business development academy · deutsche bank diageo ericsson esure firstgroup ge general motors...

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT ACADEMYA graduate scheme

Contents

Welcome 1

The opportunity 2

Who we are 2

Why choose us? 3

What will you be doing? 4

What are we looking for? 6

What will you get out of the BD Academy? 7

Your development 8

Our recruitment process 9

An exec’s perspective 10

A manager’s perspective 12

Investing in you 14

Getting involved 15

Responsible business 16

Our Network of Networks 17

The Business Development Academy 01

Welcome

I am excited to launch this new Academy, which is a first of its kind for our firm. We are looking for dynamic and curious individuals to come and join our team. Over a two year period, you will work with almost all of our talented team members across digital marketing, business development (BD), international relations, communications and PR, research & insights and pitching. You will develop technical marketing and business development skills as well as softer skills that will enable you to thrive wherever your career takes you.

Business Development is about bringing commercial acumen together with creative thinking and our team exemplifies this. Our purpose, as a BD team, is to support the development of valued client relationships, to champion Slaughter and May and enhance its market standing.

To do this we create an environment in which we can excel. We work collaboratively across the firm, making connections and identifying

opportunities and we continually strive to be better, through innovation, creativity and being actively open minded.

Personally, I’m always impressed by the energy and drive in my team. Whether it’s spotting an opportunity to support a client, developing a new piece of content with colleagues or working to open up a new channel, the team have so many great ideas and I learn from them every day. We’d love for you to come and join us and find out for yourself. I look forward to meeting you.

Michelle HolfordDirector of Business Development, Slaughter and May

SOCIAL MOBILITYEMPLOYER INDEX 2018

TOP 50

The Business Development Academy02

The opportunity

We are looking to recruit talented individuals to join our Marketing and Business Development department as part of a new graduate scheme – our ‘Business Development Academy’ in September 2020.

This is a two year programme designed to give a thorough understanding of business development within a professional services environment and experience in different marketing-related disciplines. There is a full plan of coaching and training throughout the programme to help support your development into a well-rounded marketing professional with a broad business skillset.

Start your career with us and you will work with some of the most astute practitioners in professional services, who will challenge and

stimulate you to be your best. You will work alongside some of the world’s best lawyers, helping them to grow and develop their client relationships.

We work with some of the world’s largest and most complex businesses and our challenge is to find ways to communicate and engage with them to enhance these relationships.

Your colleagues will value your input and help you develop your expertise. They will look to you to deliver practical results and demonstrate the ways in which marketing and business development adds real value to our business and our clients.

It’s a superb way to build your career in an environment which is truly supportive.

Who we are

Slaughter and May is a leading international law firm advising on high-profile and ground-breaking transactions and disputes around the globe. The firm has a global reputation for being elite in what we do - providing clients with a professional service of the highest

calibre, combining technical excellence with commercial awareness and a practical, constructive approach to legal issues.


Why choose us?

We offer the opportunity to be part of a team supporting the provision of world-class legal advice to some of the world's leading businesses. At Slaughter and May, everyone's contribution is valued and all enjoy an open, friendly and supportive culture. In addition, there are excellent benefits and facilities and a variety of development opportunities to support you in your role.

By the end of the programme you will be a confident marketing and business development professional, with strong technical, stakeholder management and interpersonal skills ready for a great career wherever that might take you.

Alibaba

American Express

Arsenal FC

Asda

Aviva

British Airways

BUPA

Burberry

Cathay Pacific

Cineworld

Deutsche Bank

Diageo

Ericsson

esure

FirstGroup

GE

General Motors

GoDaddy

Google

Green Investment Bank

GSK

ITV

John Lewis

Ladbrokes Coral

Legal & General

Marks & Spencer

Michael Kors

Mitsubishi

Ocado

Prada

Premier Foods

Richemont

Rolls-Royce

Royal Mail

Santander

Shell

SoftBank

Standard Chartered

Standard Life Aberdeen

Standard & Poor’s

Tata Group

Taylor Wimpey

Tottenham Hotspur FC

Virgin Group

Vodafone

Walmart

The Walt Disney Company

Whitbread

Some of the household names on our client list:

We represent more FTSE 100 companies than any other law firm, as well as over 100 companies in the Fortune 500


What will you be doing?

On the programme you will undertake four rotations, of six months each, from the six different areas of marketing and business development: digital marketing, communications and PR, pitching, research & insight, international relations and practice specific business development. During each rotation you will be taught key skills unique to that discipline, whilst also developing the more general skills essential in today’s business environment.

In addition to your day-to-day work, you will be given a variety of core technical and business training modules and workshops from our dedicated Learning and Development team. There are also monthly coaching and additional elective business skills courses and talks which are scheduled regularly throughout the year. Some of the courses you could choose from are: personal impact, time management, resilience, assertiveness, presentation, communication and supervisory skills.


The teams

Digital Marketing – supporting the firm’s online channels

• Supporting the firm’s website • Managing intranet content • Coordinating content and posting on

firm social media channels• Using the firm’s marketing stack for

online marketing

Communications and PR – shaping the firm’s external messaging and managing its reputation in the press and other media

• Writing press announcements• Monitoring and reporting on press coverage

of the firm• Supporting key messaging in directory,

award and other submissions • Writing and editing content for weekly

our internal newsletter

Pitch Team – the frontline of winning work, responding to pitch opportunities

• Facilitate and lead kick-off meetings to agree strategy and messaging

• Draft winning content for client pitches • Support our know-how and credentials• Track our pitch win/loss ratio• Develop our approach to consistency

and best practice

Research & Insight – providing information and data to support strategic decision making

• Produce insights based on market and industry trends and forecasts to inform business development

• Use data visualisation techniques to make complex data digestible

• Create data dashboards for improved client targeting

International – maintaining relationships with international law firms and clients

• Meet with and support international law firm relationships

• Plan and co-ordinate business development trips for country partners and associates

• Track and analyse international client targeting opportunities

• Work with others to shape, plan and deliver key international events and initiatives

Practice Streams – using our practice specific knowledge to target and win work

• Deliver on the three strands of our BD strategy - issues, targets and activities

• Research opportunities based on client needs• Work across different practice streams to connect

opportunities • Craft key messages for our external presence

in directory submissions • Provide day-to-day responses to BD needs –

no day is ever the same!

This is by no means an exhaustive list of all the things you might be doing but it gives you an idea of what working in our BD team could be like.


What are we looking for?

In order to apply to this programme you should be a graduate or final year student from any degree discipline.

We aim to employ the brightest minds regardless of what or where they have studied.Background, race, colour, ethnic or national origin, gender, sexual orientation, marital

status, disability, religious beliefs and age are all irrelevant to our application process.

We have thought hard about the kinds of people that work well in our team and the kinds of colleagues we enjoy working with, and we have settled on the following team values:

Value Description

Curious I am intellectually interested in the world in which Slaughter and May operates. This allows me to think dynamically and challenge the status quo.

Tenacious I am committed and strive to overcome challenges in order to hit deadlines. This allows me to get the job done well.

‘Above and beyond’ I do not accept ‘just good enough’ because it is the easiest solution but always strive for the best possible outcome. This allows me to exceed expectations.

OwnershipI take ownership of challenges and projects and lead from the front. I am not afraid to do what is right. I am prepared to give and accept recognition. This allows me to learn from my mistakes.

Skilled communicatorI am self aware and honest with my colleagues. I communicate clearly, effectively and concisely. I can relate to those around me. This allows me to keep my sense of humour!

If you like the sound of these, we’d love to hear from you.

All applications are considered on their own merits and we encourage you to include details of any mitigating circumstances which may have impacted your academic results.


To thrive here, you will need enthusiasm, commitment and a

willingness to accept responsibility.

What will you get out of the BD Academy?

A launchpad for your career whether that be in marketing, business development, professional services or something else entirely!

A great network of peers and colleagues

An understanding of the purpose, priorities and working models of different areas of marketing

The ability to communicate with various types of stakeholders, including writing creatively, as well as presenting and oral communication

Learning to challenge, persuade and influence effectively

An understanding of the challenges facing our industry and clients

Experience working under pressure in a fast paced environment with multiple priorities and tight deadlines

Advanced knowledge of technical marketing skills and tools (eg. CRM, PMS, data analytics, website editing etc.) and Microsoft Office packages (in particular Word, Excel and PowerPoint)


Your development

In your first week you will start with an induction and training that provides an overview of the firm, our businesses and the industry. You will have networking opportunities for you to begin meeting colleagues across the firm and to hear from senior leaders. You will also be assigned your first rotation and an overview of the work area within that role.

In addition to your day-to-day work in each rotation, you will be provided with a variety of core technical and business skills training modules from our dedicated Learning and Development team. Coaching and mentoring will also help you develop throughout the programme; monthly meetings will support your progress and help guide you in each rotation.

Training on the programme covers a wide range of topics, from short, pithy sessions which

provide an overview of key business skills (including personal impact, performing under pressure and managing time and others), to longer more in-depth training opportunities focussing on your knowledge and technical BD and marketing understanding. You will be invited to attend the Essential People Skills Toolkit, a specialist programme which focuses on enhancing the effectiveness of working relationships. One-to-one workshops are also on offer which can concentrate on areas such as presenting positively and written communication skills.

We feel strongly that training not only helps personal development and advances career progression, but also helps our people network and build strong firm wide relationships across teams and at different levels which foster a collaborative and inclusive culture.

Coaching & mentoring

Essential People Skills

Toolkit

Team support

Bespoke induction

BD core training

Elective business skills

training

One-to-one workshops


They are:

Motivation Question

Please tell us about you, what you think you will get out of the Business Development Academy at Slaughter and May. You should also include any other information which you think may be relevant to your application. (500 words)

Writing Sample

You are writing a blog post, which targets Slaughter and May clients as its audience. Please write about a recent political, economic or technological development or trend of your choice, and its potential implications for our clients. (300 words)

Once we receive your application it will be screened by HR and the BD team; if successful, you will be invited to a half-day assessment centre at our London office in April or May.

The assessment centre will comprise of:

After the assessment centre we will provide you with feedback and if you are successful we will make an offer for you to join the BD Academy in September 2020.

We are committed to ensuring that our recruitment processes are barrier-free and as inclusive as possible to everyone. This includes making adjustments for people who have a disability or long-term condition. If you have any questions, or require any adjustments to

be made to the application process or interview process, please contact Ellie Smith at [email protected].

Any offer of employment with us is subject to the firm’s receipt of a satisfactory confirmation of your academics and / or previous employment references carried out by our screening and vetting agency.

Our recruitment process

Online application formIn order to apply you will need to fill in an application form on our careers site before Sunday 22nd March.

We will gather your personal information, academic background and information about any work experience you have had. There are then two longer questions for you to answer to help establish your motivation, creativity and writing skills.

Welcome briefing

1st interview30 minute

interview with a senior member of the Business

Development team focusing on your motivation and

aptitude for the role

Written exercise using a laptop

Group discussion

exercise on a business case study

Final interview 30 minute interview

with a senior member of the Business

Development team allowing you to reflect on your group exercise

and assessing your relevant technical skills

and aptitude for the role

Business Development - Exec Academy10

An exec’s perspective

Georgia Thomas Job Title: Digital ExecutiveTeam: Digital TeamUniversity: Cardiff UniversityDegree: English LiteratureYear Joined: Joined Slaughter and May in 2018, straight after university

Working at Slaughter and May Can you talk through your day? Which group are you in? What does the group do?

I sit in the firm’s Digital Team which means we sit across quite a large portion of BD activity, as we assist with all aspects of digital marketing. Our team are responsible for the firm’s website as well as our CRM system, Dynamics, which also includes working with the business on email campaign requirements and the firm’s social presence. My day is typically made up of liaising with various parts of the business on website updates, as well as coordinating email campaigns and social media posts on both LinkedIn and Twitter. Our team also do quite a bit of video work, so I will often be required to feedback on video cuts and suggest amendments on these. One of my main areas of focus is on the firm’s social platforms, so I spend a portion of my time building a content calendar and sharing content across the firm’s social platforms and also assisting fee earners with the optimisation of their LinkedIn profiles and best practice on this.

What part of the job gives you the biggest buzz?

I really enjoy getting to work across so many different projects and exploring multiple digital platforms and the best ways of showcasing the firm’s content.

What is your favourite aspect of Slaughter and May?

The pace of the firm is really fantastic - you can always feel everyone’s energy and desire to get the job done well.

Our cultureHow would you describe the culture here?

There’s no denying that the standards are high at the firm, but there is such appreciation for the work that’s done – you always feel like you’ve brought value and that everyone is grateful for your effort.

What qualities do you think someone needs to be successful in BD?

I think you need to be determined and willing to work hard – there will always be more to do in BD. You shouldn’t be afraid to share your opinions, even if that means disagreeing with people – bringing a different point of view can sometimes be the best way of coming up with an innovative solution.

Business Development - Exec Academy 11

Managing my career. And having fun too.What are the hours like, and how do you try to keep a healthy work/ life balance?

I find having a balance between work and my personal life pretty easy. There’s no expectation for us to work late and I never feel pressured into giving up my free time – it’s nice knowing that work doesn’t have to be your only focus and having that balance is so important to me.

What are your hobbies/interests?

I enjoy going to the gym and baking – I’ve recently learned how to make macarons and I’m obsessed!

Any advice?What advice would you give to students looking to join us?

Approach the firm with an open mind and make sure you learn as much as you can – the team are a great source of knowledge and you should always ask questions

Is there anything you wish you had known before you joined - about Slaughter and May or the role. Were your expectations met?

The opportunities for training outside your core role are brilliant and I wouldn’t have expected there to be so many.

And your favourite moment at the firm?My favourite moment was going to the annual dinner dance – getting to interact with people from across the firm that I’d never met before was so much fun and it’s such a lovely occasion!

The pace of the firm is really fantastic - you can always feel everyone’s energy and desire to get the job done well.

Business Development - Exec Academy12

A manager’s perspective

Oliver LawrenceJob Title: Business Development Manager Team: CorporateUniversity: University of LeedsDegree: English and Asia-Pacific StudiesYear Joined: Joined Slaughter and May in 2015

Working at Slaughter and May Can you talk through your day? Which group are you in? What does the group do?

I sit in the Corporate BD team, supporting the lawyers as they build, strengthen and broaden their relationships with clients and targets. Corporate is the largest department at Slaughter and May, and a number of the firm’s flagship initiatives and events are led from it. That means it’s our job to help shape those initiatives and events, promote and get support for them internally and then present them in a way that will be meaningful to our clients and targets. My day is a combination of desk work and meetings with colleagues; I enjoy the variety of the role and the opportunity to discuss and debate ideas that it affords.

What part of the job gives you the biggest buzz?

Client targeting - a process that requires you to put all your skills to the test. I need to know what that potential client wants and needs, how best to market Slaughter and May’s offering, and be ready to capitalise on an opportunity when it arises. Winning new clients can take months and months, so working with the partners over that period to develop and refine a proposition is both challenging and exciting.

What is your favourite aspect of Slaughter and May?

The constant strive for excellence that everyone at the firm possesses. It motivates you to be better at what you do and in such an environment it’s impossible not to learn and improve. I’m fortunate to work with such inspiring people every day.

Our cultureHow would you describe the culture here?

The culture is open and collegiate. We succeed as a team and we learn from our mistakes as a team. Within that is unlimited space for individuality and creative thinking - the culture encourages you to put ideas forward and to challenge the normal way of doing things. I’m still waiting for my idea of free chocolate for all to be approved.

What qualities do you think someone needs to be successful in BD?

I don’t think there’s a set recipe, but determination, empathy, inquisitiveness, commerciality and humour is a good place to start. Being good at your job is one thing, but connecting to people and being able to take different situations in your stride is just as important.

Business Development - Exec Academy 13

Managing my career. And having fun too.What are the hours like, and how do you try to keep a healthy work/ life balance?

The hours are mostly predictable, but like any job there are both quiet and busy periods. The key is to manage that and use your time accordingly. If I can leave on time I will – there’s no culture of staying late for the sake of it. During busier periods I find going for a swim at lunchtime a good way to reset and come back to work energised in the afternoon. Slaughter and May encourage a balanced lifestyle, so I take advantage of the working from home initiative too.

What are your hobbies/interests?

I like being active, whether that’s swimming, football, golf or hiking. I’m a big reader too, and find that equally as therapeutic as trying to hit a ball down a fairway.

Any advice?What advice would you give to students looking to join us?

Firstly, identify what makes you and Slaughter and May different. As simple as it sounds, it requires a lot of introspection and research, skills that will stand you in good stead. Secondly, adopt an enthusiastic, energetic approach. Both traits are infectious and make things far more enjoyable.

Is there anything you wish you had known before you joined - about Slaughter and May or the role. Were your expectations met?

I wish I had known what a friendly, close-knit place the firm was. I thought I was coming into a rigid, corporate environment and instead encountered the complete opposite. Everyone works hard here, but has fun too. I’ve been at the firm for nearly five years now, so I clearly like it!

And your favourite moment at the firm?It’s quite a long ‘moment’, but undoubtedly the year leading up to my promotion. The Corporate BD team was much smaller then and we had a lot of responsibility on our shoulders. However, there was such energy and drive that the long hours, late nights and challenging work were truly enjoyable. To have that effort formally recognised by the firm was the icing on the cake.

The culture encourages you to put ideas forward and to challenge the normal way of doing things.

Key benefits

30 days of annual leave with the option to apply annually for up to

five days’ unpaid leave (pro-rated for part-time employees)

Interest-free season ticket loan

Money purchase pension scheme

Life assurance

Lifestyle benefits

Subsidised restaurant and coffee bar

Enhanced family leave pay

Access to a range of special offers and shopping discounts

Concierge service

A variety of entertainment benefits at London theatres and galleries

through our corporate memberships

Bike racks, lockers and shower rooms

Cycle to work scheme

Payroll giving for tax-free donations to charity

Matched funding for individual fundraisers

Eight diversity support networks

Prayer and contemplation space

Annual dinner dance, social events and networking

Wellness benefits

Subsidised health club membership

Private medical insurance (personal and family)

Dental Insurance (self-paid)

Onsite GP service

Health screenings

Personal accident cover

Confidential Employee Assistance Programme

A range of sports and clubs

Mental health and wellbeing platform


In addition to offering a competitive salary of £27,000, the firm currently offers the benefits listed below. These may change from time-to-time so please consult our website for the most recent listing. We will detail the benefits package for the successful candidate in our offer letter.

Investing in you

Our current benefits package


Getting involved

Extra-curricular and social activities

We’re lucky that we enjoy each other’s company, and this extends into social, community outreach and sporting activities. We will encourage you to continue with the interests that made you interesting to us. Who knows, perhaps you’ll introduce one of them to us?

Once you join us there are plenty of activities to get involved in – both within your group and with the rest of the firm.

We have a variety of clubs, including football, rugby, cricket, netball, art and a book club. Our diversity networks organise talks on a range of subjects and hold regular social events open to everyone in the firm.

Clubs

Art

Book

Choral

Cricket

Cycling

Football

Gardening

Hockey

Netball

Rugby

Squash

Volunteering opportunities

Mentoring and tutoring young people from disadvantaged backgrounds

Working on strategic projects to build the capacity and sustainability of local charities

Employability and enterprise mentoring in the local community

Befriending older people

Reading with primary school pupils


Responsible business

Slaughter and May has a reputation for providing exceptional legal service, which is recognised and valued by our clients. But there is more to us than this. We are an outward looking, internationally minded collective of individuals who possess significant resources, knowledge and influence to create a substantial and positive impact.

Taking a sustainable approach to our business means that as well as adding value for our clients, we have a positive social and environmental impact. As part of this we are continually investing in our local community, preserving our environment, ensuring that our working culture is diverse and inclusive and

that our employment opportunities are open and accessible to all based on individual qualities and personal merit. We involve all of our people to take personal responsibility to make this happen.

We have made a number of commitments to globally recognised initiatives such the UN’s Global Compact, the Sustainable Development Goals, RE100 and Science Based Targets, and we use these as a framework for our strategy.

Our aim is to integrate sustainability into the strategic and operational decisions made at the firm so that it becomes part of our everyday business interactions.


Our Network of Networks

The firm has eight diversity networks run by employees and supported by partners. Collectively we form a Network of Networks and our aim is to foster a spirit of inclusion, both amongst the networks and the firm more widely. We work collaboratively with each other and the firm to create a more open minded and inclusive work environment. We strive to make people feel comfortable about being authentic to themselves at work.

Each network offers an informal support mechanism for employees with a similar background, perspective or interests and hosts a number of exciting formal and informal events throughout the year, that are open to everyone.

It’s a great way for you to meet new people in the firm celebrate difference and learn about different experiences and perspectives.

Networks

Family Network

Christian Network

Muslim Network

PRISM Thrive GENDIVERSE J-Net

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business development academy · deutsche bank diageo ericsson esure firstgroup ge general motors...

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