Three streams, three calendars
Article assistants look for firms after their intermediate results, so the intake bunches in the months that follow. Law interns come in during law school breaks, and the good ones become next year's associates. Newly qualified CAs are hired through the institute's campus placement drives and direct applications after the final results. Laterals, from senior associates to managers, come through referrals and portals and can join at any time, though firms prefer them before the season rather than in the middle of it.
Tests that look like the job
An interview shows how a candidate talks about work; a test shows how they do it. Keep each test short, set it in the office or on a video call, and score it the same way for every candidate. Record the score as a screening note so the partner sees it before the final interview.
- Tax: a computation of total income from a set of facts in 45 minutes
- Audit: review a trial balance and list what you would test
- Litigation: draft a short reply to a legal notice
- Corporate law: mark up a two-page agreement
- Consulting: a structured case discussion with a manager
Partner interviews that actually happen
Good candidates are lost while waiting for a partner's free hour. Offer interview slots that partners have blocked in advance, and let candidates pick one. Keep partner rounds short and decisive, and send the offer the same week. For articles, a panel of one partner and one senior can see several candidates in an afternoon, and a decision the same evening beats a rival firm that takes a fortnight.
Sources and the careers page
A careers page with a short application form brings direct applications from students and qualified professionals who already know the firm's name. Add referrals from current articles and associates, who know what the work demands, and from alumni who moved to industry but still recommend juniors. Track which source produced people who completed their articleship or stayed two years, not just who joined.
How to set it up in ZeniaHR
- Open requisitions in Recruitment Hub for each stream, articles, qualified hires and laterals, with the number of openings per team.
- Put openings on the careers page, where the multi-step form can ask for exam status and the practice area of interest.
- Read the resume match score breakdown for skills and education, and record test scores as screening notes.
- Block partner interview slots in advance and let candidates choose from them.
- Issue offers online and, once a candidate accepts, move them to onboarding with the planned joining date.
- Watch the funnel and pending offers in recruitment analytics during the intake months after results.
Read more about recruitment in ZeniaHR.
Roles this applies to
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When do CA firms hire article assistants?
Mostly in the months after intermediate results, when students look for articleship, though firms take articles through the year as places open. Plan the intake so new articles join before the busy season rather than in the middle of it, when nobody has time to train them.
How do law firms test associate candidates?
Many law firms use a short drafting exercise, such as a reply to a legal notice or a mark-up of an agreement, along with interviews by a senior associate and a partner. Interns who did well during law school internships are often offered associate roles on the strength of that work.
Where do consulting firms find experienced hires?
Mostly through referrals from current staff and alumni, professional networks and job portals, with a structured case discussion in the interview process. Firms prefer laterals to join before a large engagement starts, so the requisition should open well in advance of the start date.