Recruitment Assistant

The role

This is an exciting opportunity to join Howard Kennedy's Recruitment team as a Recruitment Assistant. You will work closely with the Recruitment Specialist and Senior Recruitment Manager to attract and recruit exceptional talent across the firm. This role is ideal for someone with strong organisational skills and a genuine interest in developing a career in recruitment. 

In this interesting and varied role you will gain exposure to recruitment processes from Trainee to Partner level, contribute to strategic projects, and enjoy a collaborative, inclusive working environment.

Role responsibility

Candidate Management

• Act as the first point of contact for candidates, managing recruitment mailboxes and ensuring timely responses.
• Schedule interviews and liaise with candidates, agencies, and hiring managers to ensure a smooth process.

Systems & Administration

• Maintain and update the Applicant Tracking System (Tribepad), including posting vacancies, progressing candidates, and logging feedback.
• Take responsibility for reporting, including reporting on direct recruitment cost savings, application trends etc. 
• Manage recruitment administration such as invoices and agency terms of business.

Direct Recruitment

• Lead the end to end recruitment process for paralegal and business support roles, including CV review, shortlisting, interviewing and managing the offer process. 
• Contribute to direct recruitment initiatives such as talent pooling.

Onboarding & Induction

• Support onboarding by working with other members of the HR team to ensure a seamless experience for new joiners.
• Arrange new joiner inductions and act as a point of contact until start date.
• Oversee new joiner screening processes.

Trainee Recruitment

• Support the screening of Trainee applications at all stages of the recruitment process
• Assist with trainee recruitment logistics, including assessment days and insight events
• Attend insight events, promoting the firm and our training contract opportunities 

Projects & Initiatives

• Support diversity and inclusion initiatives and contribute to employer branding projects.
• Participate in process improvement projects to enhance candidate experience and recruitment efficiency.

About you

You will ideally be able to demonstrate.

• Experience in a similar role within a recruitment or HR function
• Strong organisational and time management skills
• An understanding of the importance of excellent candidate experience 
• Excellent communication and relationship-building abilities, both internally and with external candidates and suppliers
• Attention to detail and ability to manage multiple priorities
• Client service and problem-solving skills 
• A proactive approach and willingness to learn

At Howard Kennedy we believe that everyone deserves the space to thrive. We’re committed to creating an inclusive recruitment experience that reflects the diversity of both our people and our clients.

We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds and identities, and we’re committed to ensuring that our recruitment process is fair, transparent, and accessible to all.

We understand that every candidate’s needs are different If there’s anything we can do to make your application journey more comfortable— whether for interviews, assessments, or onboarding—please let us know. We’ll work with you to remove any barriers and ensure our recruitment process is comfortable for you. 

Contact our recruitment team at recruitment@howardkennedy.com to discuss any support you might need.

Agency Introductions

Please note that we are not accepting applications via agencies for this role at this time. Before sharing any named candidate CVs, please contact your recruitment representative. If any named CVs are sent from agencies without approval from our recruitment team, they will not be deemed valid introductions, and no agency fee will be paid.

Benefits

• Competitive salary
• 25 days annual holiday
• Permanent Health Insurance
• Life Assurance
• Interest free Season Ticket Loan
• Private Healthcare
• Pension Scheme
• Staff Introductory Scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme

About us

With almost 200 lawyers in one location, we ensure our clients have the right team to help them get from where they are to where they want to be. We advise major corporates and institutions as well as entrepreneurial, ambitious enterprises which are often privately or family owned, or private equity backed. As well as our significant business law capability, we are one of only a few London-based law firms with a large private wealth offering. Our clients find our straightforward approach a compelling alternative to larger, less personal firms.

Whether you are an ambitious and talented individual wanting to hit the ground running from day one, or an established professional looking for a new opportunity, Howard Kennedy is the firm where you can really make it happen.

We have earned a strong reputation for our exceptional and uniquely talented people who between them deliver outstanding results for clients. In a firm of our size, our strong team dynamic creates a thriving culture of creativity and entrepreneurialism. Howard Kennedy is a pragmatic and non-hierarchical environment where success is shared, and you are proactively encouraged to thrive at your own pace.

Our distinctive culture is built on fairness and respect. Guided by the firm’s values of talk straight, think smart and be yourself, everyone in the firm holds equal value, and everyone plays their role in supporting, encouraging and inspiring colleagues to do their best work.

At the same time, we recognise and reward individualism, celebrating the diversity of our people and supporting them to grow their practice and drive their own career advancement.

As well as client work, there is opportunity to broaden your horizons at the firm with fulfilling pro bono and charity projects. We have a regular social calendar full of wellbeing activities, charitable and social events too.