In this piece from Corporate Counsel Business Journal, Todd Purdy, VP of Epiq, discusses “myth-busting” data points derived from his experience with e-discovery review teams in the U.S. and India. “When you approach a vendor for managed review of documents for litigation or an investigation, every single one will tell you they have the best people,” Purdy says. “But if everyone has the best people, how do you know what sets service providers apart for you, your firm or company, and your specific need?” From there he trots out four myth busters to use in evaluating a landscape populated by what are, by and large, temp workers:
- Competitive Pay. “Not surprisingly, the first thing review attorneys look for is competitive pay. People are aware of their value and if they perceive that they are being undervalued by their employer, it is not a starting point for success because they are not going to feel that their best interests are being considered.”
- Career Growth. “A Managed Review vendor who is sensitive to the needs of the rank-and-file reviewers will have a program in place for training reviewers for higher level tasks and management skills. More importantly, it will have ongoing training for those who have risen to management levels in order to keep abreast of trends in the industry and to improve their technical skills.”
- Team Structure. “How are people organized? Are reviewers in a general population of plug-and-play ‘coders’ or are there groups organized by practice area, vertical or industry?”
- Humanity. “There is a temptation in our industry to treat hourly, temporary workers as cogs in a machine, as expendable and interchangeable instead of unique contributors.”
“When looking to onboard a team of contract reviewers,” Purdy says. “It is important to consider issues larger than cost. For the most effective team, buyers of these services must also consider the conditions of employment that ultimately drive quality and productivity.” Read more at CCBJ.