Transform Your Law Firm’s Hiring Success with Science-Backed Assessment Tests

Stop gambling with $100,000–plus hiring decisions. Every mistaken hire at your law firm costs you more than just salary—it’s lost billable hours, client relationships at risk, team disruption, and months of recovery time.

Make smarter hiring decisions with Best Era’s comprehensive Hiring Assessment Tests designed specifically for law firm owners. Our dual-assessment approach combines the DISC Behavioral Test and the Hartman Values Index to give you a complete picture of your candidates—how they act and why they act that way.

The Hidden Cost of Bad Hires in Legal Practice

The average cost of a bad hire ranges from $15,000 for support staff to over $100,000 for senior attorneys. But in law firms, the real damage goes deeper:

Client relationships suffer when incompetent staff handle sensitive matters.
Team morale plummets when toxic personalities disrupt your culture.
Productivity drops as you spend time managing instead of practicing law.
Reputation risks emerge from poor judgment calls and ethical lapses.
Turnover accelerates as good employees leave due to bad team dynamics.

Why Traditional Law Firm Hiring Falls Short

Most law firm owners make hiring decisions based on:

Impressive resumes and credentials
Strong interview performance
Gut feelings and first impressions
Referrals from trusted sources

The problem? None of these predict actual job performance, cultural fit, or long-term success. That charismatic candidate might be a nightmare to manage. That quiet, competent interviewee might become your most valuable team member.

At Connecticut Trial Firm, our success rate with hiring jumped from 50% to 80% after implementing these assessments. That’s a 60% improvement in hiring accuracy. You can achieve the same transformation.

Our Dual-Assessment Solution

The dual-assessment solution is broken down as follows:

DISC Behavioral Assessment: $100
Hartman/Axiology (Values Index) Test: $100
Bundle Both: Just $150 (Save $50)

Each test delivers actionable insights you can apply immediately to your hiring decisions—and to your management approach once they’re hired.

Do you have to buy both? No! When you reach out to us to buy, we can suggest which one could be best for your needs. Do we think using them both is helpful? Absolutely! Learn more about how these tests can provide amazing insights when used together.

Deep Dive: DISC Behavioral Test — “How They Show Up”

The DISC assessment measures how a candidate naturally behaves and communicates in different situations. It evaluates four key behavioral dimensions:

Dominance (D): Direct, results-oriented, decisive

High D Example: Perfect for litigation, business development, leadership roles
Low D Example: Better for research, compliance, and detail-oriented tasks

Influence (I): Enthusiastic, optimistic, people-focused

High I Example: Ideal for client relations, marketing, and team collaboration
Low I Example: Suited for independent work, technical writing, and analysis

Steadiness (S): Patient, reliable, supportive

High S Example: Excellent for case management, client services, and administrative roles
Low S Example: Thrives in fast-paced, varied environments like court appearances

Conscientiousness (C): Accurate, analytical, systematic

High C Example: Perfect for legal research, document review, compliance
Low C Example: Better for big-picture strategy, client development, leadership

What DISC Reveals for Law Firms:

Communication preferences: How they prefer to receive feedback and instructions
Stress responses: What triggers them and how they react under pressure
Work pace: Whether they thrive with deadlines or need a steady workflow
Team dynamics: How they’ll interact with existing staff and partners
Management needs: The leadership style that brings out their best performance

Real-World DISC Applications:

For Litigation Teams: High D personalities excel at aggressive advocacy and court presence, while High C types are invaluable for case preparation and legal research.

For Client Services: High I personalities naturally build rapport and trust, while High S types provide the consistent, reliable support clients expect.

Ideal For: Predicting day-to-day performance, understanding team fit, and improving communication.

Limitation: Doesn’t reveal internal motivations, values, or judgment quality.

Deep Dive: Hartman Values Index — “Why They Show Up That Way”

This assessment digs into a person’s internal value system and decision-making process, which is crucial for legal professionals who must make sound judgments under pressure.

The Hartman Values Index measures three dimensions of thinking:

Intrinsic Values: How they value people, relationships, and personal growth
Extrinsic Values: How they value systems, processes, and practical results
Systemic Values: How they value concepts, ideas, and theoretical frameworks

What the Values Index Reveals:

Judgment quality: How well they evaluate situations and make decisions
Motivational drivers: What truly drives their behavior and choices
Ethical alignment: Whether their values match your firm’s mission and standards
Leadership potential: Their capacity for strategic thinking and people development
Stress management: How they handle pressure and maintain perspective
Client focus: Whether they genuinely care about client outcomes or just personal success

Critical for Law Firms Because:

Ethics Matter: Legal professionals face constant ethical dilemmas. This test reveals who has the judgment and values to make the right choices.

Client Trust is Everything: Clients need to trust their legal team. The Values Index shows who genuinely cares about client welfare versus personal gain.

Long-term Thinking: Law is about precedent and consequences. This test identifies who thinks strategically versus reactively.

Ideal For: Assessing long-term potential, leadership capability, and ethical alignment.

Limitation: Doesn’t show how they behave outwardly with others.

The Power of Both: A Whole-Person Hiring Strategy

Here’s why the combination is transformational:

Single Assessment Limitations:

DISC Alone: You might hire someone who interviews well and seems confident (High D, High I) but lacks the judgment and values to handle client matters ethically.

Values Index Alone: You might hire someone with excellent values and judgment but whose communication style clashes with your team or client expectations.

Combined Assessment Advantages:

Whole-Person View: Understand both behaviors and internal drivers for complete candidate evaluation.
Job Fit Accuracy: Match DISC profiles with specific role demands:
- Litigators: High D for courtroom presence and Strong Extrinsic values for systematic case building
- Legal Researchers: High C for detail orientation and Strong Systemic values for conceptual thinking
- Client Relations: High I for relationship building and Strong Intrinsic values for genuine care
- Paralegals: High S for steady support and Strong Extrinsic values for process adherence
Culture Fit Guarantee: Ensure both communication styles (DISC) and core values (Hartman) align with your team.
Motivation Clarity: Understand if they’re driven by ego, service, recognition, or mastery—critical for long-term satisfaction and performance.
Management Customization: Tailor your leadership approach based on both behavioral traits and internal values.
Red Flag Detection: Avoid hiring charming but unethical candidates or those with poor judgment despite strong credentials.
Legal Defensibility: Demonstrate a structured, validated, and job-relevant hiring process that can withstand scrutiny.

Addressing Common Concerns

While every firm’s needs are unique, we often encounter many of the same concerns. Here are some answers and explanations to common questions.

Are These Tests Legally Defensible?

Yes. Both DISC and the Hartman Values Index are scientifically validated, job-relevant assessments. They measure traits directly related to job performance and are widely accepted in professional settings.

What if Candidates Fake Their Answers?

Multiple safeguards exist to prevent this. The assessments include validity scales that detect inconsistent responses. More importantly, sustained deception is nearly impossible. Their true nature will emerge in the workplace.

What if We Need People Who Can Start Immediately?

The process is fast. Assessments take 30 minutes total. Results are available within 24 hours. This small time investment prevents months of problems later.

What if Our Team is Too Small for Formal Assessments?

Small firms benefit most. Every hire has a huge impact. You can’t afford to get it wrong. The cost of one bad hire far exceeds the assessment investment.

Who Benefits Most from Our Hiring Assessments?

Ideal candidates for our service include:

Solo practitioners ready to hire their first employee
Small law firms (2–15 attorneys) building their teams
Mid–size firms (16–50 attorneys) improving hiring consistency
Legal departments within corporations
Specialty practices with unique cultural requirements
Firms experiencing high turnover or cultural challenges
Growing practices scaling rapidly and needing proven hiring systems

Specific Use Cases:

Partner–level hires: Ensure alignment with firm vision and values.
Associate attorney recruitment: Find lawyers who’ll thrive in your practice environment.
Paralegal and support staff: Build reliable, client-focused support teams.
Business development roles: Identify natural relationship builders with integrity.
Administrative leadership: Find managers who can lead with both competence and character.

The ROI of Better Hiring

Consider the true cost of your next hire. This includes direct costs such as:

Salary and benefits: $50,000-$200,000+ annually
Assessment investment: $150 (bundle price)
ROI ratio: 300:1 to 1,300:1 if assessment prevents one bad hire

You must also account for indirect benefits like the following:

Reduced turnover: Save $15,000-$100,000 per avoided bad hire.
Faster productivity: Good hires contribute immediately, whereas bad hires drain resources for months.
Client retention: Competent, ethical staff strengthen client relationships.
Team morale: The right hire energizes your team, while the wrong hire poisons company culture.
Your time: Spend time practicing law rather than managing problem employees.
Growth acceleration: Strong teams handle more work, take on bigger cases, and attract better clients.

Your Next Steps

Don’t leave your next hire to chance. The cost of guessing wrong is too high, and the benefits of getting it right are too valuable.

Option 1: Start with Single Assessment

DISC Behavioral Test: Perfect for understanding day-to-day fit ($100)
Hartman Values Test: Ideal for assessing judgment and ethics ($100)

Option 2: Complete Solution (Recommended)

Bundle Both Assessments: $150, which means you save $50 and get the complete picture

Ready to Transform Your Hiring?

Related Services to Accelerate Your Success

Consider these services to boost your success:

Law Firm Growth Consulting

Once you have the right team, we help you build systems and strategies to scale your practice effectively. {internal link to subscription consulting menu on homepage}

Leadership Coaching for Attorneys

Develop your management skills to lead your new, high-performing team to even greater success. {internal link to Weekly Coaching service page}

Team Development Workshops

Use DISC and Values insights to improve communication, reduce conflict, and increase productivity among existing staff or the leadership team. {Not available yet, but will want internal link to this service offering}

Your Competitive Advantage Starts Here

The legal market is more competitive than ever. Clients have more choices, margins are under pressure, and talented professionals have multiple opportunities.

Your team is your competitive advantage. The firms that consistently make better hiring decisions will pull ahead of those still relying on gut instinct and hope.

Best Era’s Hiring Assessment Tests give you that advantage. Your next top performer is just a test away. Ready to stop gambling with your hiring decisions? Get Started Today – Bundle Both Tests for $150

Best Era – Empowering law firms to build better teams, serve clients better, and grow more profitably.

Law Firm Hiring Assessments