At Brooks Pierce, Shannon DeGennaro, Director of Recruiting and Professional Development, found that simplifying was the key to scaling. When she sat down with Flo Content Manager Elizabeth Greiner, Shannon shared how her team uses Flo to manage everything from partner hiring to law student recruiting, proving that a single, centralized system setup can deliver the flexibility and polish needed for every kind of candidate.
Q: Can you tell us about your role at Brooks Pierce and the scope of your responsibilities?
Shannon: I’ve been at Brooks Pierce for 4.5 years as the Director of Recruiting and Professional Development. My team and I manage the entire recruiting lifecycle, from law students and clerks to lateral associates and partners. We’re involved in onboarding, mentoring, training, annual evaluations, and even the partnership review process. I really get to see the full lifecycle of an attorney at the firm, which is a big part of why having a tool like Flo Recruit has been so valuable.
We have four offices across the state, and my team includes one full-time recruiting coordinator and another who splits time between recruiting and PD. It’s a lean operation, so we need tools that are intuitive, efficient, and help us do more with less.
Q: What Flo Recruit products does your team use?
Shannon: We started using Flo Recruit around the time I started, primarily for interviews. We wanted a tool that worked well with law schools and was already familiar to students. Not having to rely on Zoom or disjointed processes was a game-changer. It was more professional and far easier to manage, not just for students, but for laterals and our attorneys as well.
The experience was so positive across the board, from candidates, attorneys, and our team, that we expanded our Flo products to include the applicant tracking system (ATS) as well. Everything lives in one place now, which is so important for how we work.
We’re also using Flo Forward, which we love. We have strong relationships with a small group of law schools that produce most of our attorneys, and Flo Forward helps us amplify our presence with law students beyond those campuses.
Most recently, we decided to adopt Flo Perform to manage our evaluation process for both attorneys and staff. Our old tool was sunsetted, and honestly, the transition couldn’t have come at a better time. It's just wonderful to have all these tools fit seamlessly together for all aspects of what we do from recruiting through evaluations for everyone at the firm.
Q: What made you decide to switch to the Flo ATS?
Shannon: We were already using Flo for interviews and loved it, so when it came time to switch our ATS, it just made sense. The transition was simple because I was already comfortable with the platform. New technology doesn’t always feel the most intuitive to me when I’m first learning, but Flo makes it easy. I can figure things out myself or get quick help from the CS team, which has been incredible.
The real tipping point was the time savings, not just for my team, but, more importantly, for the attorneys. When we save time for attorneys, that can be quantified in billable hours gained, and that is huge.
Q: You use Flo for partner, lateral associate, and summer associate recruiting, how does it support all these functions?
Shannon: What’s great is that it works seamlessly across everything. We’re one team managing all types of recruiting, and it’s essential to have everything in one system. Even if we had separate teams, we’d still want the same tool, otherwise, you’re just siloing information and making things harder for everyone.
There’s no real difference in how we use Flo for a lateral partner versus a summer associate in terms of the information. The sources may be different, as partners often come through referrals for us, but the process, the need to track information, schedule interviews, gather evaluations, and report outcomes, is the same. And it all lives in one place.
For example, when we opened our Charlotte office, we brought in a group of attorneys. It was a different kind of recruiting effort, but the way we used Flo to keep all the information is still the same.
Q: Has Flo helped you customize processes for lateral recruiting?
Shannon: Absolutely. The communication style might be different with lateral candidates compared to students, but the functionality is just as strong. Whether someone is familiar with Flo or not, the user experience is professional and intuitive, which is exactly the first impression we want to give. We know that current law students are very familiar with the product from law school interviews and now Flo Forward, but I expect that as we continue to hire laterals, they will also have seen it in law school and beyond. But, whether you’re familiar with the platform or not, it’s just easy to use and so polished.
Q: Can you quantify any time savings or other efficiencies?
Shannon: The time savings have been huge. One of the big selling points when we moved to Flo was the promise of saving time, and it has delivered, especially for our attorneys. The interview evaluation process used to involve PDF forms and post-interview emails, and so many spreadsheets. Now, everything is built into the platform. Attorneys tell us how much easier it is to use, and they don’t need to go looking for anything.
It’s also helped us report out to the recruiting committee in a much more streamlined way. The efficiency gains have been invaluable.
Q: What advice would you give to another firm considering Flo Recruit for lateral hiring?
Shannon: It’s the user experience you want your lateral candidates to have. That initial interaction with your firm matters, and Flo makes sure it’s polished and professional. It’s simply the best tool out there.
Q: Is there anything else you’d like to share?
Shannon: I’ve been in legal recruiting for 15 years, on both the law school and law firm side, and I’ve used a lot of recruiting tools. Flo isn’t just the best from a technological standpoint, it’s also the best from a client partnership standpoint. Their customer service is responsive, thoughtful, and solutions-oriented. That makes a world of difference. I always feel heard, and we have thoughtful conversations about the product.
Conclusion
For Shannon and the Brooks Pierce team, Flo Recruit has become more than just a tool, it’s a partner in every phase of their recruiting and talent development strategy. From campus outreach to partner hires and staff evaluations, Flo provides a centralized, intuitive, and professional experience that saves time and strengthens internal processes.
As the legal industry continues to evolve, Brooks Pierce is staying ahead, equipped with a platform that not only supports their needs today, but will scale with them for the future.