Saul Ewing Interviews Emphasize Critical Life Decisions
The 25 lawyers at Saul Ewing who interview would-be associates are being trained to delve deeper into job candidates’ life decisions and how they handled obstacles.
The aim is to learn how the job candidates would function at the law firm, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. “The focus now is on critical junctures in a job candidate’s life—tough obstacles that had to be overcome or particularly satisfying accomplishments—and how they handled those situations,” the story says.
Saul Ewing has created interview manuals that explain the approach and include sample interview questions. The firm is interviewing fewer associates, but spending more time on each interview as part of its behavioral approach.
The interviewing technique has led to a diverse summer associate class for next year that includes students starting second careers and a mother with young children, the story says.
Hiring partner Jason St. John explained the new approach to associate interviews. “We think that by really delving into situations in their lives, both positive and negative, we will gain key insights into what they are like as people,” he told the Inquirer.
