Law firms in the City of London are introducing mandatory programmes to train junior lawyers in communication skills, including how to speak on the phone and engage with clients in person.

Addleshaw Goddard's 'early careers' team launched a training programme after identifying that some early-career lawyers "may have had limited exposure to a professional services environment and may benefit from additional support around workplace expectations, communication and confidence", the firm told City AM.

The programme coaches young employees in workplace technology, professional etiquette, "business communication", and "working with colleagues from different generations."

Aisha Saeed, early careers manager at Addleshaw Goddard, told City AM that when designing the firm's development pathway — which spans different progression routes taking individuals from apprentices to fully qualified lawyers — "we identified communication as a key area of focus."

"Our aim is not to address a skills deficit, but to provide practical support that helps people navigate professional life, build relationships and communicate effectively with colleagues, clients and stakeholders," Saeed added.

Ella Clarkson, a solicitor apprentice at Addleshaw Goddard who took part in the programme's trial, said it "has had a positive impact on both my development and the quality of my work."

Other City law firms have introduced similar programmes for young hires, including Winston Taylor. Wendy Tomlinson, chief people officer at Winston Taylor, told City AM that the firm also mandates telephone training for its junior lawyers, describing it as "focused on communication, collaboration and relationship-building, including understanding different communication styles and learning how to adapt their approach to clients and colleagues."

"While there is a lot of discussion about whether younger professionals need training on telephone calls, we think the broader issue is helping people become confident and effective communicators in every setting," she said.

Tomlinson added that "today's lawyers need an even broader communication toolkit than previous generations, because they're navigating a greater variety of channels and audiences from the start of their careers."

'Phone anxiety' courses for Gen Z

Often referred to as 'telephobia', the issue is not unique to younger staff beginning their careers at law firms. According to YouGov polling from March, only a third (33 per cent) of Gen Z respondents said they were comfortable making phone calls, compared with 67 per cent of Boomers and 49 per cent of millennials. Asked about their preferred method of communication, just 17 per cent of Gen Z chose the telephone, whereas 65 per cent opted for text, email, or instant messaging.

British universities and colleges are also adopting similar concepts to help young people build communication skills before entering the workforce. Nottingham College, for example, runs a course designed for companies to "help your Gen-Z employees overcome phone anxiety" and "its impact on professional performance".

The college aimed the course at a variety of sectors, including the professional services industry such as law firms, teaching Gen Z employees how to communicate with clients on case updates and financial matters.

The course began as an interview skills course, but the college said telephone interviews "emerged as a very significant need, and as a result, we developed the bespoke session off the back of this."

"Many young people have grown up communicating primarily through texts, voice notes and online platforms, so they often have fewer opportunities to practise real-time phone conversations," Nottingham College careers advisor Liz Baxter told City AM.

Because of this, Baxter added, young people often "lack the experience of the back and forth of a two-way conversation and having to listen and then formulate a response in real time."