Like many industries, the legal sector is evolving at a rapid pace. Automation and digitization of standard business processes will be crucial in the ever-changing legal landscape.
At times, onboarding clients or lawyers can pose challenges that must be addressed. A central issue that faces firms is the delays the onboarding process causes. It’s no secret that lawyers have to work efficiently for their clients, and this process can make it difficult to reach goals promptly.
Above all else, an excellent lawyer-client relationship is necessary for your business to experience growth, earn new clients in need of services, and retain those you already have. Technology for HR may be the missing piece your firm needs to achieve success.
Advances in technology can help firms onboard clients and lawyers more quickly, lessening the time it takes to investigate a case and prepare new associates. There are plenty of benefits to reap when it comes to incorporating new tech into your firm.
Here are some tips and tricks you can use when implementing new technology to onboard new clients and associates to your firm.
1. Be Patient With New Applications
There’s a learning curve for any new system integrated into your processes. Whether it’s a new cloud infrastructure or keeping digital records of legal documents, your firm will need to be patient during these transformational periods. Set reasonable expectations for your clients so they understand that onboarding is a process that takes some time.
Signing up for cloud applications like CloudLex can help you with a variety of tasks, like updating clients through their messaging system and sharing important onboarding documents. Correspondence is key and helps keep communication lines open within your organization.
2. Complete Tech Supplier Research
You must diligently research which tech supplier you’d like to purchase from. Before you transition to a digital onboarding system, understand how much your firm can afford and budget accordingly. Taking these steps will ensure that your firm will receive the best service possible.
One example of a new development in HR technology is the Link app, which is integrated with artificial intelligence (AI) identification verification and electronic signatures through DocuSign. Finding competitive technology companies that offer state-of-the-art systems will allow your firm to stay ahead of the curve.
3. Provide Virtual Teleconferencing Options
Understanding how essential you are to individuals in need of legal counsel should convince you to always provide high-quality service to your clients. Clients and associates working for your firm put all their trust in you as their adviser, and that should remain your top priority. Through digitization, you can share updates to legislation with everyone more quickly than using a paper-based system or relying on phone calls.
Keep in mind that honesty is the glue that holds your firm together, and it’s best to be genuine when practicing law in any form. Platforms like Zoom and Google Meet are two viable options if you plan on onboarding clients remotely. Increasing face-to-face interactions during onboarding can improve talent retention and increase productivity, even if that means spending time virtually.
4. Assess Workflow Management
Before using new technology, it will pay off to review your current onboarding process and address the shortcomings that clients or associates experienced. Maybe there was a lack of training modules or clients felt out of touch during the process.
Consider using an online workflow management system at your firm. When onboarding new employees, it’s much easier to delegate responsibilities using top-of-the-line workflow software. Desktop applications like Clio, Legalfiles, and Moxtra are some examples of software that will help you through your onboarding process.
5. Consider Cloud Technology for Onboarding
If your firm has yet to transition to the cloud, consider making this switch. Using a private cloud enables you to control where your data is stored and closely monitor who has access to sensitive information. The benefits of using cloud tech are plenty: scalability, reduced costs, less paper, and efficiency are just some of the advantages your firm can use to stay ahead of the competition.
Whether you want to use Amazon Web Services or Google Workspaces to run your operations, cloud platforms provide your firm with top-of-the-line security measures, so your data is safe from would-be attackers. When you use a private cloud, any information can be accessed by members of your organization, which allows for more freedom and flexibility.
These are only a few tricks you should keep in mind as you digitize your practice. Be sure to follow these steps if you plan on implementing new technology to help improve your business processes during onboarding.
Technology in the Legal Sector
We’re all aware that technology helps us accomplish more of our business goals efficiently. Using the latest tech will allow you to better serve your clients, whether during the onboarding process or meeting with them for the first time using video conferencing software. It’s an investment that will pay off for itself.
About the Author
Shannon Flynn is a technology blogger who writes about business innovation and IT news. She’s also the Managing Editor at ReHack.com. Follow ReHack on Twitter to read about other technology trends!
