1. The Problem: The Talent Pipeline is Drying Up
Insolvency firms across the UK are quietly facing a crisis—one that’s not on a balance sheet, but in the staffing plan.
Recruitment has become a slow-motion car crash. The next generation of talent isn’t exactly queuing up outside IP firms. Bright young people—ambitious, tech-savvy, adaptable—are giving insolvency a wide berth. And even when you do attract them, keeping them is another story. Few want to climb the ladder, let alone take over the firm one day.
The pressure, the hours, the regulation, the never-ending cases, the AML demands… to many younger professionals, it just doesn’t seem worth the candle.
And here’s the kicker: even when they do join, many feel like they’ve stepped into a time warp.
2. How Firms Have Tried to Cope
To plug the gap, firms have:
- Offered flexible working and hybrid models
- Upped salaries (where they can)
- Tried to make work culture more appealing
- Brought in juniors and hoped they’ll “learn on the job”
But these are sticking plasters. The real issue is this: the tools, systems, and support aren’t fit for a generation raised on smart tech.
Young staff use AI, voice assistants, automation, and intuitive design in every part of their lives—except at work. At work, they’re told to grind through manual tasks, draft long emails from scratch, and waste hours on admin that an algorithm could do in seconds.
They’re asking: “Why?”
3. The Generative AI Advantage – Especially VAi
Let’s not sugar-coat this. If you’re not giving your team access to the right tools – especially generative AI – you’re making their jobs harder than they need to be.
VAi isn’t just a gimmick. It’s a vital tool for modern IPs and their teams. It can:
- Draft routine file notes, emails, and letters in seconds
- Summarise cases, suggest next steps, and spot missing information
- Standardise documentation
- Relieve staff of repetitive mental-load tasks, giving them more time for meaningful, skilled work
- Enhance consistency and reduce the risk of basic errors
Younger staff notice when a firm isn’t using this kind of tech. And it’s not just about productivity – it’s about mental health and work/life balance. Why should they be drowning in admin when they know AI could help?
They don’t want to be martyrs to the profession. They want to do good work, make a difference, and still have a life.
And if your firm isn’t giving them the tools to do that? Well… why would they work for you?
4. Conclusion: Modern Problems Need Modern Tools
If you want to attract, motivate, and retain the next generation of IP professionals, you need more than a ping-pong table and an early finish on Fridays. You need to equip them for success.
That means embracing generative AI. That means putting tools like VAi into their hands – not to replace their thinking, but to amplify it. Not to deskill them, but to empower them.
Because the firms that do? They’ll be the ones that grow, innovate, and thrive.
The ones that don’t? Well, they might find that when they finally want to retire, there’s no one left to hand the keys to.
Call Paul on 07813 102014 or email him at paul@vaisolutions.co.uk to find out how VAi can help you become the kind of employer the next generation actually wants to work for.
