FAQs
What does the term “Shared Services” mean?
The term Shared Services means that as much as possible we try to communicate and work across groups and teams. We continually share information across groups so that we provide the business with the best possible service and advice.
What do we look for in our staff?
We seek to recruit people with talent, energy and a commitment to excellence. Client and team focus are important attributes for all staff. Our people come from diverse backgrounds and we value both professional and “life” experience.
Working in a partnership essentially means providing service to multiple stakeholders and clients. This makes our work environment demanding, but also challenging and interesting.
What are the benefits of working at Mallesons?
Mallesons Stephen Jaques is a constantly evolving firm with a dynamic and diverse culture. Our work environment promotes open communication and excellence, and while our staff are expected to deliver a high level of knowledge, advice and service to both external and internal clients, they can expect that same level in return.
We offer significant career development opportunities to our staff by providing them with challenging work within an environment that recognises and rewards excellence. Our Learning & Development team has designed a range of training programs which focus on both technical and ‘soft’ skills and we encourage and support continuing education.
Our offices are modern and well resourced, and our technology and support infrastructure is highly advanced. Our structures and technologies allow us to work as a national firm and share knowledge and expertise across centres. Our technology platform allows us to communicate effectively and easily, to share documents and work, and to offer support and experience on a firm-wide basis.
The firm offers a range of other benefits including an established Health & Wellbeing program, gym memberships, social and sporting clubs, discount on legal fees and salary packaging options.
How would you describe The Vibe at Mallesons?
Our fourth survey achieved a firmwide response rate of 89%, having steadily risen each year from 76% in 2004. This outstanding reponse gives us great confidence that the Vibe results represent the views of our people across all centres and practice teams. The Vibe continues to be a valuable source of data about how our people feel about the firm, our areas of strength and how we can further improve Mallesons as a place of work.
The results of the survey indicated that our major strengths are training opportunities, our commitment to quality and excellence, collaboration and knowledge sharing, strategic leadership, job satisfaction, and pride in the firm.
The survey has allowed us to understand how our staff feel about the firm and has helped us to guide our planning to improve the performance of our business and become an even better place to work.
How are remuneration levels determined?
In remunerating our staff, our philosophy is to pay market competitive rates (linked to performance), commensurate with our position in the market as one of the major law firms in Australia.
As well as financial remuneration, the firm offers a range of benefits as well as a reward and recognition program for outstanding efforts. Benefits include:
- Study Assistance
- Legal advice & conveyancing
- Flexible working policies
- External career development
- Paid parental leave
- Social Clubs
- Gym memberships
- Health initiatives (yoga and pilates classes, regular health seminars)
- Friday night drinks
- Salary continuance insurance
What sort of feedback can I expect to receive on my performance?
We encourage our staff to seek feedback on their performance, and we believe that effective feedback is crucial to achieve the best from our people.
Whilst your supervisor or manager will give you feedback on your work on an ongoing basis, the firm also conducts an annual performance review where the performance of all employees is measured against the firm’s attributes framework. In addition to this, development goals for the coming year are set.
What support networks exist in the firm?
While the firm encourages a culture of open communication between managers and staff, team members and throughout the firm in general, and support is therefore at your fingertips, one of the initiatives implemented as a result of our recent climate survey is the Mallesons’ Mentoring Program. This program is a support system designed for all staff which creates an opportunity for ongoing informal performance feedback, advice and career guidance.
What is the firm's policy on further study?
We encourage further study in practice-related fields. A number of our Shared Services staff are currently studying or have completed TAFE, University or postgraduate studies in Australia. The firm has a generous study and external career development policy, and assistance is offered where studies are relevant to employment with the firm.
What flexible working arrangements are in place?
We want to strike a balance between our business requirements of servicing our clients and providing a flexible work environment to accommodate family commitments and important events in people’s lives.
Where possible, Mallesons is flexible in its approach to work practices. Our technology and support infrastructure is such that staff can work from home or enjoy a degree of flexibility with their hours if work schedules permit.
We encourage firm meetings to be held between 9am and 5pm, our family events policy provides the opportunity for our staff to attend family events which occur during business hours, all staff have access to an emergency childcare service, and it is possible to swap pay for leave.
What opportunities exist to work in other offices?
As part of a fully integrated firm, our people work together across national and international boundaries. This often involves people spending periods of time working in different centres.
All opportunities are advertised internally and, depending on business needs, we encourage our staff to apply.
Does Mallesons recruit all year round or only at specific times?
Opportunities within Shared Services are advertised as they become available.
Please refer to our current vacancies list for details.
If you have any other recruitment-related questions, please feel free to contact the Resourcing Consultant/ Centre Manager in the relevant office.
How do I send in my resume to you if I am not applying for a specific role you have advertised?
You will need to contact one our Resourcing Consultants directly to discuss upcoming resourcing needs.