Start with the work that will be owned
A legal title alone is not a recruiting brief. For a Columbus search, define the matters, clients, authority, reporting line and work model before outreach starts. Separate required experience from experience that would be useful but trainable.
Recruiting assignments we separate on purpose
Associate attorney, in-house counsel, paralegal and legal operations searches each carry different evidence of fit. We do not treat title variations as interchangeable.
- Law firm associate and counsel hiring
- In-house and product counsel recruiting
- Paralegal and legal-support recruitment
Local market context
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 4,960 lawyers employed in the Columbus metropolitan area in May 2025, with a median annual wage of $137,810. This is labor-market context, not a salary recommendation for a specific role. Columbus is a market where regulated-industry experience, client responsibility and the reporting line need a common definition before sourcing.
A permanent hire needs a decision-ready brief
BEGHR helps employers scope direct-hire searches. The employer makes the employment decision and directly employs the hire. Scope, fee, candidate ownership, timing and any replacement terms are set in the agreed engagement before a search begins.
From vacancy to candidate interviews
BEGHR’s published placement timeframe is 23 to 35 days. The search runs in four steps.
- Discovery call: Discuss the role, practice or business context, compensation range, the actual Columbus work location and the people who will interview. BEGHR confirms the search scope and the fee before sourcing begins.
- Direct candidate sourcing: BEGHR contacts candidates directly, including employed attorneys and paralegals who would consider a move but are not applying through job boards. Law school enrollment is down roughly 30% since 2010, so the strongest lateral candidates are usually passive.
- Screened shortlist: Review 3 to 5 screened candidates measured against the agreed brief: practice work, seniority, admission in Ohio where the role requires it, work model and compensation fit. Your team interviews, selects and hires directly.
- Offer and start: BEGHR coordinates interviews, candidate communication and offer support. The employer makes the offer, verifies credentials through the official authority and employs the hire directly. A 45-day replacement guarantee applies under the engagement.
Follow the search. Understand each invoice.
Billing is milestone-based and starts after applicants are sent. The fee is roughly 50% less than contingency recruiters, with a 45-day replacement guarantee and 50% off a repeat hire for the same role.
- Kick off and agree the billing plan: Define the role, required experience and candidate profile. Confirm the fee, billable milestones, invoice schedule and payment terms in your client agreement before work starts.
- Build qualified candidate leads: The recruiting team sources prospects and screens them against your brief. Weekly calibration reviews candidate quality, the pipeline and any change needed to the sourcing strategy.
- Approve candidates; billing begins: Review qualified candidates and confirm which meet your criteria before interviews. BEGHR’s published process starts billing after applicants are sent; your agreement defines the billable work, milestones and amounts.
- Interview, select and hire: The recruiter coordinates interviews, candidate communication and offer support. You select the hire. BEGHR invoices on your agreed cadence, at least monthly during billable service delivery.