This is me: Harry

Who are you and what do you do here at Flex Legal?

Hello! I'm Harry. I’m based in Manchester and work in Flex’s Sales & Marketing Team as part of the Northern Hub. My role focuses on generating new business for Flex and developing client relationships.

What’s your story?

I graduated from University of Bristol with a law degree in 2019. Following graduation, I began working as a property paralegal at a small firm in Manchester to gain some practical experience. This was my first taste of a professional legal role outside of short internships, and I enjoyed assisting fee-earners on transactions for a range of commercial and private clients. The transition from student to working life is always a tricky one, however I was grateful for incredibly supportive colleagues who made the process as seamless as possible!

After five months at the firm I became aware of a role opening in the HQ team at Flex. I had already onboarded prior to starting as a paralegal and I followed the company’s growth during the subsequent months. The opportunity to work as part of the core team at a rapidly expanding legal tech start-up was too good to miss and I started in the Bookings Team in January 2020. My role has slowly transitioned into one with more of a sales and development focus, however the beauty of working at a start-up/scale-up is that you are able to get stuck into all aspects of the business! My long-term goal is to qualify as a solicitor, however I am pleased to say that I am in no rush to leave Flex.

What's your favourite thing about working at Flex Legal?

It’s impossible to narrow it down to one thing, so I will give two: the culture and the diversity of work. I know the first is a cliché, but the working environment is fantastic and is entirely attributable to Flex’s senior management. Working at a small company during COVID-19 has posed inevitable challenges, however I have felt supported throughout. On a macro-level, Flex wants its employees to develop and reach their personal and professional goals. This has been apparent from the start of my role and I have felt comfortable being transparent about my career beyond Flex. Not only has everyone at Flex been ok with this, but they have actively helped me with applications and preparation. On a micro-level, a few highlights have been receiving brownies through the post at the start of lockdown as a morale booster and communal games of Among Us every Friday over Zoom!

Further, the breadth of work I am exposed to is great for building my wider business and legal understanding. I have been involved in completing proposals for tenders with multinational companies, developing our outbound sales strategy through automation, building Flex’s online community through social media and virtual events, and lots more. What I particularly enjoy about working at Flex is the speed at which I can pitch my ideas to senior management and see those ideas implemented (if they’re any good!). This responsiveness to change is far harder to come by at larger organisations, and it keeps me excited to log on every morning because I know that I am able to add real value to the team.

What is your favourite Flex value and why?

Flex’s ‘human’ approach to everything we do is really important. What I’ve mentioned so far relates to how Flex supports myself or my colleagues. However, the company’s values extend beyond this and into our wider legal community. Flex fundamentally cares about those at all stages of their legal journey - from law students through to trainees and experienced lawyers. The application process is as simple as possible, and our virtual onboarding is more about what we can do for the candidate than vice versa. This idea is further supported by our regular virtual events for paralegals and junior lawyers to help build their networks whilst working remotely. I am fully behind Flex’s mission to modernise the legal industry and improve accessibility, and I think doing so with a human-focus is imperative!

What does working Flex-ibly mean to you and how do you do it?

To me, working Flex-ibly is about balancing professional and personal goals. Each person has different priorities and should seek an environment where these are both achievable. It is about working for an employer that understands that life exists outside of your role, and implements practices to encourage job satisfaction and healthy mental well-being. Flex demonstrated this during lockdown by allowing me to decide my own working hours to best fit my schedule, and by ensuring my own development through regular ‘feed-forward’ sessions with my manager. Working at Flex has shown me that a good balance can be struck between your career and personal life, and this is something I will seek moving forwards.