Talent Acquisition
What Matters
Shoosmiths
Industry
Legal
Function
Early Careers Recruitment
Recognised as one of Europe’s most innovative law firms, Shoosmiths partners with a growing number of FTSE 250 businesses, as well as some of the world’s most exciting and ambitious growth brands.
Shoosmiths has long championed emerging talent, removing minimum degree requirements to open up opportunities to a wider range of candidates. However, the firm’s reliance on cognitive assessment methods was unintentionally limiting its reach – particularly impacting female and Black, Asian, and minority ethnic (BAME) candidates.
Objective
A more inclusive talent experience
Shoosmiths set out to create a more inclusive, engaging assessment experience – one that would broaden its talent pool and truly reflect the diversity of potential across the market.
Solution
A bespoke online assessment journey
Working in partnership, we built a bespoke online assessment journey that combined cognitive and strengths-based assessments, immersing applicants in real-world Shoosmiths scenarios from the start.
Using Capptivate, our purpose-built online assessment platform, we developed a custom assessment experience that measured candidates’ future employability at Shoosmiths and gave candidates authentic insight into what working at the firm would feel like.
After seeing the positive impact of this blended, strengths-based approach, Shoosmiths invited us to extend the model into their in-person assessment centres too, ensuring a seamless experience across every stage of the candidate journey.
Our approach: defining success at Shoosmiths
To define what success looked like at Shoosmiths, we began with our in-depth FutureMark talent-mapping analysis. By analysing more than 11,000 data points, including insights from focus groups, interviews, and staff surveys, we identified the strengths that best aligned with Shoosmiths’ culture, values, and vision for the future.
This led to the creation of a new early careers talent framework built around eight core strengths (seven behavioural, one cognitive). Following the success of the online experience, we applied the same strengths-based approach to Shoosmiths’ in-person assessment centre content, focusing on real-world issues like sustainability.
Group exercises
Collaborative activities simulating real workplace scenarios
Micro exercises
Simulating real jobs to assess practical capabilities
Strengths-based interviews
Aligned to the firm’s refreshed strengths framework
0+
data points analysed to identify core strengths
0
core strengths in the new talent framework
Results to date:
0%
online assessment completion rate
0%
rated the online assessment as user-friendly
0%
of candidates agreed the process felt fair and respectful
What’s Next?
A firmwide talent development model
Through bespoke, strengths-led content, we brought the reality of a career at Shoosmiths to life and candidates responded with strong engagement throughout the process.
The success of the approach didn’t stop at recruitment: Shoosmiths has since expanded the strengths framework to form the foundation of a firmwide talent development model, embedding the approach across the business.
Get in touch with us today to discover how Cappfinity can help you build a more inclusive, strengths-based recruitment and assessment experience that drives lasting impact.
