How a bespoke prehire assessment revolutionised Higgs LLP’s graduate legal team recruitment — boosting diversity and cutting hiring time by 96%.
In the legal sector, hiring traditionally relies on CVs, referrals, and interviews. These methods are prone to bias, overlooking potential and failing to effectively predict long-term success.
For trainee programmes, where investment in development is significant, the cost of a mismatch is high — financially, culturally, and reputationally. With a small recruitment team managing hundreds of applications, Higgs LLP needed a scalable, fair, and predictive way to identify true potential.
Higgs LLP appointed ThriveMap to build a Realistic Job Assessment for trainee solicitor recruitment. Unlike generic tests, this assessment mirrors the day-to-day tasks of the role, giving candidates a genuine preview of the work while allowing Higgs to measure the capabilities that matter most.
The process began with a job analysis, involving current trainees and Heads of Department.
ThriveMap’s thorough, collaborative approach ensures the assessment is grounded in real-world expectations and ensures hiring criteria alignment.
By assessing every candidate on the same real-world scenarios, Higgs can now identify capability wherever it comes from. That means building a trainee pipeline that’s not only more inclusive, but also stronger, more resilient, and more representative of the clients and communities the firm serves.
Fairness & Diversity
Every applicant completes the same, role-relevant scenarios.
Blind scoring means decisions are based on capability — not polish or connections.
54% of finalists now come from racially or ethnically diverse backgrounds.
Efficiency
Recruiters spend 96% less time manually screening applications.
A 5% opt-out rate acts as a natural filter, improving candidate fit.
98% of candidates rated the assessment as clear and engaging.
