I think we can proceed with this blog, confident in one thing. The vast majority (if not all of you) who read my blogs do so primarily to find out more about our service offering or how we at RSP function as a company.

That is, I am sad to say, somewhat heartbreaking for me, and my ego may take some time to mend knowing that it is not the power of weekly ramblings which has you coming back every Thursday morning.

But we must all be realistic, and I must be realistic in knowing that you want to hear precisely how we can help you.

Whether you're a candidate or the managing partner of a future client firm, what is important to you is knowing the benefits RSP can bring. At the core of this is providing that new stage of a career to a candidate and for clients, providing top quality candidates which will align with the firm's ambitions.

Easy to say, and no doubt every recruiter would say this. But there is a subtle difference with RSP.

It is about trust and integrity, as well as quality. Now I would say it's about quality, wouldn't I? I'm hardly likely to say that we offer a poor service. Having said that, there was once a pub near to where I used to live in Norfolk with a welcome sign saying "Crap food! Equally bad service!" Needless to say, it went out of business years ago...

Back to RSP, and please bear with me.

Candidates have to know that the information which is shared with a recruiter isn't going to be abused. This means, not immediately going out and saturating the market with a poorly written and formatted CV, ensuring that every opportunity will be permanently shut to the candidate. Or sending a CV 6 months later regardless of whether the candidate is still searching. Or my personal favourite, sending a CV along with a covering note saying that they are working with this quality candidate who is now seeking a new opportunity, to the candidate's existing firm.

For clients, the service is about taking the time to build a relationship, to understand where the firm or the team wants to be in 5 or 10 years hence, and where the candidate will fit into this. It is about knowing the culture and the type of candidate required.

This principle is applicable to any sized firm.

Both are highly connected, and candidates and clients work with RSP knowing a high-quality service for one creates positive results for the other.

But for this to happen, we need to know what it is that you want, what you really want. Hence my earlier reference to the Spice Girls...

Are you looking for a quick fix? Are you not particularly interested in where you end up or the type of candidate who will be introduced to you? Are you not interested in the culture of the firm as long as they pay you what you feel you deserve? Managing partners, are you not interested in how a candidate will fit in as long as they meet the billing targets that you will set?

As we said last week, we meet managing partners who pay little attention to these questions as long as the candidate can demonstrate a large following. That's fine, up to a point, and would be hypocritical of me if I don't acknowledge that making money is a key consideration for all of us.

But a high salary or a high billing figure is not a guarantee of long-term success. If you're a candidate, think about your future career progression or whether the firm only values you for the money you are making as opposed to you as a valuable asset for mutual development.

If you're a managing partner, then congratulations if you have built a team of high performers. But switch it round, what will happen if your lawyers realise that you view them purely as a cash cow, and you have done little to invest in team building or culture. In short, you have failed to successfully answer the key question, is my firm somewhere where lawyers want to work?

We see this often, especially within smaller firms or teams. There is ambition and historical success, and I would really like to emphasise that the clients are quality lawyers and successful in their own right. However, this does not guarantee that they have the strategic vision, and have a team who have left because of the failure to implement a successful culture.

Many are now in the position of rebuilding are work with us in order to find that missing ingredient.

Once again, I ask you, what do you want?

If you want the quick approach, then fine, we wish you well.

But if you want to take a more considered long-term approach to with your career or to your firm's development, then let's work together.