Stop gambling with $100,000+ hiring decisions. Every mis-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
Consider this: 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
DISC Behavioral Assessment – $100
Hartman/Axiology (Values Index) Test – $100
Bundle Both for Just $150 (Save $50)
Each test delivers actionable insights you can apply immediately to your hiring decisions—and 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, detail-oriented tasks
Influence (I): Enthusiastic, optimistic, people-focused
- High I Example: Ideal for client relations, marketing, team collaboration
- Low I Example: Suited for independent work, technical writing, analysis
Steadiness (S): Patient, reliable, supportive
- High S Example: Excellent for case management, client services, 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 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—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 + Strong Extrinsic values for systematic case building
- Legal Researchers: High C for detail orientation + Strong Systemic values for conceptual thinking
- Client Relations: High I for relationship building + Strong Intrinsic values for genuine care
- Paralegals: High S for steady support + 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
“Are these tests legally defensible?”
Yes. Both DISC and 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: The assessments include validity scales that detect inconsistent responses. More importantly, sustained deception is nearly impossible—their true nature will emerge in the workplace.
“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.
“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:
- 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:
Direct Costs:
- 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
Indirect Benefits:
- Reduced turnover: Save $15,000-$100,000 per avoided bad hire
- Faster productivity: Good hires contribute immediately, bad hires drain resources for months
- Client retention: Competent, ethical staff strengthen client relationships
- Team morale: Right hires energize your team, wrong hires poison culture
- Your time: Spend time practicing law, not managing problem employees
- Growth acceleration: Strong teams handle more work, take on bigger cases, 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: $100 – Perfect for understanding day-to-day fit
- Hartman Values Test: $100 – Ideal for assessing judgment and ethics
Option 2: Complete Solution (Recommended)
- Bundle Both Assessments: $150 – Save $50 and get the complete picture
Ready to Transform Your Hiring?
Related Services to Accelerate 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 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.