment market is
tightening as competition for key staff intensifies. This paper
provides an overview of the eDiscovery market in the UK and the
effect that it is having on the recruitment market. It provides
advice for both employers and potential candidates on how to
take advantage of current trends to maximise their business and
employment opportunities.
Discover the marketThe eDiscovery market in the UK is a bit of an enigma. At face
value, conditions look almost perfect for explosive growth as the
economic downturn gives rise to more litigation and regulators
become more aggressive in the wake of various banking
scandals. Meanwhile, the volume and diversity of the search
exercises required in litigation or by regulators continue to grow
exponentially, while the tools provided by search technology to
cope have improved enormously.
Yet the growth of the eDiscovery market has remained steady, it
is not yet spectacular. One of the reasons for the industry’s
shallow growth curve is a lack of client understanding of what
the technology can do and some nervousness about using the
more innovative tools - such as predictive coding – despite
their obvious advantages. While the courts and regulators are
beginning to accommodate the use of cutting edge search
technologies, firm precedents remain thin on the ground.
This tentativeness also translates into business relationships
– there is relatively little appetite amongst clients to chop and
change eDiscovery providers when the technology is not fully
understood. Trust and personal relationships are the key drivers
of purchasing decisions rather than a desire for bleeding-edge
technological solutions. That said, many eDiscovery providers still
believe that conditions are ripe for growth to accelerate and are
trying to position themselves to take full advantage when it does.
This can be seen in two ways. Firstly, by changes in the market:
new entrants continue to arrive – mostly from the United
States - while smaller players are being absorbed into the larger
providers. Secondly, demand for business development and
client-facing staff is rising as vendors seek new opportunities.
At the same time, some law firms and companies - especially
banks - are waking up to the growing importance of eDiscovery
(and information governance generally). Many are responding
by developing their own in-house capability to complement the
services available from vendors. The effect of this is that the
market for eDiscovery is both consolidating and becoming more
diverse at the same time. It promises to be an interesting few
years ahead.
Bridging the eDiscovery skills gap
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Gartner report, Magic Quadrant for eDiscovery, May 2011
Companies are looking to prepare
themselves for better times ahead,
whilst defending existing market share.
Consequently, demand for eDiscovery
professionals is strong, with salary levels
continuing to rise, especially for those
business development professionals that
can win new business (see table).
Moreover, the changes in the market are
creating opportunities for people not
only in ‘traditional’ positions, but also
creating roles that did not exist before
and candidates need an open mind
about how their skills can be deployed
as the landscape changes. In particular,
those with technical backgrounds are
in great demand for sales and business
development openings if they can combine
this with the necessary people skills.
The industry is also developing rapidly
in parts of continental Europe, creating
opportunities here while also driving
the need for language skills – especially
German, French, Italian and Dutch – for
eDiscovery employees in the UK.
Bridging the eDiscovery skills gap
Page 03
Getting into positionBusiness Development Overview
• There is strong demand for high quality results driven business developers with relevant experience and understanding of the Electronic Discovery Reference Model (EDRM).
• Vendors and Consultancies are and have been hiring and training those that have transferrable skills, where the relevant skills are not be available or difficult to acquire.
• Business development base salaries are continuing to increase. This is primarily due to increased competition to hire well-networked eDiscovery sales people at
mid-senior level who can potentially bring an array of clients to the business.
Project Management Overview
• Salaries for project managers have remained constant over the past year, albeit with significant variations in bonus and overtime rates from company to company.
• There has been notable demand from experienced project managers for a better work-life balance as well as a clear outline of opportunities for progression within an organisation.
• Demand has grown from some organisations for project managers with certified project management certifications such Prince2. Although other companies do not seek them as a pre-requisite, those with certification can only enhance their negotiating position when seeking new opportunities.
• Further demand has been seen for project managers with languages skills, as the growth of firms spread in to new geographical regions. The main languages that are in demand are German, French, Italian and Dutch.
Bringing in the brightest and the best
As in any market, differentiation is key.
And at a time when the products on
offer from the eDiscovery providers are
becoming more standardised, people are
the key differentiator. There is driving
demand for staff with people-facing skills,
both in respect of business development
and sales, but also technical staff with
the skills to manage ongoing client
relationships.
How employers come across during
the interview process is often just as
important – in the current market, the
selection process is most definitely two-
way, and while candidates still need to be
able to sell themselves, it is important
that employers do the same.
Good candidates can often receive two or
three offers and a candidate’s decision on
whether to join an organisation will often
hinge on whether they feel that they will
fit in, on both personal and professional
levels. Making sure that candidates
are interviewed by people of sufficient
seniority and the ability to demonstrate to
potential recruits where they would fit in
the organisation is critical and something
that employers sometimes fall down on.
With key staff in such demand, employers
also need to think laterally about
where they source their staff from.
While the preference will always be for
candidates with square-on technical
and legal backgrounds, these people
are an increasingly scarce resource.
Employers and candidates therefore
need to think about transferable skill
sets. Some companies have taken on
significant number of people from
diverse backgrounds, even taking on new
graduates to train from the ground up.
Bridging the eDiscovery skills gap
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How can we help?
Bridging the eDiscovery skills gap
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Salary table
Permanent Salaries Range Typical
E-Discovery Project Manager
Senior PM’s £65,000 - £85,000 p/a £75,000 p/a
Mid Level PM’s £45,000 - £60,000 p/a £55,000 p/a
Junior PM’s £25,000 - £40,000 p/a £35,000 p/a
E-Discovery Business Development (Base salary only) (Base salary only)
Senior-Director Level £100,000 - £200,000 p/a £150,000 p/a
Mid Level £50,000 - £75,000 p/a £68,500 p/a
Junior Level £22,000 - £40,000 p/a £30,000 p/a
Computer Forensics
Head of Department £60,000 - £100,000 p/a £80,000 p/a
Senior Forensic Consultant £50,000 - £70,000 p/a £60,000 p/a
Mid Level £35,000 - £40,000 p/a £38,000 p/a
Junior Forensics (Graduate) £25,000 - £30,000 p/a £28,000 p/a
eDiscovery and litigation support requires
a unique combination of technical and
legal know-how and for recruitment
companies operating within this market,
it is essential to have a thorough
understanding of the skill sets required
and the demands on the companies and
people within it.
Apt Search and Selection are the United
Kingdom’s first recruitment specialists
fully dedicated to the eDiscovery and
Litigation Support sectors. Based in
Central London, Apt Search has extensive
knowledge and experience of this market
gained over a number of years working in
the sector.
The Apt Search team will review and take
the time to understand both the needs
of the business and the individual to
ensure that the right fit is made. APT
Search will work with candidates not only
to find them a position now, but also to
assist with their career planning over the
next five-to-10 years. Being focused on
the eDiscovery market means that APT
Search can assist candidates to develop
and define their career goals, enabling us
to find the best position for them, not just
for now but for many years to come. The
benefits of this approach for candidates
is obvious, but for employers it also has
the advantage of finding employees who
have made a positive, well-informed
decision to develop their careers with
them. This provides employers with a more
productive, better motivated workforce
and reduces staff turnover.
Apt Search will also use their market
knowledge to work with employers to
examine their resourcing needs in the
short and medium terms, and to help
them to develop strategic recruitment
plans as well as finding candidates for
specific vacancies.
Finally, eDiscovery and litigation support
is a niche market and discretion in
the recruitment process is key. The
eDiscovery world is a relatively small and
interconnected one, and Apt Search will
ensure that confidentiality is guaranteed
for both candidates and companies alike.
Bridging the eDiscovery skills gap
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Taking a bespoke approachFor employers: If you are new to the
market, or if you have had difficulty in
finding the right people or getting the
right message across, feel free to get in
touch with our consultancy arm. We can
assist you in growing your organisation
with the right people. We have a deep
insight into the market, potential
candidates and the major players in the
UK and can help to position you to attract
and retain the best talent in the market.
For candidates: Whether you’re actively
looking for a new position, or just looking
to be more proactive in the management
of your career, contact us today for a
confidential review of your career plan and
the options available to you.
For further information, call us on 0845 689 6499 or visit www.apt-search.co.uk
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